Odenton is a busiest MARC Station except for Washington-Union Station and Baltimore-Penn Station. Its individual station daily ridership is higher than ridership on the entirety of two other MARC lines, the Brunswick and Camden Lines. The reason for the high ridership is partially because it has 1,977 Free parking spaces in surface lots on both sides of the tracks. This is the most parking spaces at any MARC station where parking is free. The station has been a stop for commuter service continuously since 1900. Amtrak stopped at the station at least on the commuter-oriented Chesapeake train between Washington, DC and Philadelphia (using Arrow unites least from NJ Transit) from 1978 and 1983. Today the station is a stop on all but two southbound, and three northbound MARC trains. The trains that skip the station are a few express trains at rush hour.
As of late 2024, MARC is trying to replace some of the surface parking with a parking garage and create development at the station, although there are some single-family homes right up against the railroad tracks. There are also some luxury rental apartments called the Village at Odenton Station. This complex has one restaurant inside it, an outpost of the fancy steakhouse chain Ruth's Chris. This is the closest restaurant to the station.
For being such a busy station, the stop isn't particularly modern but is accessible. The station consists of two simple concrete high-level platforms along the three track Northeast Corridor. These platforms are offset from each other slightly, with the Washington-bound platform running farther north than the Baltimore-bound platform. These are also of different lengths, the Washington-bound platform can accommodate seven cars, the Baltimore-bound platform 8 cars. Amenities along the platforms are just blue bus shelters, with three on the Washington-bound platform and two on the Baltimore-bound platform.
The reason the platforms are offset is to accommodate the station house along the Washington-bound side of the tracks. The depot was built in the 1940s and was designed by the same famous industrial designer Raymond Ferdinand Loewy who was also the architect for the Aberdeen Station.
This brick single story building with an overhanging roof provides cover over what was once the Washington-bound low-level platform that has now been fenced off. Inside is a still open ticket office (the only one on the Penn Line other than Amtrak agents selling tickets), your Credit Card reads Odenton Commuter Store, when you buy a ticket from this ticket agent. The seating is very not modern with individual blue plastic bucket seats. There are also a couple of small restrooms and a single TVM. On each side of the roof of the station above what was the low-level platform are historic looking signs. These are Pennsylvania Railroad-style Odenton Signs. These have gold text on a red background with the shape of a Keystone in the middle.
The depot leads out directly to a plaza. Just behind the depot is a tiny cinderblock building that was once a Citizen State Bank and is now part of the Odenton Heritage Society.
To the North is the start of the Washington-bound platform with three staircases followed by a ramp up to it. The start of the platform is at the turn-around loop for the station's bus loop. This contains no amenities for waiting passengers. There are two connecting bus routes from Anne Arundel County Office of Transportation (one has some trips running to the east platform, terminating in the parking lot, with some running to this bus loop). There are also shuttles for those with appropriate government business to the Army Base at Fort Meade and the National Security Agency Headquarters.
North of the bus loop is the start of the parking lot along the Washington-bound side of the station. This parking lot is mostly set back from the Washington-bound platform with trees the view from behind for most of the platform. There are two additional staircases to leave the platform, one in the middle of the platform to a short path through the trees to one corner of the parking lot. There is a final staircase down to the most northern section of the oddly-shaped parking lot at the northern end of this platform. These parking lots all lead out to Town Center Blvd, with Annapolis Blvd crossing over the Northeast Corridor north of the station, its overpass is visible from the station.
To main way to reach the Baltimore-bound platform is by exiting the southern end of the station house. Here, just south of a section of dead-end street of Odenton Road, is a staircase and exposed switch backing ramp these lead down to a pedestrian tunnel under the tracks. The tunnel contains simple white walls and black railings along it. At the Baltimore-bound side of the tunnel is a ramp (with one switchback) and a staircase to a plaza between the parking lot and the Baltimore-bound high-level platform.
Access to the Baltimore-bound platform is directly from its parking lot with two exits via staircases, each splitting into four staircases after exiting the platform along with a ramp. These access points all run from about the second car to the rear to about the middle of the platform. The platform is otherwise bear with no passenger amenities. The Baltimore-bound parking lot primarily runs east-west going behind the station platform. It has two different access roads from the end of the continuation of Odenton Road (there was a grade-crossing for this through road historically) and Becknel Avenue to the southern side of the parking lot.
Photos 1: October 10, 2015; 2-58: September 4, 2024; 59-76: October 1, 2024;
