A survey of MARC delays for the month of November revealed at least 97 trains delayed for at least 10 minutes waiting for an Amtrak train. This does not include secondary delays of the equipment due to unable to make equipment turns. On the other side only found 4 Amtrak trains delayed for MARC. If the NEC from WASH to end of MARC territory was 4 tracked Amtrak would very seldom delay the MARC trains on the oter tracks. Righ now track work along the route from BAL-WASH is causing single tracking causing major delays for both MARC and Amtrak. There will always be some kind of trac work so the need is evident.
AMTK protecting their own with their Dispatching. Four tracking is fine, how much is MARC willing to pay for it?
But I understand the State of Maryland has put tax-payer money toward a Maglev project. The cost of 4-tracking would be far less and would do far more good.
Another reason for the four tracking project not related to Amtrak. However these train equipments delayed will have additional delays waiting for Amtrak trains. Amtrak was also delayed.
MARC Service Alert alert@mtamarylandalerts.com
At least 21 MARC trains delayed 1st 15 days of December with 2 Amtraks delayed due to MARC .
At least 37 MARC trains delayed last 15 days of december by Amtrak MARC delayed 4 Amtrak trains. Good dispatching by Amtrak to protect the Amtrak trains.
Dispatchers know who write their paychecks.
Blue Streak-
Four-tracking the NEC south of Baltimore (and all the way to New York, for that matter) is an excellent idea, and one that has been around for a very long time. I recall the struggles in the late 1960s–early 1970s, with the fallout from the PC bankruptcy, creation of Amtrak, creation of Conrail, and first NEC reconstruction project.
It might be useful to keep in mind that MARC is a relatively recent major commuter train entity (getting off the ground in the late 1970s), and that the DC-Baltimore region had a long and rich history of commuter train operations that had almost totally atrophied before the State of Maryland woke up and had to begin rebuilding a reasonably effective system in the 1980s.
Amtrak, also, had all sorts of challenges with the NEC in the last quarter of the 20th century. Keep in mind that the NEC between Philadelphia and Washington is basically a post-Civil War railroad which has been constantly upgraded as money and traffic warranted. Everything Amtrak has done since it got control of the corridor in the 1970s has been catch-up, stop gap, incremental, and reactive. Much of the infrastructure is obsolete and limits current opportunities. Think of the early 1870s B&P tunnels (a horrible bottleneck approaching Baltimore’s Penn Station from the south), aging catenary, and well-intentioned–but ugly and functionally dysfunctional “upgrades” like the BWI Station. It seemed like a good idea in the 1970s, but was executed with little thought for the future.
I mention all that to suggest that a DC-to-Baltimore maglev is probably 15-20 years off, and a clumsy demonstration project at best. It, again, seems like a good idea at the time and parts of it may actually be built–over budget, over schedule, and obsolete when it is finally opened with much less of a market than expected and prices so high that few can afford it.
I am fimiliar with the terrain and region. I see no plausible path to success for a DC-Balto maglev.
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John: Correct with your analysis. Here is a 2007 ( no updates that we know) which has many of the suggestions you posted. Especially check pages 13 - 16 that has a time line. All is needed is MD and Federal funds.
https://mta.maryland.gov/sites/default/files/marcplanfull.pdf
Clearly, a well thought-out campaign to stop the very wasteful expenditures of funds on the maglev project and redirection to improving the NEC is long overdue.
Mag-Lev 15 years in the future, only the Baltimore - Washington market, expensive to operate, requires additional land taking, greater overall cost.
Improving the NEC Only 5 yearsa in the future, benefits Baltimore - Washington market, most commnities between on or near the NEC, travelers to and from points north of Baltimore sll the way to Boston and possibly Maine, and sourth of Washington to Ricihmond, Norfolk, Atlanta, Florida, and Louisiana. At much lower overall cost.
For gosh sakes get with it!
Invest in some of the Chinese self-launching viaduct construction equipment (which is now possibly costed-down and available on reasonable capital terms) and put elevated express trackage over the existing bottleneck areas, incrementally at first as a kind of linear flyover?
Well, it worked for the 105…
well Amtrak delayed at least 17 MARC trains first half of Jan, MARC delayed just one Amtrak.
Back when I was commuting on Amtrak (Solana Beach to Irvine), it was at least a weekly occurrence for the train I was riding to be delayed because a Metrolink train got the tack space. As Balt said, the dispatchers know who signs their checks.
Another broken rail ( due to cold? ) south of BAL delaying all MARC and Amtrak trains.
More information on 3 rail breaks. One was in the B&P tunnel. Others unknown. More tracks would vertainly changed the amount of delays. MARC has listed over 60 delays for today + at least 6 cancellations.
MARC Service Alert alert@mtamarylandalerts.com
To:MTA Maryland Alerts Subscriber
Jan 31 at 8:17 AM
Welded rail is a technology that railroads have yet to MASTER at the extremes of temperature that can be experienced - Below Zero and Above 90 degrees F create big issues when they happen.
Too many delays last half of January to count . Much unscheduled track work delayed MARC and Amtrak over the route during that time.
Friday a bad day for MARC delays waiting for an Amtrak train to clear. 22 Penn line trains so far waiting for Amtrak trains to clear. Also a few unknown number delayed into or out of WASH on the other MARC lines. Granted the excessive heat is causing some slow down of Amtrak electric trains due to the heat sagging the PRR type CAT.
So the MARC and Amtrak along with the various governments need to start planning for 4 main tracks and constant tension CAT.
Interesting and I would venture to guess if Chicago METRA did similar study or Amtrak did on METRA lines it might find similar. Triple Tracking a line would be mutually beneficial to both METRA and Amtrak on the Chicago to Milwaukee line. METRA could institute real express service and Amtrak as well as CP would have more trackspace to move their trains around slower moving or stopped METRA trains.
It would cost money but I think it would be an excellent Federal program to increase mobility as well as usage of METRA and Amtrak as a transportation choice.
Another bad day as the PRR style CAT is causing heat delays again for AMTRAK and cpnsequently MARC.