MARC Train Montgomery County to Baltimore service will begin September 28, creating a direct weekday rail connection across central Maryland. Commuters will reach Baltimore without transferring at Washington Union Station, according to Baltimore Chronicle.
The Maryland Transit Administration announced the expansion on September 2. WMAR also reported the new connection and expected travel-time reductions.
How the new MARC Train service will work
The direct MARC service links the Brunswick and Camden lines through a new weekday run-through operation. One train will head toward Baltimore each morning. Another will return west during the evening.
The route will directly serve:
- Brunswick, Point of Rocks, Barnesville and Germantown;
- Metropolitan Grove, Gaithersburg, Rockville, Kensington and Silver Spring;
- College Park, Laurel and Baltimore Camden Station.
That creates a one-seat connection between communities previously separated by a Washington transfer. MTA says existing service is being rearranged to create it.
Commute times will fall sharply
MTA expects some morning and evening journeys to become nearly 60 minutes shorter. Three examples show the scale of the change.
| Trip | Current time | New time |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Spring to Baltimore | 118 minutes | 57 minutes |
| Germantown to College Park | 90 minutes | 46 minutes |
| Gaithersburg to Baltimore | 137 minutes | 78 minutes |
The Silver Spring journey will take less than half its previous scheduled time. MTA says these rail times should become competitive with driving.
Expansion adds no annual operating costs
The state says the Brunswick-Camden service requires no additional annual operating spending. Officials achieved that by adjusting existing MARC operations.
MTA Administrator Tony Bridges said the expansion advances Maryland’s goal of “connecting people to opportunity.” The route links major employment, education and medical centers.
Several Brunswick and Camden Line schedules will change when the service launches. Riders should check the new MTA timetables before traveling September 28.
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