The Frederick Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) runs from Frederick Junction on the west side of the Monocacy River to its terminus at South Street in downtown Frederick, Maryland. The branch officially was opened in December 1831 with a ceremonial train (pulled by horses) carrying directors of the company and various politicians arriving from Baltimore. At the junction the branch connects with the B&O Old Main Line, which runs east to Baltimore and West to Point of Rocks. The wye at Frederick Junction is a track arrangement that allows trains to turn around. It was the first of its kind in the United States, and is still in use today.
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In planning the route of the Old Main Line, the B&O decided against building the main line directly through Frederick, preferring instead to take advantage of a valley grade to the south of the city. The city's first train station, built in 1832 at South Carroll Street, was the second oldest permanent station in the B&O system, and was used mainly for freight.[1]:27-28 A new passenger depot was built in 1854 at East All Saints and Market Streets, and the old station continued as a freight station until c. 1910. A station at Frederick Junction was opened after the Civil War and operated through the World War II era.
The branch first provided a rapid means for the many mills in the city to ship flour to Baltimore for sale. Over the years outbound freight traffic diversified to include milk, bricks, limestone and some manufactured goods from Frederick. The branch connected with two other railroads within Frederick. The Pennsylvania Railroad connected near East Street and South Street in downtown Frederick and the Hagerstown and Frederick Railway connected near the small B&O Railroad yard and terminal along South Street in downtown Frederick. Passenger service lasted until November 1949 and the branch gradually fell into disuse as local business customers switched to trucks. As of 2006 the only remaining freight customer on the branch is Wickes Lumber which receives car loads of building materials via a local CSX freight train.
In December 2001 passenger traffic returned to Frederick in the form of MARC commuter trains. The Maryland Transit Administration funded upgrades to the Frederick Branch and to the portion of the Old Main Line that ran from Frederick Junction to Point of Rocks.[2] A small yard was also constructed along Reichs Ford Road with capacity for three entire train sets. Two new stations were constructed to handle passengers, one in downtown Frederick near the original branch terminus at South Street and another located behind a shopping center near Frederick Junction called Monocacy Station.
