The Maryland Transit Administration is seeking public input on the development of a new guiding plan for the Maryland Area Regional Commuter train service and has launched an online survey to gather ideas and feedback.
The MARC Growth & Transformation Plan will update and expand upon the MARC Cornerstone Plan, which provides strategic priorities for the system and outlines capital investment needed to achieve those initiatives. The Cornerstone Plan was last updated in 2019.
The updated document will outline the future of the system and include an implementation strategy with an associated set of necessary capital projects. Projects included will be designed to respond to the investment programs defined in the 2022 Maryland Regional Rail Transformation Act.
MARC Train Service is a commuter rail system comprised of the Brunswick Line, the Camden Line and the Penn Line. These three rail lines provide direct access to Washington, D.C., along with connections to BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, inter-city bus services via Penn Station in Baltimore and several direct connections to Amtrak’s inter-city services. The Camden and Brunswick Lines operate on weekdays, while the Penn Line operates seven days a week.
An online survey will remain open through Dec. 4, 2023. To take the survey, visit mta.maryland.gov/marc-growth-plan. Additional information and plan materials will be available on the project webpage.
Following the close of the survey period, work will begin on a market analysis, the identification of long-term service objectives and creation of a five-year capital plan. Throughout the process, the agency will continue to engage with stakeholders to refine opportunities to transform MARC from commuter rail to regional rail service.
In fall 2024, the Maryland Transit Administration will release the MARC Growth & Transformation Plan. It will apply relevant elements of the agency’s Strategic Plan and draw from the recently published MARC Brunswick Line Expansion Study Technical Report. Questions can be directed to the project team by emailing [email protected].