Maryland Rail Commuter (MARC) |
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| 5 Amtrak Way | |
| Baltimore, MD 21240 | |
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Hours:
Monday-Friday 5 a.m.-12 a.m. | |
| What's nearby: | |
More than 20,000 passengers per day make use of the Maryland Rail Commuter service, or MARC, one of the most popular mass transit systems in Baltimore, Washington and Virginia.
The MARC system has over 187 miles of rail, with stops all the way from Martinsburg, West Virginia to Union Station, Washington, D.C. MARC has three lines: the Camden Line from Baltimore, Camden Station to Washington, Union Station; the Penn Line from Perryville, Maryland to Union Station, and the Brunswick line from Martinsburg, West Virginia to Union Station.
The Camden Line not only serves Baltimore's Inner Harbor (through the Baltimore, Camden Station stop) and Washington, D.C., but also Jessup, Savage, Laurel and Laurel Racetrack and College Park. The Penn Line is a popular line for commuters in need of reliable, inexpensive transportation to BWI airport. The cost from Baltimore, Penn Station to BWI Rail Station is only $4 (one way), although passengers must take a complimentary (and usually dependable) bus from the BWI Rail Station to the airport.
A trip a little further down the line, from Penn Station to Washington, Union Station, is $7 (one way). Other stops on the Penn Line include Perryville, Aberdeen, Bowie, Seabrook and New Carrollton. The Brunswick Line, from West Virginia to Washington, D.C., serves Harpers Ferry, Germantown, Silver Spring and Kensington.
Although the train service is a welcome escape from rush hour traffic, the MARC system has one flaw for those looking to go for a weekend getaway in Washington, D.C. -- the trains only operate on weekdays. So, although you may find a cheap way to get to the airport on Tuesday, you'll get stuck with an expensive trip home on Sunday. For those situations when MARC isn't running, weekly and monthly pass holders can pay an upgrade fee to take an Amtrak train to any regular MARC destination. --Kari Rosenthal
The MARC system has over 187 miles of rail, with stops all the way from Martinsburg, West Virginia to Union Station, Washington, D.C. MARC has three lines: the Camden Line from Baltimore, Camden Station to Washington, Union Station; the Penn Line from Perryville, Maryland to Union Station, and the Brunswick line from Martinsburg, West Virginia to Union Station.
The Camden Line not only serves Baltimore's Inner Harbor (through the Baltimore, Camden Station stop) and Washington, D.C., but also Jessup, Savage, Laurel and Laurel Racetrack and College Park. The Penn Line is a popular line for commuters in need of reliable, inexpensive transportation to BWI airport. The cost from Baltimore, Penn Station to BWI Rail Station is only $4 (one way), although passengers must take a complimentary (and usually dependable) bus from the BWI Rail Station to the airport.
A trip a little further down the line, from Penn Station to Washington, Union Station, is $7 (one way). Other stops on the Penn Line include Perryville, Aberdeen, Bowie, Seabrook and New Carrollton. The Brunswick Line, from West Virginia to Washington, D.C., serves Harpers Ferry, Germantown, Silver Spring and Kensington.
Although the train service is a welcome escape from rush hour traffic, the MARC system has one flaw for those looking to go for a weekend getaway in Washington, D.C. -- the trains only operate on weekdays. So, although you may find a cheap way to get to the airport on Tuesday, you'll get stuck with an expensive trip home on Sunday. For those situations when MARC isn't running, weekly and monthly pass holders can pay an upgrade fee to take an Amtrak train to any regular MARC destination. --Kari Rosenthal
