Cumberland station (Maryland)

For the historic Western Maryland Railway station, see Cumberland station (Western Maryland Railway).
Cumberland, MD
The Capitol Limited at Cumberland station in October 2015
General information
Location201 East Harrison Street
Cumberland, Maryland
United States
Coordinates39°39′02″N 78°45′28″W / 39.6506°N 78.7579°W / 39.6506; -78.7579
Line(s)Cumberland Terminal Subdivision
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus transport Allegany County Transit
Bus transport Bayrunner Shuttle
Other information
Station codeAmtrak: CUM
Passengers
FY 20237,651[1] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Connellsville
toward Chicago
 Floridian Martinsburg
toward Miami
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Keyser
toward Cincinnati (River Road)
 Shenandoah Martinsburg
toward Washington, D.C.
Connellsville
toward Chicago
 Capitol Limited
Location
Map

Cumberland station is a Amtrak train station in Cumberland, Maryland, United States. The station has one side platform serving the two tracks of the Cumberland Terminal Subdivision. It is served by the daily Floridian.

History

B&O trains at Queen City Station in 1970

The current waiting shelter for Amtrak service in Cumberland sits on the original site of the Queen City Station. This was a 174-room hotel constructed by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) in 1871 with a ballroom, a 400-seat dining room, and gardens and fountains.[2] The station was demolished in 1972, an act which spurred conservation efforts for architecturally and historically significant structures.[3]

Amtrak took over intercity service in May 1971; no service was retained on the B&O mainline. Amtrak restored intercity service on the B&O on September 8, 1971, with the Parkersburg–Washington West Virginian. It was renamed Potomac Turbo on February 7, 1972, and Potomac Special on May 14, 1972.[4]: 67 

The Potomac Special was replaced with the Cumberland–Washington Blue Ridge on May 7, 1973. The Cincinnati–Washington Shenandoah was introduced on October 31, 1976; the Blue Ridge was cut back to Martinsburg and later became part of the Brunswick Line.[5][4]: 68  On October 1, 1981, the Shenandoah was replaced with the Chicago–Washington Capitol Limited.[4]: 42  On November 10, 2024, the Capitol Limited was merged with the Silver Star as the Floridian.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of Maryland" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  2. ^ Feldstein, Albert L. (2006). Allegany County. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-7385-4381-9.
  3. ^ Newell, Dianne (1975). The Failure to Preserve the Queen City Hotel, Cumberland, Maryland. Case Studies in Preservation. Washington, D.C.: Preservation Press. ISBN 978-0-89133-023-3.
  4. ^ a b c Sanders, Craig (2006). Amtrak in the Heartland. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-34705-3.
  5. ^ West Virginia Department of Transportation, State Rail Authority (March 12, 2013). "West Virginia State Rail Plan: Maryland Area Regional Commuter Service". p. 2. Archived from the original on October 7, 2016. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  6. ^ "Amtrak Launching the Floridian, with Daily Service Between Chicago and Miami" (Press release). Amtrak. September 23, 2024. Archived from the original on September 23, 2024. Retrieved September 23, 2024.

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