In an effort to improve safety, increase reliability and provide passengers with a more comfortable ride, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) has awarded a $36.8 million contract to Bombardier Transportation to overhaul 63 MARC III bi-level commuter rail cars, MTA announced Feb. 4, 2016.
“MTA's MARC train plays a vital role in connecting people from all parts of Maryland to jobs in our nation's capital every weekday, and our popular weekend Penn Line service between Baltimore and Washington continues to grow," said MTA Administrator and CEO Paul Comfort. "MTA is committed to providing safe, efficient and reliable transit with world-class customer service. Overhauling our MARC III cars is a cost-effective way to improve the safety and reliability of our fleet so we can deliver on those goals to the thousands of commuters, businesses and tourists that depend on MARC Train service every day."
MARC operates along three commuter rail lines in Maryland: Penn, Camden and Brunswick. The Penn Line operates along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor from Perryville to Union Station in Washington, D.C.; the Camden Line from Baltimore’s Camden Station to Union Station; and the Brunswick Line from Martinsburg, W.Va., to Union Station. Both the Camden and Brunswick lines operate along CSX freight lines. Average weekday ridership on all three MARC lines is roughly 37,500 riders. MARC also operates weekend trains on the Penn Line between Martin State Airport and Union Station transporting about 5,500 riders. The MARC III bi-level commuter rail cars have been in service nearly 17 years.
“Our relationship with the MTA illustrates how a full-service provider can support the wide ranging needs of a vibrant transit system,” said Raymond Bachant, President, Americas Division, Bombardier Transportation. “We can deliver new rolling stock, provide fleet maintenance and operations, and refurbish existing equipment to help transit systems get the most value out of their capital investments while providing high levels of safety and comfort for their passengers.”