Marc Train

Commuters who take the MARC Train can likely expect reduced service Wednesday morning. The Maryland Transit Administration said Tuesday trains could be delayed because there are not enough train engineers and conductors to work. Tuesday's earthquake caused severe delays on the Penn, Brunswick and Camden lines. Service was temporarily halted and then operated at reduced speeds once service resumed, meaning long hours for the workers. The Federal Railroad Administration requires train engineers and conductors receive a minimum rest period between work shifts.

Baltimore County Police identified the man who died May 1 after being struck by a MARC train near Essex as Robert Ey of Middle River. Ey, 26, was walking south on the tracks when he was accidentally struck by a southbound train moving at about 100 mph, a police investigation found. The accident occurred about 7:15 a.m. near Northeast Creek Road and Schaefer Lane in Rosedale. Police arrived at 7:18 a.m. and searched the area, initially calling in a helicopter for assistance, police said after the accident.

Trouble continued to dog the MARC commuter system Monday as trains were delayed for problems ranging from brake failure to malfunctioning traffic signals to downed trees. In the morning, a southbound MARC train experienced mechanical trouble, delaying Washington-bound commuters on the Penn Line, according to the Maryland Transit Administration. In the afternoon, at least one Washington-bound Camden Line train was running more than an hour late, while a northbound train on the same line was reported 37 minutes late as it approached Dorsey station after being delayed by signal problems and a downed tree.

ON THE SITE... MARC train fatally strikes pedestrian near Essex : A southbound train stopped about 7 a.m. Tuesday and the crew announced a fatality, which Baltimore County police later confirmed. IndyCar Series looking for new Grand Prix organizer : Strife within race group Downforce Racing LLC is leading IndyCar to seek a new local group or manage the auto race itself in four months. City Council OK's mayor's property tax reduction plan : Members voted Monday night to approve a plan to cut property taxes by up to $400 by 2020.

MARC train 538 from Washington shut down Monday evening, leaving passengers stranded in the train for about two hours. MTA spokesman Terry Owens said the train, which leaves Washington at 6:13 p.m., "basically shut down." "We don't know why it shut down," Owens said. "We assume it's weather related, but we don't know." The train stopped just shy of New Carrolton on its way to Perryville. He said that train officials gave out water on some cars. "We carry water on trains in the summer and if there is an issue we had water out."

Maryland Transit Administration and Amtrak officials struggled Tuesday to explain how they could have left a MARC train packed with nearly 1,000 commuters stranded north of Washington in sweltering heat for about two hours Monday night until frustrated passengers removed the windows and summoned paramedics. But even as Amtrak President Joseph Boardman and MTA chief Ralign T. Wells delivered apologies to MARC riders, problems continued. Amtrak, which owns the Penn Line and staffs the trains, reported a 24-minute power loss at Washington's Union Station, causing a delay to all its trains leaving the capital Tuesday evening.

Baltimore County Police identified the man who died May 1 after being struck by a MARC train near Essex as Robert Ey of Middle River. Ey, 26, was walking south on the tracks when he was accidentally struck by a southbound train moving at about 100 mph, a police investigation found. The accident occurred about 7:15 a.m. near Northeast Creek Road and Schaefer Lane in Rosedale. Police arrived at 7:18 a.m. and searched the area, initially calling in a helicopter for assistance, police said after the accident.

Maryland Transit Administration and Amtrak officials are trying to determine why a MARC train packed with about 1,000 commuters from Washington shut down Monday evening, leaving passengers stranded in the train in sweltering heat for about two hours. MTA Administrator Ralign T. Wells said he spoke with the president of Amtrak Tuesday morning to express his concern about how the incident was handled. He said the MTA, Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration will launch of formal investigation of what happened.

A pedestrian attempting to catch a morning train to Washington was fatally struck by it this morning in Gaithersburg, police reported. An 81-year-old man was trying to cross the train tracks shortly before 8 a.m. at the South Summit Ave. train crossing to catch MARC train 878 when the train clipped him, said Angela Cruz, a spokeswoman for Montgomery County police. The Associated Press reported trains were delayed 2 1/2 hours. Passengers were bused to Shady Grove and their MARC tickets were honored, said Dave Clark, a spokesman for the Maryland Transit Administration.

More than 400 commuters were forced to evacuate a MARC train in Laurel during the evening rush hour yesterday as firefighters extinguished a fire on the underside of one of the train's four cars.Prince George's County fire officials said the Maryland Rail Commuter service train, traveling from Washington to Baltimore, stopped at a station at the corner of Lafayette and Main streets in Laurel after smoke was seen coming from underneath one of the cars. The 410 passengers were evacuated from the train as firefighters from Prince George's, Anne Arundel and Howard counties put out the fire.

Those who travel by MARC train to get to work are in for a treat as Harford Commuter Assistance, elected officials and special guests will be on hand from 5:30 to 9 a.m. at the Edgewood MARC Train Station May 2, and the Aberdeen MARC Train Station May 8 with giveaways and light refreshments as well as commuting information as part of May's designation as Clean Commute Month. These are commuters who, day after day, board the MARC train heading south to Baltimore and other destinations, includingWashington, D.C.to get to work.

As of 9 a.m. Thursday, traffic was slow on I-70 westbound near Route 32 in Howard County, due to an accident. Traffic was slow on I-95 southbound near Route 222 in Perryville, due to road construction activity. An accident was blocking traffic on northbound Harford Road at Bagley Road in Fallston. A disabled vehicle was blocking traffic on southbound Route 97 at Route 32 in Anne Arundel County. The Maryland Transit Administration is warning MARC train patrons to expect "major delays" on the Penn Line because a train is disabled at the Odenton station and crews are working to repair it. Other trains are taking on extra passengers, and the Washington Metro line is accepting MARC tickets.

During the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, we've started to decompress from the holidays. The day after Christmas started the recycling effort. Bags, wrapping paper and boxes were readied for Friday's pickup. Gifts that didn't quite fit or work, including one I'd previously given this year's giver, were put in a bag for Paul's Place . Although our desks are still piled with papers, as is a card table used for wrapping, movement is underway. The card table will be down before New Year's.

As of 9 a.m. Friday, traffic was slow around Malcolm Drive and Route 140 in Westminster, due to a disabled vehicle. There were no major delays reported on Baltimore transit systems. The Maryland Transit Administration has modified its MARC train service schedules Friday only, in anticipation of patrons leaving work early due to the New Year's holiday. On the Camden line, there will be a 2 p.m. departure from Union Station, making all stops to Camden Yards. The train that usually departs at 5:51 p.m. from Union Station will not operate.

MARC Penn Line trains are being held in Washington because of congestion caused by high water, according to a statement released by the Maryland Transit Administration at about 5 p.m. Trains affected include: Train 430, for departure from Washington at 4:20 p.m. and Train 532, for departure from Washington at 4:25 p.m. Train 428, scheduled to depart Washington at 4:10 p.m. left at 5:03 p.m. Camden Line Train 853, scheduled to depart Baltimore...

As of 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, traffic was slow on northbound I-95 prior to I-395, due to an accident involving three vehicles. The Jones Falls Expressway has reopened after an accident had closed all southbound lanes between Guilford Avenue and Fayette Street. Traffic was slow on southbound I-95 at Caton Avenue, due to a disabled vehicle in the road. An accident also was snarling traffic on southbound I-83 at Freeland Road in Baltimore County. The Maryland Transit Administration was warning that MARC trains were running at reduced speeds due to the weather.

As of 9 a.m. Friday, traffic was slow around Malcolm Drive and Route 140 in Westminster, due to a disabled vehicle. There were no major delays reported on Baltimore transit systems. The Maryland Transit Administration has modified its MARC train service schedules Friday only, in anticipation of patrons leaving work early due to the New Year's holiday. On the Camden line, there will be a 2 p.m. departure from Union Station, making all stops to Camden Yards. The train that usually departs at 5:51 p.m. from Union Station will not operate.

Train service between Wilmington, Del., and Washington was disrupted yesterday evening after a collision between a northbound Amtrak passenger train and a southbound MARC commuter train near Baltimore's Pennsylvania Station. The 5:45 p.m. accident beneath the Howard Street bridge left the Amtrak train's engine and two empty commuter train cars derailed but standing, and resulted in minor injuries to six people, authorities said. There was no immediate word on when passenger rail traffic through Baltimore would resume.

As of 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, traffic was slow on southbound Route 295 at the Beltway due to an accident involving two vehicles. Accidents also were disrupting traffic at Route 22 west of Tudor Lane and on eastbound I-70 prior to Route 27. A fallen tree is disrupting traffic around Academy Road and Old Frederick Road. The Maryland Transit Administration was advising passengers that the MARC Camden and Penn lines are running at reduced speeds due to the rain and flash flood warnings.

The Maryland Transit Administration warned MARC train patrons to expect delays to train service on the Penn, Brunswick and Camden lines on Wednesday following Tuesday's earthquake, as crews work to restore full service. According to the MTA website, the Brunswick Line was expected to have delays of up to 55 minutes due to several crews exceeding hours of service allowed by the Federal Railroad Administration. The Camden Line was expected to have trains running 20 minutes late. The MTA also said that light rail service has resumed between Timonium Station and Hunt Valley after it was temporary suspended and replaced by a shuttle bus service.