Baltimore's Penn Station Marks Its 100-Year Anniversary
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—One hundred years and counting. Baltimore's Penn Station marked its centennial anniversary Wednesday.
Gigi Barnett explains the historic train station has come a long way.
Baltimore's Penn Station, a historic landmark with a modern flare, turns 100.
In 1911, train travel meant arrive in style. Amtrak says it still is for busy passengers that know trains offer front door service.
"With trains you can get right to the downtown area of the city you want to travel to, while most airports are on the outskirts of the town," said Paul Mallon, Amtrak stations district manager.
"People who are really afraid to fly, it's a godsend. You get there faster. You don't have to worry about traffic," said Erica Ash, passenger.
After a century, security is tight. And when technology hit the tracks, the train schedule became all digital. Penn was one of the first stations to get it.
"Everything we do in here has to fall under the guidelines for historic stations, which means we have to keep it as original as possible when it first opened," Mallon said.
About 2 million passengers travel through Penn Station every year, making it Amtrak's eighth largest in the nation. The goal for the next 100 years the train station says is to boost those numbers.
The next 100 years will also bring more construction to Penn Station. Amtrak plans to expand the train station with a mall and a three-story hotel.
