Kensington station (Maryland)

Kensington is a passenger railroad station at 10417 Howard Avenue in Kensington, Maryland, United States. Opened by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) in 1891, the Kensington station is today served by MARC Train's Brunswick Line, which makes 15 weekday scheduled stops at Kensington, plus one flag stop on Fridays.

For other places with the same name, see Kensington station (disambiguation).

Kensington
MARC commuter rail station
General information
Location3701 Howard Avenue, Kensington, Maryland[1]
Owned byMARC
Line(s)Metropolitan Subdivision
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
ConnectionsRide On
Construction
ParkingYes, 48 free spaces
Bicycle facilitiesNo
AccessibleNo
History
Opened1891 (B&O)
Passengers
November 202260 (daily)[2] (MARC)
Services
Preceding station MARC Following station
Garrett Park
towards Martinsburg or Frederick
 Brunswick Line Silver Spring
towards Union Station
Former services
Preceding station Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Following station
Garrett Park
toward Chicago
 Main Line Woodside
toward Jersey City
Capitol View
toward Jersey City
Kensington Railroad Station
Kensington station (Maryland) is located in Maryland
Kensington station (Maryland)
Kensington station (Maryland) is located in the United States
Kensington station (Maryland)
LocationKensington, Maryland, USA
Coordinates39°1′36.4″N 77°4′18.5″W
ArchitectEphraim Francis Baldwin
Architectural styleLate Victorian
Part ofKensington Historic District (ID80001827)
Added to NRHPSeptember 14, 1980[3]

Station layout

Kensington station has a former B&O station master's house. The building is open during the Kensington Farmers Market, which is held in the station parking lot. Inside there is an old stove, waiting area, and restrooms. Tickets can be purchased from a self-service machine. During the Kensington Labor Day Parade, CSX Transportation, which currently owns the railroad line, offers free souvenirs. There is also a small model train layout. The platform is a low-level concrete platform. On the other side, there is a covered waiting area and some benches. Elaborate safety measures can be found on the crosswalk between the platforms leading to the station entrance that include crossbuck signs with warning bells, highway signs, and pedestrian signals.[4] The station is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, lacking raised platforms for level boarding.

P
Platform level		 Street level North exit/entrance, parking
Side platform
Outbound ←      Brunswick Line toward Martinsburg or Frederick (Garrett Park)
←      Capitol Limited does not stop here
Inbound →      Capitol Limited does not stop here →
→      Brunswick Line toward Union Station (Silver Spring) →
Side platform
Street level South exit/entrance, buses, parking

History

The B&O completed construction of the Metropolitan Branch through Montgomery County in 1873.[5]: 7  The line connected Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Maryland and points west.

Initially, the settlement around the railroad line was known as Knowles Station. The town was incorporated in 1894 and was named Kensington at that time. The B&O station was designed by architect Ephraim Francis Baldwin and opened in 1891.[5]: 32–33  [6] From 1893 to 1935, the station was used as a terminal for the Kensington Electric Railway, which offered streetcar service to Chevy Chase, Maryland. The station is a contributing property to the Kensington Historic District.

  • MARC Locomotive #72 arrives at Kensington station
    MARC Locomotive #72 arrives at Kensington station
  • Kensington station shelter
    Kensington station shelter

See also

References
  1. "MARC Station Information". MTA Maryland. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  2. "MARC Brunswick Line Technical Report" (PDF). Maryland Transit Administration. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  3. National Register of Historic Places Listings; September 14, 1980
  4. Flickr photo by John Mueller
  5. Soderberg, Susan C. (1998). The Met: A History of the Metropolitan Branch of the B&O Railroad, Its Stations and Towns. Germantown, MD: Germantown Historical Society.
  6. Traceries and Preservation Associates (1992). Vision of Kensington: A Long-Range Preservation Plan (PDF) (Report). Montgomery County Council, Rockville, MD. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 26, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2009. p. 14.

Further reading
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kensington (MARC station).
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.