September 17, 2009|By Michael Dresser | Michael Dresser,michael.dresser@baltsun.com
Delays, cancellations and crowding are a way of life aboard Maryland's MARC Penn Line, but crowding has been worse than usual the past three weeks as the Maryland Transit Administration has struggled to round up enough locomotives to pull its trains.
The main problem is that six of MARC's 10 electric locomotives are out of commission - forcing the use of less powerful diesel engines that can pull fewer rail cars, said MTA spokeswoman Jawauna Greene. The underlying issue: MARC's entire locomotive fleet is decades old.
Crowding aside, MARC's locomotive troubles have not caused any additional commuter train delays or cancellations, Greene says.
But many beleaguered MARC riders are unhappy.
Brigid O'Brien of Baltimore said MARC's performance in recent weeks had prompted her to sign an expensive lease on an apartment in Washington: "I just lost my patience."
And Monica Blyther of Halethorpe isn't buying the MTA's explanations: "I just think they're trying to save money for themselves; they're just not spending the money wisely."
Blyther had just boarded a morning train at Halethorpe last week and counted herself lucky to get one of the last unoccupied seats on a train that was running one car short of its usual six because none of the electric engines was available. On most recent mornings, she had to stand for the trip to Washington's Union Station.
The train, which originated in Perryville, had plenty of open seats when it left Baltimore's Penn Station at 7:15 a.m., but two stops later the Halethorpe contingent filled the train to capacity. Passengers who boarded at the BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport stop would have to stand in the aisles for the 30 minutes remaining in the journey to Washington.
Greene noted that the trains are still running and people are still getting to work, but acknowledged that MARC is feeling the strain. "The last three weeks have been very difficult. We have an aged fleet and there isn't the money to replace the entire fleet overnight."
She said MARC's fleet is made up primarily of 10 powerful electric locomotives, which average 30 years of age and can be used only on the Penn Line, and 25 diesel locomotives that are 40 years old and interchangeable among the Penn, Camden and Brunswick lines.
The state has ordered 26 new diesel locomotives and has received delivery on three, but those engines have not been placed in service because of a disagreement with the manufacturer over safety certifications. MARC had hoped to put the first of those locomotives into service in June, but they remain parked in a rail yard.
"They're sitting and waiting to be released," Greene said, noting that the state can't put them into service before liability issues are resolved.
Meanwhile, on-time performance on the Penn Line is at 86 percent so far this year, and 90 percent on the Camden Line, the MTA said.
Greene said passengers who don't have to be home early can avoid some of the worst crowding by taking later trains. She declined to speculate on when the crowding might ease, saying the agency wants to get out of the business of making predictions.
"We're doing what we can to improve the infrastructure," she said.
Such vague assurances have left many Penn Line riders feeling stressed.
Sarah Pack of Baltimore said she can usually get a seat but has noticed that people who get on after Penn Station frequently end up standing. "I do feel for the people who have to stand - especially at 7:30 in the morning."
Pack voiced a common complaint among MARC riders about what they perceive as poor communication from the MTA. "They often don't announce [problems] until it's too late, and it's frustrating when they're not very specific."
Greene said the MTA has increased the amount of information it shares with riders over the past two years but suggested that openness has its downside. "It creates the perception that everything's breaking down."
Some riders cope by learning to expect the unexpected.
"As a commuter, you just start accepting it after a while. It's all about being a commuter," said Penn Station passenger Marie Dorsey, who has been commuting to Washington aboard MARC for 10 years.
Regardless of MARC's recent difficulties, many passengers plan to keep riding the trains.
Waiting on the Halethorpe platform earlier this week for the 7:28 a.m. express to Washington, Daniella Herdman said she has to stand for at least part of her commute to and from Washington two or three times a week - more often on the evening ride home. Clutching a paperback as she waited, the 25-year-old researcher for the District of Columbia health department said crowding makes it harder for her to read on the 35-minute ride.
But it still beats driving, which she does about half the time.
"You either sit on [Interstate] 95 stuck in traffic or stand on the train," she said. "For me, I don't think it's a bad tradeoff."
Brooke Budford, who boarded at Middle River last week to commute to her ABC News internship in Washington, said she's sometimes stuck at Union Station until 9 p.m. because of a gap in the evening schedule for passengers whose stations are north of Penn Station. But she still finds MARC the best way to go.
"It's better than driving to D.C., and it's cheaper than Amtrak," she said.
Baltimore Sun reporter Timothy B. Wheeler contributed to this article.
MARC On-Time Performance
Penn: 89 percent Sept. 1-14, 86 percent year to date
Brunswick: 94 percent Sept. 1-14, 90 percent year to date
Camden: 98 percent Sept. 1-14, 90 percent year to date
Source: Maryland Transit Administration
By the numbers
10
powerful electric locomotives with an average age of 30 serve the Penn Line
6
of those 10 electric locomotives are out of commission
26
The number of new diesel locomotives the state has ordered
3
The number of new diesel engines received but not placed in service
