Baltimore's Light Rail

[CHIP72]

In the MTA materials I have, they say MARC tickets to one of the Baltimore stations can be used to ride to the other Baltimore station. This is true with even single ride tickets. Actually, I think every station on the Penn Line between Washington and Baltimore has a paired station on the Camden Line where the ticket can be used to get to that station, and vice-versa.

You can also use a Baltimore-Washington ticket to travel in the "wrong" direction, according to what I was told by an Amtrak/MARC ticket agent at Union Station last week.

[carolott]

Originally Posted by CHIP72

You can also use a Baltimore-Washington ticket to travel in the "wrong" direction, according to what I was told by an Amtrak/MARC ticket agent at Union Station last week.

Yes, you can use the tickets to go in the "wrong" direction -- once they have the money, they dont really care, as long as you dont go further than the stop listed on the ticket.

[Woodlands]

Some of you may have seen several articles earlier this year that highlighted MARC's 30 year plan to improve service in the Baltimore area. It called for more trains and several new stations in the City (ie. East Baltimore on the Penn, Mt. Royal, Charles Village, Clifton Park, and one possibly in the area of Bayview as extensions of the Camden Line) all along existing tracks. Would love to see these changes sooner rather than later but its a billion(s) dollar plan that would also require the cooperation of CSX and Amtrak not to mention the money. Several big tickets items associated with the plan are additional tracks on both lines and upgrades to all the existing tunnels and a new tunnels parellel to the aging tunnel between West Baltimore and Penn Station. I was told by an operator that the trains slow down in that tunnel in part because it cannot handle high speeds because of the condition of the liner. Those of you who will still be commuting in 2035 may want to take a look at the link

http://www.mtamaryland.com/marc%20plan%20full.pdf

There was a recent news report an study to extend the Light Rail to Annapolis from Cromwell that was being pushed by a delegate from Anne Arundel County, not familiar with the politics of that area, so I am curious if there is support or not for the extension by local residents given some communities' view of public transit.

[sobo16]

Originally Posted by Woodlands

There was a recent news report of the possibilty of extending the Light Rail to Annapolis from Cromwell that was being pushed by a delegate from Anne Arundel County, not familiar with the politics of that area, so I am curious if there is support or not for the extension by local residents....

If they did that, would they eliminate the B&A Trail, where the rail line used to continue on down to Annapolis?

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by sobo16

If they did that, would they eliminate the B&A Trail, where the rail line used to continue on down to Annapolis?

I am certain that the study will take into consideration where to locate the line and if the trail was the chosen/prefered location, I would hope that they would try to relocate it within the existing right of way where both could co-exist safely. But again, I am sure at some point in the process there would be public hearings and options presented so that the public could weigh on th issue.