It's disappointing that the Brunswick Line and the Camden Line have less service COMBINED than the Penn Line. The Brunswick and Camden Lines pass through much more dense areas (Rockville, Silver Spring, College Park, Laurel) and have much more potential for TOD (Frederick, Germantown, Gaithersburg, Kensington on Brunswick; Riverdale, Muirkirk, Laurel, Savage, Elkridge on Camden) than the Penn Line, which mostly just stops at sprawling office parks.

by Dave Murphy on Apr 27, 2012 11:11 am • link • report

I'd estimate that 80% of the Penn line riders go from Baltimore to Union Station. There is nothing as large as Baltimore on the Brunswick Line, and the Camden line is very slow to and from DC. These numbers are not surprising.

by Tom A. on Apr 27, 2012 11:34 am • link • report

@Tom A.

February 8
Penn Station southbound boardings: 3,205
Total southbound boardings: 11,235

March 14
Penn Station southbound boardings: 3,301
Total southbound boardings: 12,859

by Miriam on Apr 27, 2012 11:47 am • link • report

Miriam, thanks. I stand corrected. I've only commuted from DC to Baltimore, so assumed most people got on in Baltimore. I HAVE heard that many people in Baltimore drive to Halethorpe for the free parking that is not available at Baltimore or West Baltimore- which is understandable, yet annoying.

by Tom A. on Apr 27, 2012 12:09 pm • link • report

Is it crazy talk to think there could be a metro service on this line like the multiple routes on each New York City line, ie. local and express? This would turn areas like Kensington, Garret Park, and who knows which others into metro stops.

by Thayer-D on Apr 27, 2012 12:33 pm • link • report

@Thayer,

No, a metro-like service isn't crazy at all. Actually converting it to Metro is likely a non-starter, but the idea of beefing up all of our commuter rail services to offer high frequency, all-day service isn't that crazy.

MARC's investment plan would be a step in the right direction, adding capacity for freight purposes that will allow more passenger trains.

Now, it probably wouldn't make sense to operate that level of service all the way to WV, but you could easily short-turn trains at points in between.

by Alex B. on Apr 27, 2012 12:40 pm • link • report

In my mind, MARC presents the best way for Maryland to build streetcar-suburb-style TOD and turn the station neighborhoods into town centers. Investment in MARC capacity should be a high priority for the state.

The San Francisco's North Bay is building a similar line to the Brunswick using DMUs and 30 minute headways in peak hours, and the cities and towns are extremely excited about the idea of TOD around commuter rail stations.

by OctaviusIII on Apr 27, 2012 12:51 pm • link • report

Plus, I imagine a big part of Penn Line traffic is BWI, where more middle-of-the-day non-commuter trips (per se) make sense.

by Kolohe on Apr 27, 2012 12:52 pm • link • report

Miriam wrote:

The Frederick branch has 2 stations: Monocacy and Frederick. The trains run on a 13.5-mile line that branches off just east of (and not connecting to) the Point of Rocks station. The State of Maryland built and owns most of the track.

I disagree with the above in part.

The line from Point-of-Rocks to Frederick Junction (a "wye") is the Baltimore & Ohio Old Main Line Subdivision (which runs between Point-of-Rocks and Baltimore) and dates back to the 19th Century, was built by the B&O and is now owned by CSX. Even the line from Frederick Junction to Monocacy and Frederick (known as the Frederick Branch) was built by the B&O, but it was essentially abandoned for many years before the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) funded extensive repairs and rehabilitation to allow MARC trains to operate over those tracks in to Frederick.

I believe MDOT funded some repairs and upgrades to the Old Mainline itself (since it had not carried scheduled passenger train service for many years) in preparation for the new MARC service to Frederick.

I am quite certain that CSX retains ownership of the Old Mainline, which still sees freight trains running between Point-of-Rocks and the Capital Subdivision at Relay in Baltimore County.

I am not certain if CSX or MDOT own the Frederick Branch.

by C. P. Zillliacus on Apr 27, 2012 12:59 pm • link • report

@Thayer-D -- Not sure what you mean by "metro service". Do you mean The Metro? The lines are not the same. In effect, MARC should offer something like an express service out to Silver Spring and Kensington/Garret Park/White Flint. I live in a peculiar piece of real estate -- dead ends just below Strathmore Rd. I'm actually probably a few feet closer to the Garrett Park station than I am to the Grosvenor Metro, but I've never even considered taking MARC downtown. There is no bus to Garrett Park station, and I can park fairly close to the Metro, or take a bus if I don't want to walk over a mile. If the MARC was faster, and I knew the schedule was dependable, that might actually change my calculus -- but it would be even better if there were a bus that traveled down Strathmore Rd., making the Garrett Park station more accessible. Right now, the website lists the Ride On 4 as servicing Garrett Park, but it doesn' t come within a mile of the station. It does serve Kensington station, but doesn't come close enough to me to be useful.

There is potential to make MARC a good alternative for those who are commuting to Silver Spring, or to Union Station/Capitol Hill, but it would require imagination and investment...and a willingness to have a service that would compete with Metro. For example, having the last train leaving Union Station at 7:15? Let's say I parked at Garrett Park (17 spaces), or Kensington. Then I've got to make that last train, which means not staying late at work, and definitely not staying in town to do something. Or, take the Metro and figure a way over to get my car. That's very discouraging.

I think it's possible to design a commuter rail through western Montgomery and up to Frederick, which would be a good supplement to Metro, and could do a lot to alleviate the insane traffic jams on I-270.

First thing would be to change the route. It should be possible to boost ridership from Frederick, but that would require not just more trains, but faster trains. The commute should be quicker, but the train needs to be re-routed with a tunnel that would take it through the mountains instead of meandering around to Point of Rocks, before heading south. I know it seems ridiculous to talk about abandoning the Frederick Branch so soon, but it was never a great idea because it was done on the cheap. It's just too long a ride, in part because the line goes way out of the way. The line should parallel 270, with a stop in or on the east side of Clarksburg. If the line did that, and if it moved quickly from there. it would suddenly be an attractive alternative to the daily slog down 270. Unless Metro gets extended to Clarksburg, I think it's a worthwhile investment just to service those in Frederick and upper Montgomery, but I think Thayer does offer a worthwhile perspective in suggesting MARC could be a good service -- a much better service than it is now -- for those in southern and mid-County, too.

by Fischy (Ed F.) on Apr 27, 2012 1:32 pm • link • report

@Thayer-D @Alex B.

The idea of metro-like service along MARC has been mentioned here before, though it's been a while. The proposal would have VRE and MARC combined into a single agency and run what amounts to a Metro Express service around DC.

The service would need to be better connected to Metro than it is now (to minimize out-of-system transfers), but if it ran on Metro headways it would be a great concept. Future improvements, such as electrification and EMUs, would dramatically improve service and make for a more effective unified branding.

by OctaviusIII on Apr 27, 2012 1:32 pm • link • report

@Dave Murphy
"It's disappointing that the Brunswick Line and the Camden Line have less service COMBINED than the Penn Line. The Brunswick and Camden Lines pass through much more dense areas (Rockville, Silver Spring, College Park, Laurel)."

Of your four "more dense areas," three (Rockville, Silver Spring, and College Park) are served by Metro, which provides far more frequent service. Camden and Brunswick lines require riders to come for specifically timed-trains, so its no wonder many of the transit riders in those areas use Metro alternatively. Also, if you ride Metro from one of those towns, it's far easier to transfer to another rail line, whereas riding Marc, only the red or green lines provide one-transfer service.

by arm on Apr 27, 2012 2:00 pm • link • report

Have ridden the Penn Line many times, Camden less often. BWI is a major station for rush hour and mid-day trips. It's more convenient and more comfortable than the Green Line/Metrobus alternative, as well as cheaper for many people (such as myself). New Carrollton also gets quite a few passengers. The Penn Line is more convenient for some surprising destinations like JHU (which has a shuttle stop there for Homewood and the Medical campus).

by Rich on Apr 27, 2012 3:35 pm • link • report

MDOT owns the Frederick branch, which is 3.1 miles from Frederick Station to the wye just south of Monocacy Station.

by Jamie on Apr 27, 2012 3:47 pm • link • report

@C. P. Zillliacus Even the line from Frederick Junction to Monocacy and Frederick (known as the Frederick Branch) was built by the B&O, but it was essentially abandoned for many years before the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) funded extensive repairs and rehabilitation to allow MARC trains to operate over those tracks in to Frederick.

No, that branch has had continuous service since it was built. There is a fertilizer company a stone's throw from the Frederick station that receives several carloads a month. A grain elevator and cement plant (no longer in business) received carloads until the state rebuilt the tracks and grade crossings, but never went back to rail. Until 20 years ago or so, the tracks continued north with street running on East St. to serve several industries. There have been proposals to use those tracks for a heritage trolley type line to Walkersville, but that's not going to happen for many years, if at all.

@Fischy (Ed F.)

There will never be any new MARC lines built, just like there will never be any new VRE lines built. The plan for MARC is to build new parallel tracks, so MARC trains can bypass slow freights, and maybe even have expresses passing local trains. The long term plan was always that the CCT would be extended to Frederick, in fact most of the ROW is already in place. But it is too steep for conventional trains, only electric rail will work. Of course, if the corner cutting 'BRT' is chosen, that will never happen.

by kinverson on Apr 27, 2012 3:54 pm • link • report

Very good article. Is there a link available to the full boarding stats for the entire system? I've ridden MARC from Germantown to Union Station/College Park/Greenbelt (via transfer in WAS) since 2005, though not as frequently in the last few years and ridership at Germantown has grown very quickly. There has been talk of building a parking garage there, but obviously funding has been short. Earlier this year they opened a satellite parking lot on MD117. I expect Metropolitan Grove to grow similarly thanks to the huge (and very delayed) mixed use development that's being constructed adjacent to it.

As for the current schedule proposal, its faaar better than the one released sixth months ago, and will undoubtedly be accepted by the vast majority of riders due to frequency increases at some stations. However, I would still like to see 871 returned to a daily train, instead of Friday-only. The MTA has filed a request with CSX to run another round trip on the line, which would be another big improvement.

by King Terrapin on Apr 27, 2012 9:20 pm • link • report

You also forgot to mention that the Capitol Limited also runs on the Brunswick Line. That Amtrak train stops in Rockville, Haper's Ferry, and Martinsburg. I wonder if Amtrak would consider adding Silver Spring as stop if/when the Purple Line and the Transit Center opens. Another candidate for another stop might be Gaithersburg or Point of the Rocks.

I take Metro and Amtrak a lot places, but never MARC. I grew up in Rockville, but the Metro was always more accessible to me. Also one of the greatest weaknesses with MARC is that the service only runs Monday through Friday. On the Penn Line, with frequent Amtrak NE Corridor services, that generally isn't a problem because most Amtrak trains stop at New Carrollton, BWI, and Baltimore. There are also a few Amtrak trains that stop at Aberdeen. But that is a problem for the Camden and Brunswick Lines.

I know that there are probably political and financial obstacles to running weekend MARC service, but I think the ridership would be there for weekend service. The rest of the commuter rail services on the NE Corridor, including SEPTA, NJ Transit, the LIRR, Metro North, and Boston's T, all run on the weekends. Maybe if MARC only had four trains on Saturdays and Sundays--one in the morning, one at noon, one in the mid-to-late afternoon, and one in the evening--that would be enough. That is, such a train would enable people to come down to DC from the suburbs, spend the day, and then come home.

by Rain17 on Apr 28, 2012 5:45 pm • link • report

I take issue with MARC's method of collecting passenger information. In today's climate of telework, comp-flex, etc..., to only collect on a single weekday (in this case Wednesday) I doubt provides an accurate picture of a full weeks ridership. Picking a varying day each week for a month would have been a more effective (and probably more enlightening) data collection method.

by dctravel on Apr 30, 2012 8:07 am • link • report

Could it be due to these routes only having service one way or only during rushhour ? The Penn Line is the only line that runs morning, midday, evening and night whereas the others don't

There have been many occasions when I have wanted to go to a place on the Brunswick or Camden lines but couldnt due to the service only running during rushhour

by kk on Apr 30, 2012 10:33 pm • link • report