MARC riders say problems stretch beyond 1 bad day

After a MARC train stalled this summer and stranded 900 passengers in sweltering heat for more than two hours, transit officials promised to respond faster to breakdowns and to provide more information to customers stuck on disabled trains.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 06242.html

The lond and short of it is that MARC has been growing by a good means but capacity isn't moving and that's causing problems. I personally believe that they need more storage space and that a fourth track DC to Balt. would help immensly. They could keep the MARC's out of the way of Amtrak's more and help reduce delays.

Seeing these major highway construction projects driving around, I am always shocked how that immense amount of money is almost never appropriated to rail projects.

Davis

I noticed last summer that there seemed to be work on the 4th track between Halethorpe and West Baltimore. They were replacing ties and around Halethorpe it looks like a lot of measurements written on the rail on that 4th track. Once or twice one of the afternoon trains was routed onto that track (but not in the last 8 months) or so. Anyone know if there are long term plans along that stretch?

Also does anyone know why northbound between Halethorpe and West Baltimore it seems that top speed for MARC is only about 20 or 30 mph? the Amtrak trains routinely go much faster along that same stretch of track. I haven't been able to discern a pattern to why it's slow and slower through there but it's almost routine that it's not quick. I've asked the conductor but they don't seem to either care or they don't know why.