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A long-time complaint of commuters looking for more and better options to get between Washington and Baltimore could be remedied as soon as next year. The Baltimore Sun reports that the Maryland Transit Administration plans to expand MARC commuter train service to include weekends and additional weekday trains in 2008. The ambitious plan, which will still require approvals from relevant rail agencies, includes tripling MARC's capacity by 2035.
The change would allow those looking for a quick weekend getaway between Baltimore and Washington to save anywhere from $7 to $12 one-way, if prices for the MARC trains remain the same.
In contrast to today's MARC news, the Examiner takes another gloomy look at projections for the Dulles rail extension. Virginia and Airports Authority officials are still claiming they can open the first phase of Dulles Rail by the end of 2012, despite the recent FTA report calling the ambitious timeline in to question.
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I will be so absolutely thrilled to have MARC trains run on weekends. I wouldn't have to drive so I could drink what I want while visiting Charm City.
Wow. Those plans are really ambitious.
Now if only VRE would follow MARC's lead. Or better yet, if only VRE and MARC would merge. It's silly to have separate systems just because you've got two states. SEPTA serves PA and NJ. MTA serves NY and CT.
Anyway, good for Maryland. Maybe they'll see the light and cancel the ICC and plow that money into this MARC expansion.
can we get MARC to annapolis, too? pretty please?
I've heard that MARC has pretty poor reliability. Is that true?
I've used MARC a grand total of 2 times in the last 5 years. My first trip was fine, but the second one broke down half-way to BWI, and the passengers were uncerimoniously herded from the MARC trains onto an AMTRAK train in the middle of nowhere. Reminded me of something from a soviet-era war film.
The conductor told me that kind of thing happens all the time. Is MARC really that unreliable?
No idea if MARC is that unreliable, but I take it many times a year and I've never had a problem with it. It's far more reliable than a shuttle or the bus.
Nice. Pricetag anyone? Or is this just going to get tacked on to the $1.7 billion defecit?
By 2020, the plan calls for an extension of all three MARC lines across the Potomac River to Northern Virginia -- giving BRAC workers rapid-rail access to the Pentagon and the concentration of military offices in Crystal City.
So now that contractors are moving out of Crystal City, they get MARC access. In another 13 years. Maybe the Potomac Yards condo crowd can use it to commute to that economic powerhouse boomtown called Baltimore!
You can get to Baltimore on the cheap right now: Metro to Greenbelt, shuttle to BWI, light rail downtown. Or if you want faster, Greyhound/Peter Pan have Baltimore routes via Silver Spring.
There really does need to be a regional, electrified, 24/7 rail service that runs north south between Richmond and Baltimore, via DCA, Union Station, and rerouting to the heart of BWI, not the fringe. Even in other countries (I am familiar with Copenhagen, Denmark) there are regional rail lines that span different countries, whereas here state boundaries cause blockages, and in the case of VRE, even counties. Hell in the Copenhagen case, not only does rail go across to the environs of Malmo Sweden, they built a hell of an undersea tunnel to get there too. That's big $$$ infrastructure spending you never see in this country anymore.
I don't predict it in my lifetime.
BostonRay says: It only make sense. If one wants to go to suburbs and Baltimore right now on weekends and holidays(or from Baltimore to DC) it costs $17-$21 one way by Amtrak. $7 by Marc one way. Boston and suburbs have 7 day service. When you are going to a game or concert cheap rail is the answer. Would you rather have a drunk driving home on the road with you or riding a train? Better yet less cars on the road period.
Holy CRAP, that would be most excellent. If I could take MARC on weekends, it would make my life a hell of a lot easier.
Reid: MTA may be a poor example.. MTA operates service in agreement with ConnDOT in CT, but Connecticut has no seat on the MTA board, a situation that came out of Penn Central's death and is unlikely to be replicated. ConnDOT controls the fares, but MTA retains final approval over the schedules and negotiates all labor agreements.
SEPTA has minimal operations in NJ.. just Trenton (station owned by NJT, track owned by Amtrak) and West Trenton. DE could be a better example there, but SEPTA in Delaware is very similar to MTA in Conn., except they don't even have a say over fares.
While I understand where you're coming from, I don't think consolidating the agencies would be the answer, since you're unlikely to get the MTA/SEPTA situation where the agency is not beholden to all parties. We've seen how effective the multi-jurisdictional WMATA board can be.
Interestingly, if MARC can extend the Penn line into Newark, DE one will finally be able to transit DC-NYC on rail without taking Amtrak. Granted, the MARC to SEPTA to NJTransit route will take far longer....but it should certainly come in at less than $40 one way.
But seriously, while they might be able to get a few weekend trains on the Penn line, I'd bet dealing with CSX is a whole other story. I don't expect much for the Brunswick and Camden lines.
Nonetheless, this is going to cost a pretty penny.
can we get MARC to annapolis, too? pretty please?
With no real existing rail right of way to any MARC line, there's a better chance of seeing the Light Rail extended further south.