"They're in very good shape," Wiedefeld said.
The MTA chief said the cars became available because VRE has decided to move in a different direction with the vehicles it will use on its commuter routes.
The new cars will not address MARC's recent problem of locomotives breaking down - the cause of frequent delays and cancellations in recent months.
Wiedefeld said MARC will soon get some relief as two electric locomotives that were undergoing rehabilitation are returned to service.
Gov. Martin O'Malley has made improvements on MARC a centerpiece of his transportation program, but the lengthy timeline for transit equipment purchases has meant that riders have seen few results so far.
Wiedefeld said MARC will push some of its late Penn Line trains to an earlier schedule to better meet customer demand. The last departure from Union Station to Baltimore will be at 11 p.m. rather than 11:45 p.m., and MARC will add a 10:05 p.m. train in order to close a previous two-hour gap between evening trains.
The MTA is still negotiating with Amtrak about adding weekend runs on the Penn Line and with CSX about adding midday trains to the Camden Line.
michael.dresser@baltsun.com
