Penn Line

Maryland's commuter train system is getting a major revamping with a timetable that adds midday and rush hour service, a new stop at Laurel Race Course and a cafe-parlor car that will offer food, drinks and first-class seats.The revised schedule unveiled yesterday by Mass Transit Administration goes into effect Jan. 31. State officials said the changes should make train service more convenient and reliable than in the past."What we're trying to do is enhance our service and create a more flexible schedule," said Maryland Transportation Secretary O. James Lighthizer.

Emergency roadwork has resulted in the closure of an eastbound shoulder Thursday morning on MD-436 at Weems Creek Drive in Anne Arundel County, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation. As of 8:10 a.m., all lanes have reopened following a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 695 at Stevenson Road in Pikesville. Another Baltimore County accident involving one vehicle has closed a southbound shoulder on Interstate 95 south at Interstate 195. The Joppa-Magnolia Fire Company reports that westbound US-40 is shut down at Jones Road in Harford County due to a fallen tree.

MARC trains running on the Penn Line were delayed Monday morning, Maryland Transit Administration officials said. One southbound train experienced mechanical problems, along with downed overhead electrical wires, according to the MTA website and spokesman Terry Owens. MTA officials turned around train 417 at West Baltimore and it departed at 8:10 a.m., Owens said. The first train to leave Penn Station departed at 8:13 a.m., he added. "Unfortunately this morning, the train stopped at an interlocking, which caused delays both north and southbound," Owens said.

Severe storms brought hail and damaging winds through Maryland and much of the mid-Atlantic Thursday afternoon. A tornado warning was issued until 5:15 p.m. for central Anne Arundel County, including Annapolis, Parole and the waters of the Severn River. Another tornado warning was issued earlier in parts of Kent and Queen Anne's counties on the Eastern Shore. Severe storms brought hail the size of golf balls and quarters to northern Montgomery County and western Howard County, according to reports received by the National Weather Service.

The Maryland Transit Administration will launch a new schedule Monday on its Penn Line, adding eight trains to the timetable in an effort to alleviate overcrowding and improve on-time performance on the Amtrak-operated line. The new schedule, which has been planned for more than a year, is intended to relieve some of the strain on MARC's locomotive fleet by using smaller train sets running at more frequent intervals. MTA spokesman Terry Owens said MARC officials have been meeting with riders at Penn Line stations since Feb. 28 and have received a generally favorable reaction to the changes.

The Maryland Transit Administration advised MARC patrons Tuesday that Penn Line train service north of Edgewood has resumed after being suspended all morning due to a power outage caused by downed catenary lines. The first train going all the way from Washington D. C. to Perryville is Train 520, which left Washington at 12:20 p.m. For most of Tuesday, the Penn Line stopped at Edgewood and did not take patrons to stops in Perryville and Aberdeen. Amtrak issued a separate advisory to passengers stating that it has restored service between Washington and Wilmington after disruptions Tuesday morning, but thast passengers may still experience some delays.

Two trains on the southbound MARC Penn Line from Baltimore to Washington will have designated "quiet cars" starting Monday to meet the demands of commuters who want a train ride free of cell phones and loud conversations, the Maryland Transportation Administration said yesterday. Riders on such cars will be asked to turn off their cell phones, set their pagers to vibrate and mute the volume on their laptop computers. The MTA also asks that passengers keep their conversations to a minimum and that commuters traveling with children not ride in the quiet car. The experiment will last three months and could be expanded if it proves popular, officials said.

MARC service on the Penn Line between Washington and Baltimore is expected to resume in time for this morning's commuter rush, a Maryland Transit Administration spokeswoman said yesterday evening. Service on the rail commuter line had been halted since Thursday evening when three empty CSX Corp. coal cars derailed between Bowie and Landover, damaging power lines and the tracks. Officials have said Thursday's heavy rains could have been a factor in the derailment. The derailment had thousands of Friday commuters scrambling for other means of transportation.

As a publication, it's about as riveting as watching mud dry, but commuters have reason to cherish the new MARC Commuter Notice.It's a weekly newsletter outlining the on-time record of all Maryland Rail Commuter trains on the Penn Line. The journal notes when trains are more than five minutes late and the reasons for the delay.That may not seem like much, but it's a happy event for long-suffering MARC commuters who have begun to wonder if anyone's listening to their complaints. Trains on the Penn Line -- from Perryville to Baltimore to Washington -- have MARC's worst on-time performance.

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.

As of 9:10 a.m., the Maryland Department of Transportation is reporting the accident in Howard County on westbound I-70 near Sykesville Road (Route 32) has been moved to the far right shoulder. In Anne Arundel County, the accident reported in the area of Mountain Road at Lea Road in the Pasadena area of Anne Arundel is still affecting traffic in both directions. Also in Anne Arundel, the Department of Public Works is reporting that utility crews are working to repair a 20-inch water main break in Jessup.

A total of 13,338 people rode MARC trains along the Penn Line this weekend, setting a record for the new service as many made their way to Washington for cherry blossom celebrations. That's more than triple the number — 4,085 — who rode the service in its first weekend of operations, in December. Weekend service began with $46 million in funding put toward the state transportation department's six-year budget and raised through an increase in the state's new gas tax, after years of cost being cited as an obstacle to the expansion.

Harford County Sheriff's Office deputies are looking for two men in connection with an reported armed carjacking that occurred early Saturday morning in the vicinity of the MARC train station in Edgewood. Deputies were called to the station off Edgewood Road near the entrance to Aberdeen Proving Ground around 1 a.m., where a 41-year-old Baltimore man reported he had just been carjacked, Sheriff's Office spokesman Edward Hopkins said. According to the preliminary report filed on the incident, Hopkins said, the victim told deputies a friend had wanted to be dropped off at the station to meet of girlfriend.

The Maryland Transit Administration will increase capacity on weekend MARC trains between Baltimore and Washington beginning Saturday, citing growing ridership on the months-old service. The Penn Line service saw its most weekend riders to date this past weekend, on March 8 and 9, when 6,530 passengers traveled between Baltimore and its neighbor to the south, said Paulette Austrich, a MTA spokeswoman. The MTA first began weekend MARC service between Baltimore's Penn Station and Washington's Union Station on the first Saturday of December, offering nine three-car trains on Saturdays and six three-car trains on Sundays.

With the clearing of two incidents on Interstate 95 South in White Marsh, state and local transportation departments reported no unscheduled road closures at 9:12 a.m. on Tuesday. Anticipation of Tuesday's winter storm has affected buses and rails. The Maryland Transit Administration has reported major MARC train delays, with no service on the Brunswick and Camden lines. MTA said that Penn Line is operating on an "S" schedule, meaning only trips designated with the letter "S" will operate.

The Maryland Department of Transportation is reporting that a multi-vehicle accident on southbound I-95 in Harford County prior to Churchville Road this morning has been cleared. Elsewhere, there's roadwork being conducted on I-95 just prior to the beltway. In Anne Arundel County, use caution in the area of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, as traffic is expected to be heavy in regard to the Military Bowl later today. The Maryland Transit Administration says MARC is operating on an "S" schedule on the Brunswick and Penn Line.

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.

A total of 13,338 people rode MARC trains along the Penn Line this weekend, setting a record for the new service as many made their way to Washington for cherry blossom celebrations. That's more than triple the number — 4,085 — who rode the service in its first weekend of operations, in December. Weekend service began with $46 million in funding put toward the state transportation department's six-year budget and raised through an increase in the state's new gas tax, after years of cost being cited as an obstacle to the expansion.

The Maryland Department of Transportation is reporting that the JFX is cleared after accidents affected flow earlier this morning. One accident had closed all three southbound lanes near Northern Parkway, but everything is reportedly clear as of 7:45 a.m. Meanwhile, there are reports that a section of Loch Raven Boulevard is closed near the Alameda due to response to the four-alarm fire at Northwood-Appold United Methodist Church. Elsewhere, MDOT cameras are showing light volume all around the beltway, and traffic moving freely.

Travelers between Baltimore and Washington have a new option beginning this weekend: MARC commuter trains will begin running nine round trips on Saturday and six on Sunday. The trains will run on the Penn Line and fares will be the same as during the week: $7 one-way between the two cities, $6 for BWI-Washington, and $5 for Odenton-Washington. Weekly and monthly passes can also be used. The train is operated by the Maryland Transit Administration. On Saturdays, the first train leaves Baltimore's Penn Station at 7:35 a.m. and the last at 9:15 p.m.; from Washington's Union Station, the first train leaves at 9:02 a.m. and the last at 10:35 p.m. On Sundays, there are departures from Baltimore between 8:50 a.m. and 10:15 p.m. and from Washington between 10:40 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The weekend schedule can be viewed here: http://mta.maryland.gov/sites/default/files/PENN-Weekend_Sched-Grid103013.pdf Jean.marbella@baltsun.com