Riding the Baltimore Light Rail Link

We've just arrived in Baltimore, Maryland, and we want to get from Penn Station to downtown. Luckily, there is the Light Rail Link. Or is there... Penn Station is served by a short branch line on a much longer north-south main line that starts in Hunt Valley and goes all the way down to BWI Airport or Glen Burnie, via downtown and Camden Yards. Though the branch to Penn is closed, Mount Royal station is less than a five minutes' walk away. These trains, built in 1992, are high-floor light rail vehicles, but with special accessible platforms at each station. Though plagued by delays and closures, I still think a major transport artery like this is very beneficial to a city like Baltimore. And we enjoyed riding it!
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[@001kkwong]

As a tourist who used the Baltimore light rail quite several times before, I would say these mismanagement thing are pretty often in the Baltimore transit system. Sometimes trains are missing abd you are left to wait another 20 minutes for another one without knowing why.

[@001kkwong]

And I absolutely feel outrageoue with the Penn Station situation. If MTA is not running the line, please do not assume people know it and make a sign showing line suspension and possible replacement bus/station.

[@Thom-TRA]

@@001kkwong it seems like connecting downtown to your main railway station would be a priority, but not in Baltimore I guess.

[@001kkwong]

I think because Penn Station to Camden in Baltimore is a side line and Penn is the only station that deviates from the main line (From Glen Burnie/BWI to Hunt Valley) so after pandemic when MTA realizes a huge drop in ridership in both commuter rail which is MARC and the light rail itself they don't even bother to put resources into operating the side line seriously.

[@trainluvr]

You are too easy going. That situation at Penn Station is an insult to the dignity of every passenger trying to do the right thing and utilize public transit. I get that they for whatever reason can not move the ticket machines upstairs. But why not have a simple sign explaining that the trains are suspended and where to go for the buses? There are no signs or even a bus map anywhere. They exist in the Metro, but they can't put them in Penn Station? The bad old days of poor management and funding of transit are alive and well in Baltimore.

[@Thom-TRA]

Yeah, it was pretty bad. I just get a lot of crap from people when I make mistakes like these. But I agree, the communication was terrible. It’s a great connection and the fact that it’s been closed for so long is a serious issue. There’s not a single sign, and the lady at the desk was not helpful at all either. Thanks for the comment and expressing your opinion! Improved transit is possible, the people making the decisions just need to care.

[@johnkolassa1645]

The MTA really should have had signs indicating that the Penn Station branch is out of service. On my last trip, the branch was running but didn't help much. There's a non-branch LRT station a quick walk from Penn Station, and the Penn Station connection didn't seem worth the time to transfer.

[@GrafEisen1]

As a Baltimore County resident who absolutely loves public transportation and who live pretty close to a metro station it makes me sad I have to drive everywhere because of what a disaster the MTA is, the lack of a metro-light rail connection is particularly galling It especially hurts being a former DC area resident, where you can do alright without a car

[@Thom-TRA]

I remember being surprised to find out a few years back that Baltimore even had a metro at all. DC is a great town, I love using their metro rail. Now I’m in Chicago and also living blissfully without a car.

[@ubahnlexi]

Actually you can walk a block east from Lexington Market's metro stop to connect onto the light rail stop! But yeah. the lack of a direct connection is a bit strange

[@TheBallsohard]

Most of the fleet has been overhauled now, there are some older ABB trains still out on the line but most have been overhauled by Alstom. Hope this helps.

[@trainsdestinations3960]

I used the rail link in 2018 when my dad and I visited the city. It was so easy to transfer and nice to ride.

[@Zeaster91]

As someone who lives in Baltimore I can say I've I only ever had to pay for fare like 3 times in the 3 years I've lived here. I usually buy a ticket on the Charm Pass app and have it saved for when theres an MTA officer checking for fares. The subway and Marc is the same way; oftentimes I could have gotten around without paying.

[@yoyobass100]

What's convenient is that the Light Rail Link use a farecard system called Charm Card which also works on the Metro Subway Link, and buses. Plus it's compatible to Smartrip. The issue is that Smartrip/Charm Card cards can only be validated on the ticket machines instead of a validator typically found on platforms.

[@trainsdestinations3960]

Just curious, based on your pfp, did you use the light rail to go to BronyCon when that was going on? I used it (as did many others) to get between the hotels near the airport and the convention center.

[@yoyobass100]

@@trainsdestinations3960 Yep, the last few cons.

[@CrabMan2539]

5:23 You likely got held by a red traffic light. When the Light Rail runs through Howard Street, it has to obey the traffic lights just like cars. It does make the ride longer but I assume it's like that to help avoid congestion since the light rail already has dedicated lanes. Also I'm glad you brought to attention the closure of the Penn Station branch. I'm not mad that they closed it (I'm 99% sure it's because Penn Station is going through a major expansion right now and they had to sever the line temporarily for that) but I am upset that still to this day, there is absolutely *NOTHING* about that closure ANYWHERE on MTA's website. No mention of it at all. you just have to find out yourself.

[@Thom-TRA]

Yeah the information is terrible. There are no signs at the station either. I had to find out from a random security guard who happened to be there.

[@CrabMan2539]

​@@Thom-TRA Not related to my original comment but I forgot to mention that if you were ever to come back to Baltimore (I remember reading a comment on your MARC video talking about the camden line and you seemed interested on riding it some day (correct me if I'm wrong)), I highly recommend riding the light rail outside of the city (either north or south. I prefer the north side but I may be biased since I live that direction). The light rail primarily goes through woodsy sections but you can see nice little towns such as Woodberry and Mt. Washington. My favorite stretch of that line is between the Falls Rd and Lutherville stations (I believe it's the longest). If you sit on the west side, you'll see Lake Rowland which is gorgeous and if you sit on the east side, you'll see some nice classic buildings and homes. If you were to have spare time, I'd also recommend getting off at falls road. Walk toward the north end of the station on the Parking lot side and you'll see a boardwalk. That'll take you into Rowland Park. There's an old dam there as well as 2 pavilions, lots of trees (and open land), and a trail where you'll find an old abandoned track that once diverged from the line the Light Rail now takes (you won't see it immediately but it's not too far from the tracks. You cross the tracks down a set of stairs to enter the trail)

[@jg-7780]

4:30 I don’t believe the tracks are cut up, I think it’s just a labor thing, since the Penn-Camden service is very low down the MTA’s list of priorities

[@K.D-1109]

No the tracks are cut up they are using that space for a mini mall. It is part of the full renovation to Penn station

[@jg-7780]

@@K.D-1109 I have been there in person, I can vouch 100% that the tracks are still intact. There is construction, sure, but the tracks are not cut up.

[@dennisforner6090]

Good to see that ''if you messed up you fessed up'', Thom. Yes, planning is important but I have found that sometimes internet sites are out of date or contain incorrect information. There should at least have been some signage at the railway station to inform 'out of towners' of what has changed & provide some form of a travel replacement option (s)! Glad you didn't venture walking about at night, could be risky in certain parts of Baltimore. My son asked if you tried the famous 'crab cakes' or had a chance to see the railroad museum at Mt Clare Station? I understand apart from being a major seaport, it is also a major train hub. Very enjoyable & informative upload - thank you for sharing.

[@Thom-TRA]

I have found the same as well, especially since the pandemic has started. The communication on behalf of the MTA was indeed poor. Thankfully, despite Mount Royal station being closeby, my dad was also in town and could pick us up in his car. I have tried crab cakes, but I missed out on the railway museum! I have a list of some lesser-known public transportation that I want to ride in the Maryland-DC area, so I will just have to come back for that!

[@PGHammer21A]

@@Thom-TRA - I rode the Light Rail in 2000 because I was staying in East Baltimore (near Morgan State University) and used the mass-transit system AS a system (the only part of the system I did NOT ride was the subway) - I rode MARC, the MTA, and the light rail. On the bus end, there was the 33 (Eddie Murray), the 3 (Cal Ripken Senior) and the 8 (the Iron Bird - Ripken Junior). 33 runs from East Baltimore to Presidernt Street to connect to the 3 (which runs to Penn Station and connects to the Light Rail (and thus to the Inner Harbor) the 33 and 3 both connect (at different points) to the 8 (which covers York Road from the southern end all the way to Hunt Valley via Towson). I knocked off a ton of my bucket list during those four months - the 33, for example, passed by the old Memorial Stadium site; Hunt Valley is still home to McCormick HQ - and thus Old Bay (as in the seafood seasoning company) - Towson is the larger city of which Hunt Valley is a suburb of - and was the original home of Black and Decker, Price Pfister (the pfabulous pfaucet with the pfunny name) and DeWalt and even Glen Burnie -HQ MVA is there - I took the Light Rail there. Independence Week was REALLY fun - I devoted the afternoon to actually being a tourist and did the Inner Harbor (Harborplace, Power Plant Live, and lunch - a two stopper - Uno Harborplace first (pizza and Electric Lemonade) overlooking USS Constitution (moored below) then ESPNZone at Power Plant Live for brewskis and the O's. The Baltimore Light Rail uses the same cars as the Los Angeles Light Raii (Captain Marvel) - unfortunately, both are gone - and NOT due to bad food).

[@danielueblacker9118]

Thom you speak with such elegance a pleasure to listen. Also love that you stood corrected from a statement on the last video.

[@Thom-TRA]

Thanks for the kind compliment! I could say the same of your constant support and encouragement. Hope you are doing well!

[@dylan1845]

What an adventure y’all have been on so far! 2 months ago I just did the regular northeast regional amtrak train from nyc to Washington DC lol 😂

[@Thom-TRA]

And I’m sure you were much better rested than we were 😂 on my MARC video this Saturday I’ll give a recap of how the whole trip was

[@BDavinci06]

I had a similar experience when I came to Baltimore Penn Station around Memorial Day weekend. I knew that the Baltimore Light rail was there and then when I came to Baltimore on a day trip. I went into Baltimore Penn Station to ride the light rail. So as I went downstairs there was no train except a MARC train that was coming into the station. Someone told me that there's no light rail trains at the station so what I did was I walked from Baltimore Penn Station on Charles Street going through the Washington Monument to Centre Street Mount Vernon station on the light rail. After finally catching the light rail I wrote it a bit to North Avenue then back to Lexington Market Station where I caught the Baltimore Metro Subway there. It was a pleasant experience riding both the Light rail and subway.

[@bobmmann3917]

Wow, such a busy train, you were lucky to get a seat!

[@hirampriggott1689]

This is how I get to an Orioles game.

[@bryanb2014]

A Charm City Circulator (can't remember which color) can get you to Penn Station and downtown, there's also plans to renovate Penn Station. I've ridden the Light Rail in Baltimore many times more than I can count and went all the way to Hunt Valley and Glen Burnie even sometimes took it to work when I worked in Lutherville.

[@Thom-TRA]

The walk wasn’t too bad either

[@stevewarner1962]

The sound I heard on PATCO in New Jersey

[@DominiqueBTillman]

Thank you for this video.

[@Thom-TRA]

You’re welcome!

[@WillHsiung]

Would've been great to take this weekend as I'm on my way there from Chicago but read that the BWI line is closed for repairs until May 15th.

[@Thom-TRA]

Yeah I guess the line closures are insane. Are you thinking of taking MARC to BWI instead?

[@WillHsiung]

@@Thom-TRA Maybe, depending on the options when I arrive.

[@WillHsiung]

@@Thom-TRA Took Lyft as my flight had a 3-hour delay in Chicago and didn't want to deal with another uncertainty.

[@SparkyWaxAll]

thanks. I needed seeing this helpful video. Only suggestion on this excellent vid is mention the Light Rail station/stops you walk to; it helps us confused, senior, out of towners. *Hahaha! "Hearing every Hairspray song". That's funny!; especially to this old guy who graduated high school in '82 at the height of John Waters! (Ashland VA)

[@jrails46]

Hey Thom, great video! Im planning to go to New York City on Dec 31 for the New Years ball drop celebration. Im taking the Lake Shore Limited from Chicago to New York and taking the Northeast Regional to Baltimore after the celebration to stay for 3 nights. I plan on touring Baltimore and New York until leaving for Chicago on the 3rd. Ive never been to Baltimore but have been to New York 5 times. Your video is an inspiration for me to be more familiar with what to expect while touring Baltimore. On a side note, did you get the last part of my message on your Lake Shore Limited video? I asked if you had ridden the Amtrak Cardinal trains 50 and 51? There is a nice section of jointed rail between Clifton Forge, VA and Orange, VA south of Washington DC on the Buckingham Branch. Anyways. Thanks for the great videos!

[@Thom-TRA]

I haven’t been on the Capitol Limited yet! And I hope you have a great trip! I definitely have a preference between the two cities you’re visiting haha. But maybe you’ll find some sweet charming parts in Baltimore. If you do, let me know so I can come back!

[@DannyManny98]

When did it close?

[@DutchRailroads]

Nice video!

[@Thom-TRA]

Thank you!

[@kevanhubbard9673]

The modern German flag plus the flags of West and East Germany were similar.The East German one had a symbol in the middle which was a hammer and something else.

[@Genjinaro]

Holy hell what a mess. I should never complain about SEPTA ever (Honestly SEPTA has been holding strong given the past could years).

[@harpersinclair3948]

Metrobus doesn’t connect with Light RailLink anymore

[@Thom-TRA]

True. Maybe they’ll restore it someday?

[@PGHammer21A]

@@Thom-TRA It does - just not at the same point. The two connect at Baltimore Penn Station - not Marshall BWI.

[@jg-7780]

@@PGHammer21A I think they mean that WMATA metrobus (MTA’s buses are not called “metrobus”) doesn’t connect with light rail anymore, which is correct. At BWI, you used to be able to connect to the B30 express metrobus to Greenbelt, but that service has been cut since COVID

[@rossedwardmiller]

It makes me sad when ppl visit here and just stay around downtown. It isn’t a tourist town and as such the would-be touristy area isn’t very appealing.

[@Thom-TRA]

Ah yes, nothing says “come visit Baltimore” more than someone saying they wished more people would stay in the suburbs…

[@rossedwardmiller]

@@Thom-TRA I didn’t say anything about suburbs. There are a lot of great city neighborhoods here that offer a lot more for visitors than our downtown does. I don’t know why my comment was met with such a harsh/snarky response. I’m a Baltimore resident and want people to have fun if they visit, instead of walking aimlessly downtown where there’s nothing to do.

[@Thom-TRA]

@@rossedwardmiller but see, for the second time you’re assuming that we just walked around aimlessly. We explored quite a few neighborhoods, but on a trip where we also went to NY, Philly, and DC, I’m afraid nothing in Baltimore really stood out. I’m sorry my comment came across as harsh and snarky, really. My understanding of Baltimore is that the people have a reputation of being rude and having thick skin, so in that spirit I thought I wrote a humorous response to your two cents.

[@Potomacguy007]

4 Things: 1. There is a sign about the platform being closed but I was pointed in the wrong direction. You can only see coming from the stairs. I'll explain why in last point. 2. If you go into a major city try using an app called City-Mapper. It will help with many problems like this. Think of it as Waze for Mass Transit. You would have found out the CharmCirculator free bus but it is also not marked. 3. Before going on a trip, ask your viewers. Sometimes a local can give you tips and tricks. ie. CharmCity card and Metrorail card are the same card system. This does not apply to the Mobile application for phone. The Washington Metro closing time is based on trains leaving Metrocenter in DC at 12am in other words the further out you are from the Metrocenter the earlier the station will close. 4. Politics will get you into trouble: The MTA was rerouted by Maryland State with a new state the art system called BaltimoreLink. Locals have another name _ _ _ _. Think Horse H____ y from M*A*S*H [see video kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnelkoxuq9CkZq8] Shortly after it was turned on the person responsible was Fired. The locals are not happy but that track problem is a minor tip issue next to the major nightmare bus rerouting issue [kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGG5dISdfbhnb5I]. The all the local buses were free for a period. The Penn Station repair problem has been at least since 2020 per the sign in the station. The Penn station is being rebuilt. The last track repair note said 2017 was completed but the website does not mention the current issue. The last Governor did not like public transportation. We may see some changes with the new Governor.