Rail Service

Rail service between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., which had been suspended for about five hours because of the electrical problem on the Penn Line MARC Train 415, has been restored, said the Maryland Transit Administration. MTA released a statement around 12:30 p.m. Friday, saying that Amtrak crews repaired most of the damaged catenary lines allowing MARC to resume service. Amtrak and MARC halted service on the rail at approximately 7:30 a.m., when the Penn Line MARC Train 415 experienced a problem between BWI-Thurgood Marshall Airport and Odenton.

Last week presented the sort of opportunity that elected officials crave. As Gov. Martin O'Malley signed the gas tax increase into law, he announced a slew of new Maryland transportation projects - $1.2 billion in all - that can now move forward to relieve congestion, make roads safer and stimulate economic development. And while all of them, from widening U.S. 29 in Howard County to designing several new light rail lines in the Washington and Baltimore areas, have their constituencies and benefits, none is likely to reap more immediate rewards than expanding MARC commuter rail operations, including allowing Penn Line trains to run on weekends.

Seminary Avenue at the light rail crossing in Lutherville is scheduled to be closed for five days beginning 10 a.m. Friday for track and road improvement work, the Maryland Transit Administration announced. Local businesses will remain open and all side streets and residential driveways will remain open. Through traffic along Seminary Avenue in Historic Lutherville will be detoured using Falls Road, the Baltimore Beltway, Charles Street and Bellona Avenue. During track work, MTA will provide shuttle bus service between the Timonium and Falls Road stations beginning Friday at 8 p.m. The rubberized rail crossing is being replaced to improve safety for light rail passengers and motorists on Seminary Avenue.

Seminary Avenue at the light rail crossing in Lutherville is scheduled to be closed for five days beginning 10 a.m. Friday for track and road improvement work, the Maryland Transit Administration announced. Local businesses will remain open and all side streets and residential driveways will remain open. Through traffic along Seminary Avenue in Historic Lutherville will be detoured using Falls Road, the Baltimore Beltway, Charles Street and Bellona Avenue. During track work, MTA will provide shuttle bus service between the Timonium and Falls Road stations beginning Friday at 8 p.m. The rubberized rail crossing is being replaced to improve safety for light rail passengers and motorists on Seminary Avenue.

Light-rail service in South Baltimore, interrupted since Monday by damaged power lines, is scheduled to resume at 11 a.m. today, the Mass Transit Administration reported last night.With help from Baltimore Gas & Electric Co., MTA maintenance crews completed repairs yesterday to 1,500 feet of overhead wires that had been damaged north of the Westport stop on the Central Light Rail Line.The cause of the damage remains unknown, and MTA said it was continuing to review the entire 22.5-mile line in an attempt to pinpoint what triggered Monday's mishap.

The Maryland Transit Administration reported "major disruptions" in light rail service yesterday because of falling leaves and an increase in the number of rail cars needing wheel repairs. The MTA said the resulting shortage of trains would force it to discontinue some rail service and replace it with shuttle buses. Similar problems arose last spring after the discovery of a cracked wheel forced the MTA to pull cars off the tracks for inspections. The transit agency said it expects this round of disruptions, including crowding and late trains, to last for about a week.

The Board of Public Works approved a long-awaited operating agreement between the state and CSX Transportation yesterday, clearing the way for extending Maryland's commuter rail service between Washington and Frederick.While commuter rail service to Frederick is still more than two years away, the approval allows the state to move ahead with the first phase of a $50 million project to build the connection -- a move designed in part to ease traffic congestion along the Interstate 270 corridor.

A two-alarm fire damaged a brick warehouse in an industrial park along the Jones Falls yesterday afternoon, disrupting light rail service as city firefighters briefly closed the nearby Woodberry station, authorities said. No one was inside the three-story building in the 1700 block of Union Ave. when the fire occurred, police said. The cause, police said, appeared to be fumes from cans of paint coming into contact with a heat source in the building, which according to state records is owned by the Time Group realty firm.

As of 9 a.m. Tuesday, traffic was slow at Linwood Road and Madison Street, due to an accident. Cleanup from an accident was slowing traffic on Washington Boulevard near I-195 in Baltimore County. A disabled vehicle was blocking traffic on U.S. 29 south at Old Columbia Road in Howard County. Debris in the road was blocking traffic on the inner loop of I-695 near Greenspring Avenue in Baltimore County. Light rail service is suspended between the Timonium and Hunt Valley stations due to construction work.

Bus shuttles will serve the five northernmost light rail stops in Baltimore County starting later this month while a crossing at Warren Road is replaced, and some riders said yesterday they are not looking forward to the change. "I think it's going to be a lot more of a headache because there's always two trains and enough space for passengers to sit down. The buses will be more crowded," said Kamille Morton, 17, a Paul Laurence Dunbar High School junior who commutes from Cold Spring to Shawan Road in Hunt Valley, the last stop on the line, to get to her job at a nearby Wendy's.

A medical emergency disrupted service on the light rail between North Avenue and Falls Road late Saturday, according to tranportation officials. The nature of the medical emergency wasn't immediately clear. The Maryland Transit Administration reported the disruption around 9:30 p.m. Customers were advised to board shuttle buses on Falls Road at Union Avenue, Cold Spring Lane and Kelly Avenue. ywenger@baltsun.com twitter.com/yvonnewenger

Anne Arundel County Fire Department officials say a shuttle bus at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport overturned Sunday morning, injuring three people and temporarily interrupting light rail service in that area. The accident occurred about 6:30 a.m., and the shuttle overturned near the intersection of Route 170 and Terminal Road, fire officials said. Three people were hurt, fire officials said. One refused medical treatment and the other two were taken via ambulance to the Baltimore Washington Medical Center with minor injuries, officials said.

Rail service between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., which had been suspended for about five hours because of the electrical problem on the Penn Line MARC Train 415, has been restored, said the Maryland Transit Administration. MTA released a statement around 12:30 p.m. Friday, saying that Amtrak crews repaired most of the damaged catenary lines allowing MARC to resume service. Amtrak and MARC halted service on the rail at approximately 7:30 a.m., when the Penn Line MARC Train 415 experienced a problem between BWI-Thurgood Marshall Airport and Odenton.

Travel restrictions on Baltimore City roads were lifted at noon, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said. Maryland State Police are urging people to stay off roads until highway crews are able to clear away fallen trees and other traffic hazards. They warn that downed power lines and wind-blown debris are blocking roads around the state. In addition, they say, power failures have caused traffic lights to go out around the region. In Garrett County, portions of I-68 were closed due to blizzard conditions.

Amtrak, long one of the favorite whipping boys of fiscal conservatives, is getting another thrashing from Mitt Romney and the Republicans. From all the attacks, one might think that the nation's bargain-basement passenger rail system was the cause of the federal deficit. The reality is that Amtrak is attracting record ridership: 30 million passengers last year, and every month in the current fiscal year has been a record-setter, too. Amtrak ridership has increased more than 40 percent over the past decade, and that's not counting the millions more who ride commuter rail lines that depend on Amtrak infrastructure.

As of 9 a.m. Monday, traffic was slow on I-95 northbound at Washington Boulevard, due to an accident. Accidents were slowing traffic on Route 24 at Route 40 in Harford County and U.S. 50 westbound at Patuxent River Road. Light rail service is suspended between the Timonium and Hunt Valley stations due to construction work. A shuttle bus service is available instead. The Maryland Transit Administration is reporting minor delays in light rail service from Timonium to Cromwell and BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.

An unidentified man was struck and killed Tuesday morning by a southbound MARC train in the Rosedale area. The accident occurred shortly after 7 a.m. just south of where the rail lines cross under I-695, Maryland Transit Administration officials said. The train stopped and the crew announced that a fatality had occurred, according to several passengers. Baltimore County police arrived at 7:18 a.m. and searched the area. They located the body near Schafers Lane and Northeast Creek Road, east of Pulaski Highway.

Amtrak has revived a plan to open a boutique hotel inside Baltimore's historic Penn Station, which would be a first in an Amtrak-owned station. The passenger rail operator is negotiating with a developer to create a 72-room hotel on three levels at the station, Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said yesterday. The national rail service is struggling with declining revenues and operating losses that are exceeding $1 billion annually and are projected to grow by 40 percent within four years, according to the Government Accountability Office.

As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, traffic was slow on Route 543 at Prospect Mill Road in Harford County, due to an accident. Light rail service is suspended between the Timonium and Hunt Valley stations due to construction work. A shuttle bus service is available instead. There are no other delays reported on Baltimore area transit systems.

As of 9 a.m. Tuesday, traffic was slow at Linwood Road and Madison Street, due to an accident. Cleanup from an accident was slowing traffic on Washington Boulevard near I-195 in Baltimore County. A disabled vehicle was blocking traffic on U.S. 29 south at Old Columbia Road in Howard County. Debris in the road was blocking traffic on the inner loop of I-695 near Greenspring Avenue in Baltimore County. Light rail service is suspended between the Timonium and Hunt Valley stations due to construction work.