MARC EXPANSION on the PORT ROAD

Just wondering how this could work to touch many a commuter up the "Suzy" where they could connect at Perryville or elsewhere to Philly/Baltimore. I am guessing NS would not like it much...

The bigger question would be WHY? Who lives up there?

Actually, I do see a limited potential. There might be a demand for summer time special trains on Friday and Sunday to transport kids to the local camps. I remember visiting my friend at Camp Conowingo and it was very remote to say the least.

But I think overall, the population is not there nor is the money, Marc can't sustain the service level it has now.

Good idea though, maybe we could see a leaf train or two in the fall though.

Excursions? Now THAT's a good idea. Seriously. You bring in new potential customers. However, I don't know what kind of barriers you'd have to deal with venturing from the existing system/territory. But there are venues already within the system that they can partner with to exploit some traffic. Weekend service to the O's? Racetrack packages?

cpontani wrote:Excursions? Now THAT's a good idea. Seriously. You bring in new potential customers. However, I don't know what kind of barriers you'd have to deal with venturing from the existing system/territory. But there are venues already within the system that they can partner with to exploit some traffic. Weekend service to the O's? Racetrack packages?

I've heard that MARC used to operate service to Orioles' games a while ago, but cancelled it for some reason. I know that MARC used to (and probably still does) operates excursions out west to WMD, WV, and PA, but I think that's it.

IMHO before MARC/MTA considers any other expansions, the current expansion plan to Delaware and Virginia needs to be completed, as those are the two most viable expansions. Currently those plans are in limbo thanks to the economy, and the budget deficit. MARC was actually forced to cancel existing service for this year.

realtype wrote: I've heard that MARC used to operate service to Orioles' games a while ago, but cancelled it for some reason. I know that MARC used to (and probably still does) operates excursions out west to WMD, WV, and PA, but I think that's it.

Once when I was a young lad growing up in Frederick, we took the MARC to an Orioles game - we had to drive down to Point or Rocks (no Frederick Branch service yet!) and then take the trip all the way into DC and then back out to Baltimore (talk about going the long way around!).

I would assume that the limited ridership was due to those two factors. This was in 1992 (the year the park opened, because I've got a picture of the half finished "Oriole Park at Camden Yards" mural on the outside of the warehouse), and as I recall it was only a pilot type program for a very few weekend games to take advantage of the new park's proximity to Camden Station and it never got much past that.

I agree with Realtype, worry about getting into Delaware and meeting up with SEPTA before an expansion to Port Road.

Within the last year a MARC official told me their current agreement with CSX states there will be no excursion trains where regular trains don't already run. I'm not sure about NS, but I've noticed no enthusiasm for passenger traffic over their lines. The bottom line, of course, is that the additional necessary funding simply isn't there.

RailVet wrote:Within the last year a MARC official told me their current agreement with CSX states there will be no excursion trains where regular trains don't already run. I'm not sure about NS, but I've noticed no enthusiasm for passenger traffic over their lines. The bottom line, of course, is that the additional necessary funding simply isn't there.

The freight railroads hate passenger service plain and simple since they're profit-seeking organizations and the state/federal govt. run services don't provide any profit. I know MARC has said that CSX and Amtrak are always demanding higher fees stating that MARC doesn't pay the full cost of using their railroads.

But NS uses a good portion of the NEC north of Balt. and CSX in Landover, so maybe they could cut MARC traffic some slack.

Marc wanted to run excursion trains to West Virginia but found it impossible due to MARC not having any weekend slots out to Martinsberg, but now that Maryland has slots, I doubt they have any interest in that.

I recall a Norfolk Southern official telling me his opinion of Amtrak. The thought that he and the railroad had to pay, through their taxes, to have unwanted (by NS) passenger trains run on their railroad was galling beyond words. If I looked him up, I suspect his opinion of MARC's trains (and any other passenger trains) would be much the same, and I think his opinions are little different from those of anyone else at NS.

So an excursion train up the "Suzy" on either MARC or AMTRAK is out of the cards??? Thought there was one back in 2004.

The short answer is "Yes, it's out of the question." The long answer is more detailed but comes to the same conclusion.

RailVet wrote:I recall a Norfolk Southern official telling me his opinion of Amtrak. The thought that he and the railroad had to pay, through their taxes, to have unwanted (by NS) passenger trains run on their railroad was galling beyond words. If I looked him up, I suspect his opinion of MARC's trains (and any other passenger trains) would be much the same, and I think his opinions are little different from those of anyone else at NS.

His company's officers signed the contracts in (N&W in 1971, SOU in 1979) and their Board's approved it. No one held a gun to their heads. Who cares what this "NS Official" thinks now. His job is to properly facilitate the operation of those trains over "his" RR.

I'm usually not so iritable on this board, but this quote just hit me wrong.