MTA adding MARC run-through train to connect Montgomery and Frederick counties to Baltimore

The Maryland Transit Administration has announced an adjustment to the MARC Brunswick and Camden lines that will give Frederick and Montgomery County residents a new commuting option into Baltimore.

Starting Sept. 28, one morning train departing the Brunswick MARC station in Frederick County will stop at Silver Spring as usual but then bypass its typical endpoint — Washington’s Union Station. From Silver Spring, it will cross onto the Camden line, where it will make stops at College Park, Laurel and Baltimore’s Camden Station.

An evening train will service the same stops in reverse, departing Camden Station at 5 p.m. Both “run-through” trains will be available Monday-Friday. Though they are not adding any brand new stops to the MARC routes, the run-through trains allow passengers to go from Frederick and Montgomery counties into Baltimore without transferring trains.

The service will provide a new commuting option that for some Montgomery County residents could rival drive times, meaning it could help them avoid hair-pulling traffic on weekdays.

In a news release, new MTA Administrator Tony Bridges said the service “will further the Moore-Miller Administration’s priority of connecting people to opportunity.”

“Baltimore and Montgomery County are home to millions of residents as well as, major employers, educational institutions and medical centers. Providing a direct link between these communities will help build a stronger and more sustainable Maryland,” Bridges said.

End to end, the new route between the Brunswick MARC station and Camden Station in downtown Baltimore will be roughly two hours, around the same time it would take to drive.

However, the estimated 70-minute trip between Rockville and Baltimore, as well as a 58-minute trip between Silver Spring and Baltimore, could be faster than driving the same trip, depending on traffic.

MTA officials indicated that the new route will not impact the agency’s operating budget.

Ridership figures for the three MARC lines fluctuate with the seasons. Through July, they have averaged about 14,900 daily boardings, according to MTA statistics. The agency’s public dashboard does not break out ridership for each MARC line.

In the long term, the agency hopes to expand MARC with more frequent trains, additional weekend service and new stops in response to rider feedback.