WB&A Trail

Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis (WB&A) Railroad began operating in February 1908. At the time, it was a state-of-art interurban rail line with electric trains traveling as fast as 70 miles per hour. Stops along the trail were located at Bowie, Lloyd, Highbridge, Hillmeade, Bell, Randle (Glen Dale Hospital), Lincoln, Buena Vista, and Cherry Grove. Trains ran every one-half hour between destinations. Despite the fact that the railroad was rarely profitable, service was excellent. It was fast and on time. In 1909, a Washington to Baltimore round trip ticket cost $1.25 and travel took only 65 minutes one way. Ridership peaked in 1918 during World War I, when the railroad had 33 scheduled trips a dy from Washington to Baltimore, carrying 5.9 million riders a year. The Great Depression took its toll, however, and the WB&A ceased service in August 1935. The tracks were removed shortly thereafter. The Bowie Race Track is located where it is because of the proximity to the railroad. The WB&A regularly ran Bowie Race Track specials. During the railroad's heyday, six daily trains, informally known as "Bootlegger Specials", were added to the schedule to accommodate people buying alcohol in Baltimore where it was outlawed in Washington, D.C. in the fall of 1918. Today the 5.6-mile WB&A trail is located on the site of the former Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad. The long abandoned semi-rural corridor provides an ideal site for a recreational trail.