The
Baltimore & Annapolis Railroad was an American railroad of central
Maryland built in the 19th century. The railroad, the second to serve
Annapolis, ran between Annapolis and Clifford along the north shore of the
Severn River. From Clifford, just north of the present day
Patapsco Light Rail Stop, it connected with the
B&O's Curtis Bay branch so that trains could travel to
Baltimore. In 1921, when it was called the Annapolis and Baltimore Short Line, it was purchased by the larger
Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway (WB&A), and then emerged from the WB&A's 1935
bankruptcy and closure as the Baltimore & Annapolis Railroad. B&A electric passenger operation between the two cities continued until 1950, at which time the rail line became solely a
freight carrier, operating
buses for passenger service. Freight service to Annapolis continued until June 1968 when the Severn River
Trestle was declared unsafe. In the 1980s the line was completely shut down. The
right-of-way now serves as part of
Baltimore's light rail system and as the
Baltimore & Annapolis Trail.