Commuter Rail to Hell

How do I loathe MARC? Let me count the ways...

2010-11-12T18:37:00.000-08:00

It's 4:30 p.m. on Friday. I am just looking forward to leaving the office and going home. But, MARC has other ideas. Like a breakdown in its 5:51 locomotive, which turns into a delay, which degenerates into a train cancellation. All I know is that a 30-minute wait at Union Station turned into an hour-long delay.

Thanks, MARC, thanks for screwing up my evening.

Derailment at Union Station last Friday

2010-11-07T17:09:00.000-08:00

It was quite a bit of a mess last Friday, due to a derailment at Union Station. I got an e-mail alert early that morning but because it seems that nobody had gotten hurt and no significal damage had taken place, it was likely that by rush-hour the worst would have been left behind. By afternoon I got the "all clear" e-mail, but it seems that MTA was overly optimistic. I wasn't, of course. I know better! Took the 5:16 to make absolutely sure that I would be home by, say 8 p.m.? Well, the 5:16 p.m. became the 5:51 p.m.; there was a lot of traffic on the tracks; that was the explanation given to us for the one-hour delay.

On a lighter note, I was watching TV the other night, when the trailer of the soon-to-be released "Unstoppable" movie came up. I started to laugh when I saw it, even though it is a drama/ action flick. I just can't imagine a MARC train going that fast anywhere; indeed it's such a feat to leave on time and to keep the engines going...

You think it can't get worse, and then it does

2010-10-27T19:34:00.000-07:00

The summer has been over for a while. Therefore, I don't understand what's up with MARC, as most of the problems it has are caused by the heat. We were about 45 minutes late last Monday. This morning, the 7:15 train was about an hour late and in the evening, the 5:51 had mechanical problems. When the conductor said that he did not know when it would depart I decided to take the Penn Line train instead, and get a taxi to the Savage Station. I think I read somewhere that MARC would reimburse cab expenses when it's its fault... I need to dig out that info, 'cause I did get a receipt and I would like to get my money back.

Sure, it is only $20, but it's more than that. I don't care how much paperwork I'll have to deal with. Not only do I pay for my monthly ticket, but I also contribute by taxes. And I have to pay for cabs, because the train fails to take me where my car is parked? It's about accountability, in my opinion. I am thinking that if other passengers hit MARC where it hurts -the wallet- perhaps we would see things change.

Yo, MARC!!!

2010-09-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

Summer is over!!! The season of delays, tardiness, canceled trains, heat restrictions is over, right?
Wrong! Late yesterday (20 minutes) and this morning on the 7:16 too.

This afternoon, apparently one of the riders had the brilliant idea to flush some sort of object on the train's bathroom, thus flooding one car. Yuck. So, that car had to be shut during the trip and some passenger, such as myself, with the train being one car short, were unable to sit.

Oh, well. But at least the trip home was not late....

Let's see what happens tomorrow?

Post # 1,586 about how crappy MARC system is

2010-09-08T18:55:00.000-07:00

I took the 7:16 this morning, and due to various problems with the train (what else) I ended up getting to the D.C. about 20 minutes late this morning. But! That's not all! The metro Red Line was a mess, we had to hold at Union Station for quite a while. Add 15 minutes to the MARC delay, and it makes for a very annoying commute this morning. Sometimes I wonder if there is anything in D.C. that works?!

Coming home in the evening wasn't so bad, except for the part that, on the metro train, the driver could not close the doors and went into the "If I can't close the doors I am going to have to empty the train" tirade, to which he added "Move to the center of the car, I dunno, 'keep it in, suck it in!" Whatever "in" means!

But that's another dysfunction, I mean, blog.

Power for the Sheepeole!!!

2010-08-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

One day this will all be a memory in the distant past. In the meantime, MARC got us 20 minutes late this morning. Oh, joy.

MARC Train FAIL...

2010-08-18T18:54:00.000-07:00

It was my birthday today, folks. I just wanted to be on time for my boxing class!! It was not to be... 20 minutes late on the 5:16 p.m. I have no idea about the excu... I mean, reasons, because I was passed out for more of the trip. And I don't care. It would have been nice to be on time today.

I want my 35 minutes back

2010-07-22T18:52:00.000-07:00

Different day, same story. Get to Union Station, ready to take the 5:51, only that this train became the 6:30 p.m, which is when it actually departed.
The problem today: we could not leavet for half an hour because we had to wait for the crew to arrive from a previous train, (coming from Baltimore), which was late. The lateness of this train had to do with a freight train being disabled somewhere along the tracks. So, yes, our train was fine, but could not work because it had no personnel to run it. Amazing. Just when you think you have heard it all the excuses from MTA, now this.

To cover its butt, they had the nerve to invite (to put it somehow) a staff member from MTA to board the train and take people's comments. I didn't see anyone (in my car) complaining. But then, what's the point? Will anything change? Probably not. The lady had a notebook, you could tell she was just going to write down comments, but basically there is not much she is going to do anyway, and everybody knows that.

Can it get worse? Yes it can!

2010-07-07T19:13:00.000-07:00

Coming home today, one hour and ten minutes late! Signal problems, heat restrictions, you name it!! MARC had it! Even loss of power at Union Station... Sometimes I just wonder if there is anything here in D.C. that actually works, 'cause metro has been quite a pain too, lately.

Tomorrow, I'll tell my boss that I can't possibly work at my normal level of efficiency, due to the heat, and let's see what happens! Why not? MTA does it!!!

More Dysfunction!

2010-07-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

Forty minutes late this evening! The 5:16 p.m. turned into the 5:51 and then some, we were so late!!!!!!!

But at least we had A.C.!!!!

Transportation For America: Take Action

2010-06-30T14:27:00.000-07:00

Transportation For America: Take Action

I don't know whether to cry or laugh...

2010-06-30T10:12:00.000-07:00

I got this in my inbox yesterday...

I laughed, then I (almost) hit my head against the keyboard...
This is what the e-mail said: "It failed to carry out even this very basic task of stopping at a scheduled station."

There is NO hope of this situation ever getting better!

It's minor, y'all!

2010-06-28T15:52:00.000-07:00

Both of my trains today left and arrived in time. That was nice. However, Union Station was packed when I left it today, to catch the 5:16 p.m. I mean, packed with people waiting for a late train.

I was curious to see what was going on, so when I got home, I checked the MTA site... Eight trains, people, eight, with disruptions. One of them, the Brunswick 877 is 50 minutes late. To obtain this info, I had to click on a link that the MTA site has on the top, named "minor disruptions." Minor, y'all, like it's no big deal!! If this is minor, what would it be major???

Dysfuncion of the Day

2010-06-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

When it comes to the dysfunctions of the MARC system, after so many years, I thought I had seen it all, and today, as it turns out, I realized I hadn't. The 5:51 p.m. was about to depart only that it didn't... Because the Brunswick train was in front of it, and it was experiencing "issues" (I hate that word). We could not leave until that train did or at least moved to another track to let us proceed. Half an hour later, we finally started to move. We passed a train, on our way to Baltimore, and I believe it was the Brunswick...

So, now, not only we have to deal with the usual: problems with the switch, the engine, etc, etc, but other trains blocking us our way out.

Keep it, um, interesting, MARC!

Cruel, Cruel Summer

2010-06-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

It has just began and we can't wait until it's over already.
Today, rushed to Union Station to take the 5:51 p.m., and surprise! (not!) We were told that there was a problem with the engine and that we would depart shortly. I fell asleep, woke up half-an-hour later only to find out that we were still in Union Station. Long story short, we ended up departing not at 5:51 p.m., but about 45 minutes later, only to have the train stop outside of the station for another ten minutes. We finally got to Savage at around 7:30 p.m.

Well, at least our A.C. worked...

The Washington Post still covered today the mess that took place on Monday, with 900 riders stuck for a couple hours in a very hot train. You know, if you leave a child inside of a sweltering car for a while, you can go to jail. And yet, the folks at MARC have not trouble asking riders to stay in a train at about 100 degree temperatures. Unbelievable.

And We Pay $200 a Month for This

2010-06-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

I can't imagine it... Trapped inside a MARC train for a couple hours, with no A.C., in the summer. What a nightmare... I am glad I missed this.

I am getting confusing reports, though. The MARC bigwigs say that water was offered, but in the comments section (in the Washington Post article) riders deny this, and say that they were told to stay in the train in the sweltering heat. These orders were disobeyed when it got way too hot and people started to faint.

May I remind readers that we are not talking about the public transportation system at a small city in some third world country, but rather, the train that serves the neighborhoods of the capital of the U.S.?

Amazing.

The Running of the Bulls

2010-06-11T18:33:00.000-07:00

"This is like the running of the bulls." That's what I heard a fellow commuter say when we stampeded to catch the delayed 5:51 p.m. train today. Interesting analogy, I thought, as I boarded the train. The running of the bulls refers to the event that takes place in Spain, in Pamplona specifically. Spain was also in my mind recently, as I just returned from a short vacation in Madrid and I was able to take the "Ave" (Alta Velocidad Española) train from the capital of Spain to Segovia. It took only 25 minutes to travel the 50+ miles that separate Madrid from the city of the aqueduct. I could not help but to reminisce with longing about the efficient, fast and reliable train system that they have over there, as I approached Union Station this evening, only to meet a "delayed" message on the marquee.

Today, due to an unspecified cause, we were fifteen minutes late. If I haven't posted lately it's not because we haven't endured any delays; but rather to the fact that, although highly annoying, they haven't been substancial enough to get me to go online to write. Still, with the summer season upon us, this is bound to change. Speed reductions due to the heat have already begun to be announced. It'll only get worse.

Heat=Delays

2010-04-07T18:38:00.001-07:00

Winter is over. The heat has arrived (temporarily, it seems) and with it, the first delays and switch problems. We were half an hour late today, coming back home from DC.

I don't understand what's up with these heat-generated delays. How can it affect these machines so much and why isn't anything done about it? I mean, in this area the summers are hot, always, every year. Why is this acceptable? I would think that at my job (just like everyone else) I would get fired if the quality of my work was compromised because of the temperature, right?

Yes we can... be late!

2010-03-13T14:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I decided to take the 5:16 p.m train., just to get the weekend started a bit earlier. Well, apparently MTA did not share the feeling. The train was late to arrive at Union Station (I am assuming here, since no explanations were offered), and had to wait in order to start boarding. So, basically, the 5:16 p.m. almost became the 5:51 p.m. I usually take, were were so late leaving DC! At the end, we arrived to Savage Station at 6:20...

There go my plans to get the weekend started a bit earlier than usual...

Track Problem... Or Something...

2010-03-09T19:07:00.000-08:00

See title... That's the only thing that the conductor could come up with, regarding an explanation for this morning's delay... "Um... it's a track problem... or something..." Half an hour late!!!! GRRRR!

And yes, EXCLUSIVE!!!! Now fully interactive, with videos! So you can participate (albeit from your comfortable home) in my daily torture, err, I mean, commute... Sorry if you can't hear me very well, I was in the "quiet car" and we are not supposed to talk in there...

Are Trains Sexy?

2010-02-16T18:35:00.001-08:00

Heck, yeah, and I am not thinking about the smell of the seats (which stink by the way) or anything like that, but rather about the concept of our aging infrastructure as the "least sexy of issues" that the government must contend with.

That's what I thought when I read the NY Times article "What's Wrong With Us?" today. Why are trains sexy, in my opinion? Because they are public transportation. And while "sexy" is not precisely what comes to my mind when I am squeezed in a metro car like a sardine in a can, public transportation is sexy because is good for the environment. Because it creates jobs that for the most part cannot be outsourced to, say, Bangladesh. Because it's a great investment in the future. Because it saves me money. Because it reduces dependency in foreign oil. Because it makes it possible for less mobile folks (like the elderly) to lead independent lives. Shall I go on...?

Snowcalypse 2010!

2010-02-09T16:56:00.000-08:00

I ventured to DC today, even though technically my office was closed. What a weird sensation, seeing the train half empty this morning. Knowing that MARC was operating on a holiday schedule, I decided to take the 8:35 a.m. train on the Penn Line and it was a good thing to do; as soon as I arrived to the office I got one of those MTA alerts on my inbox, to let me know that some train on the Camden line was canceled. Perhaps that would have been the 7:51 a.m. which I would normally take? I don't know. I do know, however, that I rushed back to Union Station ready to travel back home on the 1:20 p.m. train, only to learn that it was canceled. I waited until the 2:15 p.m. train; there was a delay and when I was beginning to worry about having to spend yet another hour in Union Station, we were told that there was a train waiting for us by track number 16. The train departed about 10 minutes late.

Overall, yes, the cancelations were irritating, but today it was a day everything but ordinary, weather-wise. We'll see tomorrow.

Fright Train, Anyone?

2010-02-04T19:15:00.001-08:00

Check out the e-mail alert I got today from the MTA:

Did you notice anything? Yeah, I know, I saw it too: the folks that manage the MARC mess finally realized that taking their trains is a "frightful" experience! They are finally renaming their machines as "fright" trains, not "freight" trains!

Snow and Switch Problems, Oh My!

2010-02-03T18:50:00.000-08:00

Exciting news!!! The snow along with all kinds of switch problems (on our train and the freight train that preceded us) made for a ride that was... 40 minutes late this morning...!

Thankfully, it was nice and toasty inside the train, I was asleep most of it, but I bet my boss was not amused when I missed my meeting this morning.

Just a Band-Aid... For Now?

2010-01-31T08:40:00.000-08:00

I have to say, when I first read the news about the $140 million for for rail stuff that VA and MD will get, I was pretty excited. $140 million! That amount pales with the billions that Florida and California will receive and because it's very small and the rail situation in the area so dire, it'll be just enough to cover one pothole here and there and just get the system going, flawed and neglected as it is. Either that, or keep the system from collapsing completely...

Every time I take the train and I see that the doors have to be opened and closed manually I get this sinking feeling. How is this possible, in the XXI century and in such a rich country? And this is the train that commutes from the capital of the country to Baltimore, no less! I have traveled to several countries in Europe and lived in Japan for a while. I have never seen doors that had to be opened manually! And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

So yes, it'll be great that finally funds are allocated for public transportation at all, even if it is such a tiny amount that won't really solve any problems. The funds that California and Florida get awarded do get me excited though. Obama did mention a high-speed train after all. Perhaps there will be more changes in the horizon, in the long run? Does this mean that this country is finally taking public transportation seriously?

Twice in One Week?

2010-01-10T17:52:00.000-08:00

Just read the news at the Washington Post... A man was "seriously" injured after being struck by a CSX train in Beltsville, MD. For one second I thought the article was about the accident along the Camden line that we had on Wednesday. Yeah, the one that caused the 5:16 p.m. train to be brought back from Muirkirk all the way to Greenbelt and dump us there. We were told that apparently a car ended up on one of the tracks and had caused some damage. Conductors had limited information, and were of no help. I was extremely lucky that when I was trying to figure out how to get home, a man, who also stops at Savage, heard me asking a lady if she wanted to share a cab, and declared that he actually would. So we left, got in a taxi and twenty minutes later were in Savage.

I assumed that track damage may cause problems the next day, and I was ready to take the Penn line train, but a quick morning scanning of the MTA site featured no info about delays. Operations were fairly smooth on Thursday. No explanations were offered. Gosh, I am sure that Union Station was a picnic!

Aw, yes I haven't updated in a while

2009-12-29T13:29:00.000-08:00

Feeling kinda lazy! Of course, that does not mean that MARC has worked any better! Actually, we had some minor delays today, going to DC. Hopefully the commute home will be decent.

Thinking about the months that I haven't covered, it seems to me that over the summer it was our beloved metro system in Washington DC that was giving us the headaches, more than MARC... Remember the metro accident back in June? Yeah, that and the period after, and the numerous delays we had to endure, totally unrelated to the accident. Frankly, the warmer temperatures bring the metro and MARC systems to their knees. I can't figure out why.

So, anyway, I'll try not to get too annoyed at MARC and keep this blog a bit more updated. Cheers, and happy new year to all!!

This is hopeless!!!

2009-06-17T18:45:00.000-07:00

Late this morning, traveling to DC... Twenty minutes late. There was some sort of shift problem, or so we were told. But our train was preceded by a Tropicana juice train, so I am guessing it had something to do with this, one way or another. I can tell my readers that Tropicana juice is not allowed in my home. Even if it's on sale, I won't buy it.

On a roll!!!

2009-06-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

Took the 5:16 p.m. back home... 20 minutes late. Apparently we were following a hazmat train that got stuck outside of DC. Well, at least it wasn't another of those Tropicana juice trains!!

Late, late, late

2009-06-10T18:36:00.000-07:00

We were late today, going to Washington DC (around 15 minutes) and coming back home (another 15 minutes). But that's nothing with what went on yesterday at the Penn line. A coworker that uses that line sent me an e-mail. Apparently one train just died outside of the New Carrolton station, lack of air conditioning, and the mess that ensued. I'll copy and paste parts of the MARC apology e-mail below:

"We understand that the temperature and conditions on board train 530 quickly became unbearable. Many of you expressed frustration that several MARC trains passed train 530 without stopping."

I can only imagine.

"When it became clear that train 530 was not going to be able to move for a significant period of time, trains 439 and 440 were cancelled and its equipment sent non-stop from Baltimore to Seabrook to transfer passengers."

And then, check this out:

"Please do not ever remove windows from a train, unless directed by a member of the train crew."

People were removing the windows?? That's how desperate they must have been. 88 degrees, humidity, packed trains and no air conditioning. What a mess.

Oh, it was bad today, BAD!

2009-06-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

I took the 5:16 p.m. Camden train line, with the hope of getting home a bit earlier, and taking my time getting to the gym. I shouldn't have bothered. The storms did wreak havoc in the area. Our train was about forty minutes late. When we got to Savage, there was another train at the station, it looked as though there was some sort of malfunction, lots of people strewn outside the train. I suppose I'll have to check my inbox at work to find out what happened.

Hot weather+storms= MARC mess

Heat restrictions, mising equipment, blah, blah, blah

2009-04-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

It is torrid, we went from the ice to the heat, straight, in two days. MARC is doing what it can to contribute of the general feeling of desperation due to this heat wave, by running late. Half an hour late today, going home. Last week we were late a couple of days too; not extremely late, but just five minutes here and ten minutes there, enough to get us darting from the train onto our cars and rush home. Not fun.

Yes, the spring is in full force, with summer temperatures. And our beloved MARC system is already doing its part to increase the annoyance we all feel.

Yes, Spring, Definitely!

2009-03-31T18:57:00.000-07:00

These MARC folks are on a roll! Coming home today, we were 15 minutes late. We had to stop outside of Riverdale because we had to let a train traveling from Baltimore, pass us. Well, let's look at the bright side, if there is one... Oh yes, at least this time we did not have to wait on a Tropicana orange juice train.

Anyway, I had to rush home, no time to have a snack, and rush to the gym for my class. No fun, MARC folks, no fun!

See Previous Posting. I was right!

2009-03-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

"Delays in the horizon..." Wasn't I right or what... Indeed. Today, traveling to DC, we were twenty minutes late. The train stopped outside Laurel Station for that amount of time, while we waited for another train to pass. A lot of traffic traveling, apparently. Not fun, being late to work.

Spring Is The Air... Delays In the Horizon Too....

2009-03-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

We were 50 minutes late this evening, going home. A Camden-line train hit a metro-bus at Riverdale... or was it the other way around?? We passed the scene of the accident on our way home, and because our train was doing around five miles per hour for most of the trip, we had plenty of time to take a look at the derriere of the bus, which had come partly off. There is no way, I think, that this bus could have gotten hit unless it was somewhere it wasn't supposed to be. I smell a lawsuit...

Yeah, spring is in the air. Something about the so-called "good weather" brings accidents, beasts killed in the tracks and subsequent delays, switch problems and the like... Ugh...

Anyway, the accident was in my usual line -Camden- but we noticed at Union Station that the Penn line was delayed too. I don't know what was going on over there.

Switch Problems!!

2009-03-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

We were about 25 minutes late today, coming home from Washington DC. Switch problems were to blame. I knew something was up, when around 4 p.m. today my inbox started to get flooded with one MTA message after another.

Late Again...

2009-03-04T19:25:00.000-08:00

On our way home this evening, we were stuck around 20 minutes outside of Union Station. We were following a freight train, as we all know, they have precedence, so...

A Week Less-than-stellar

2009-02-27T16:51:00.000-08:00

We were around 10 minutes late on Wednesday, and a bit more than 15 minutes late today. Switch problems were blamed for the tardiness.

And New Year to You, Too!

2009-01-16T16:31:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to say that we were late yesterday, about 25 minutes late. Apparently, there was a problem with a switch. I missed my 7:15 workout class.

We have a long weekend, four days, due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday + Inauguration Day. The thought of not having to take the train for four days straight brings me great joy.

The Holidays Start with a Bang! Part Deux

2008-12-24T15:08:00.000-08:00

You'd think that since MARC is not providing any service on Friday (the day after Christmas) and not even offering an extra train to help transport those of who get out early on Christmas Eve, or since today they are running fewer trains, as they are on the holiday schedule, well, you'd think that the service they do provide would be top-notch. Not so.
This morning, I wake up at 6:30 and I drive to Savage, to take the 7:48 train. My usual train runs earlier, but as I said, MARC today is running fewer trains because they are on a holiday schedule. Well, we get there, only to find out that the train was canceled. I rush to Odenton and take the Penn line, arriving to my job at around 8:45 a.m. Once at work, I searched my inbox from an e-mail from our beloved MTA and I found it. What would be the excuse this morning? After all, there was less work for the folks at MARC! Well, I did get the e-mail, but as for excuse, nada.
Of course, this is not the end of the deal. I had to board the Penn line back to Odenton. I get on the 12:25 train, which was totally packed. Ah, the aroma of burp air and coffee breath! Just lovely.
Well, 12:25 passes, and so does 12:35.. It's not until 12:45 p.m. that we start moving. Again, no explanations or excuses or even that "sorry for the inconvenience" bullcrap that annoys me. Nothing. We finally arrive at Odenton at around 1:20.

The Holidays Start with a Bang!

2008-12-23T18:57:00.000-08:00

We were late yesterday, Monday December 22. Switch problems in the morning kept us waiting in the cold weather, for the train to arrive at Savage. The delay set us back around 20 minutes.

Then today, some political big cheese (I can only speculate) needed the station all for him/herself in the evening, at peak hour, no less. Around 5 p.m., as our Camden line 5:16 p.m. train finally showed on the marquee and we all moved towards the exit, the doors suddenly closed and we were not allowed to get out. Then we all saw three or four black, fancy cars drive towards the Acela/ Amtrak tracks, along with security personnel. We were corralled out, for security reasons, I suppose. After waiting for about five minutes, we were let out (the expression "human cargo" comes to mind) and we ran to our train, only to find it locked. We had to wait again, in the freezing evening, until a MARC employee finally decided to open the door.

Tomorrow, MARC is running on a holiday schedule. After that, I am off on Thursday and Friday. No MARC train for four days straight?? I think I am going to pass out, I feel so happy.

Oh, yes, we were late...

2008-12-13T15:44:00.000-08:00

We were late Tuesday, December 9, in the morning. I haven't had the time to blog about it, but I did not forget. We were late getting in the city, about 20 minutes late. Other than that, not much to report, other than this stor y in the Washington Post about how although gas prices have gone (considerably) down since the summer, public transportation is experimenting a boon. If this does not make the case for more, better quality public transportation, I don't know what does.

Especially now. I don't want to get too much into politics, but right now the government should invest in infrastructure, among other things, to keep the economy from going under. And building a 21st century public transportation system here in the U.S. seems to me a very good way to start. Don't you agree?

Late today, and a public hearing too...

2008-11-17T18:44:00.000-08:00

Today, we were fifteen minutes late, coming home from Washington DC. They did say what was wrong, but it was kinda toasty on the train and so I drifted in and out of sleep, therefore, I don't recall.

What I do recall, however, is what it was discussed today at one of the public hearings that MTA (Maryland Transit Administration) is holding throughout the week. I went to the one that took place in Washington DC, not too far from Union Station. Basically, they are talking service reductions and getting rid of the 10-day passes. The MTA folks say that they have selected which services to eliminate based on daily ridership, and that the 10-day passes cannot be collected at some of the cars due to crowding. Also, they are getting rid of holiday service. Some attendees spoke, I did not, but I filled out a form with my concerns and gave it to the MTA poc at the end. I am pretty much in favor of what most of the fellow riders say: most of us would support a fare increase, rather than see service reduced. Most people also think that the system needs more services, not fewer. That decreased trips will "drive" some people back to the cars, and this will only bring further service cuts. The folks at MTA are against fare hikes, because of the current economic environment, still, from the user standpoint, most of us would rather pay more than see our rides dissapear.

I am also troubled by the following fact: MTA is funded in part by fuel tax revenues, taxes paid when cars are purchased, car registration fees. Anybody sees anything weird with this equation?

Anyway, the whole thing is just sad. At a time when this country needs to get serious about finding alternatives to cars and thus investing in a good public transportation infrastructure, our MARC system is actually reducing its services. Good, reliable, practical public transportation is a need, is a quality of life issue.

Finally, Transportation for America has set up this sort of petition to President-elect Obama, to get serious about public transportation. I filled out mine, perhaps anybody would care to join me? Link here.

MARC Gets Less Money=Riders Get Screwed

2008-11-02T14:59:00.000-08:00

MTA Maryland is going to host a series of public hearings this month, to discuss their proposed service changes which will take place January 12, 2009.

I don't know why they bother; I am sure they'll do what they want anyway.

This is what they have in their site:

"The sources of revenue that support the operation of MTA’s MARC Train and Commuter Bus
services have declined dramatically since the start of the fiscal year on July 1. Regrettably, MTA must reduce its budget, and while the majority of reductions are taking place in the
administrative budget some MARC Train and Commuter Bus services are proposed for
elimination.
Service reductions are proposed to take effect on January 12, 2009 or sooner [...]"

SOOOO, prices of gas soaring this last summer drove people to use public transportation like mad. We'll most likely see this situation happen again because:

- Gas companies do what they want and there is nobody to control them
- Speculators
- Not enough supply
- Instability in the Middle East
- Etc

We may not be able to fix the situation in the Middle East directly, or do much about the other factors, but I think it makes sense to reduce demand to keep the prices down, not to mention help the environment a bit! And one way to do this is by having a comprehensive public transportation system. I think it makes sense. And I really thought that after the panic that we all saw and read about last summer the government would do something about fixing the situation long term. We get cheaper gas again and everything seems to have forgotten!

We are having national elections in just a couple of days, but I don't think the situation with our MARC system is going to improve any time soon.

So, again, MARC gets less money= riders get screwed

I am planning to attend one of those public hearings, because the worsening of the service affects me directly and I really believe that getting rid of train routes is the wrong way to approach this problem. I want to make sure the folks at MARC know this. I encourage anyone who reads this blog to follow suit.

Click here to read their proposal.
Click here to read where and when the public hearings will take place.

And get involved!

Back from vacation!!!

2008-10-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

I am back from my two-week vacation in Europe where trains work... for the most part. MARC was here to welcome me... with a twenty-minute delay this morning, getting into the Savage Station to pick us up... I guess some things never change! So, how was your commute?

MARC Managers Grace Customers with their Presence II

2008-10-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

I got this on my inbox, on October 2:

"Attention Camden Line Commuters: Meet the MARC Management on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at the Camden Station. Representatives will be available from 5PM-8PM with schedules and to answer questions about MARC Train Service.

Thank you for riding MTA MARC Train."

I won't be in the area on that day, but if anyone reading this blog has a question for the folks at MARC, this is a good chance to ask...

I am wondering, though, MARC just had one of these meetings weeks ago. Is this a common occurrence now?

The Two-Hour Commute

2008-09-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

Today's commute edged on the absurd.

The train arrived at Savage Station on time and took us toward our destination in a nice, fast manner. Seemed promising. And then, nearing Union Station, beside New York Station, the train stopped, for about half-an-hour. I was actually asleep, no small feat in those frigid cars.

Then we hear the conductor through the speakers mumbling something about the tracks. After five more minutes, we were told that we were moving, but not toward DC, but back to Greenbelt, where we would be let out and able to take metro. Somebody in the back of the car let a hysterical laugh, to which we responded by laughing, too. So, there we go, undoing the route, moving to Greenbelt when, suddenly, the locomotive stops again. Unbelievably, we hear the conductor again, telling us that they finally got permission to yet again change directions, and travel back to DC, after all. The news was met with nothing but nervous jeers, laughs. I laughed so much, I had tears streaming down my cheeks. I have seen a lot in my four years of MARC torture, but today it was so absurd, so pathetic that it was actually funny. I must confess, though, that for a second I wondered if perhaps the locomotive driver was... um... drunk?

So, anyway, when I finally got to the office and checked the news online, I saw this story at the Washington Post site... Apparently, a body had been found on the tracks near Union Station. A few messages were waiting in my inbox, from the MARC e-mail system, these did not mention the body, but a police investigation going on. Strangely, nothing seemed out of the ordinary when we got to Union Station at 9:30 a.m, about an hour and a half late.

Late Again This Week and... Good News for Commuters??

2008-08-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

Well, on Thursday we were about ten minutes late in the morning and fifteen minutes late in the evening. I don't know what happened in the morning; in the evening we were following a freight train. Probably one of those long ones that carry Tropicana orange juice. It so happens that those freight trains have precedence over passenger trains, because of the deal MARC has worked out with CSX... so yes, orange juice is more important than we are!!!

But! The Washington Post says that perhaps now that Biden has been nominated as the Vice Prez candidate, if he and Obama should win, perhaps things would change, since Biden is an Amtrak commuter (he travels from Delaware to DC)... Perhaps a Vice President that believes in public transportation would help our decrepit MARC system...? What do you think?

MARC Managers Grace Customers with their Presence

2008-08-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

Yeah, shocking, I know. But below is what I got today in my inbox:

"Meet The MARC Managers At Union Station Wednesday August 27, 2008

MARC operations managers will be inside Union Station at the Gate B waiting area on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 from 4:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with timetables and to answer questions about the service."

Why, oh, why didn't they do this last June when we were late every single day of the week?

Will they bring donuts?

The Train of Pain

2008-08-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

Today, MARC decided to cancel the 5:18 p.m. train. So, all those passengers ended up having to wait for a while and then take the 5:51 p.m. train... in addition to the riders that normally take that train. It was very, very crowded, lots of riders had to travel standing up. I was personally not affected by the cancellation; I had arrived early enough to find a seat but I do feel bad for all those passengers that had to spend an hour on their feet, after working all day.

August Is Here

2008-08-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

And how better celebrate it than by being a bit late? We were late today, for around ten minutes. Fifteen minutes yesterday. July was excellent, meaning, MARC did its job. I was shocked. I hope it will last. I remain hopeful.

The Washington Post had an excellent article today named "Gas Prices Apply Brakes to Suburban Migration." It is about suburban living and how is being affected by rising gas prices. Will Americans move closer to the cities now? Some people seem to think so. I personally live in Columbia because I have a kid in school; as soon as he is no longer a high-school student, we'll move, most likely closer to a city. Maybe Washington DC, perhaps closer to New York, we'll see. Going back to the article, it says that "suburban growth has exceeded 90% in the last decade." Amazing. Then again, people do it for a variety of reasons. The fact that the MARC system was near Columbia was a defining factor in our decision to move to Columbia; I have been very disappointed by it. Had I known how poor the service is, I would not have moved so far from Washington DC. The hassle is not worth it. And no, I did not move up here because I wanted a McMansion. Our house is pretty small, I am a big fan of all kinds of public transport and I walk whenever possible.

The article talks about how the suburban lifestyle was favored by the government and provided by cars. I am sure the government was happy it did not have to invest millions in mass transit, instead as people moved farther and farther from their jobs, they were expected to be responsible by their own transportation. While other countries invested in public transportation, it seems that the U.S. didn't. It is my belief that this concept is short-sighted. We have always known that petroleum is finite. Will higher gas prices change the American dream of suburbia? The Washington Post article says "In the Washington area and elsewhere, mass transit ridership is setting records." In theory, demand should drive supply. It's just too bad that the public transit system, at least the MARC system is not up to the task.

Perfect Timing

2008-07-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

These folks at MARC have the gift of the perfect timing... to mess up, not to have the trains arrive when they are supposed to, of course.

So, I check my inbox at work and I get an e-mail from the MARC system, acknowledging that June was a killer month in which everything that could go wrong, pretty much did.

Check this out:

"For the past six weeks on-time performance for MARC Train service has fallen far below what customers expect or deserve. During June Penn Line trains were on-time 81% of the time; Camden Line trains were on-time 63% of the time and Brunswick Line trains were on-time 63% of the time."

Really? I hadn't noticed!

The culprits are then listed:

• Rising summer temperatures put additional stress on equipment and tracks, increasing the likelihood of failure;

• A severe storm cut power to the track signals and blew down trees along the Brunswick Line, forcing us to cancel service;

• A fuel tanker overturned on I-95 in Baltimore City, causing fire authorities to close the Camden Line;

• Our fleet of diesel locomotives is nearly 40 years old, and despite a major overhaul 10 years ago is increasingly unreliable;

• Electric locomotives used on the Penn Line have been out of service for a scheduled overhaul, requiring us to use the older diesel locomotives instead and

• Persistent reliability problems with our newest electric locomotives.

Read bullet number four again. Repeat... "Our fleet of diesel locomotives is nearly 40 years old..."
I mean, wow. This may have something to do with the bit I wrote about the other day, the one about the Federal Government spending 80% of transportation $ on roads and only 20% on public transportation, right?

Of course, right after this e-mail was received, MARC went at it again. Today, several Camden line trains were canceled or delayed. We arrived on time at Savage station this morning, to take the 7:17 a.m. train, only to return to our car and go on to Odenton station, where we took the 7:30 a.m. Penn line train. The cause? There was a "disabled" freight train somewhere en route.

Have Your Say!!!

2008-07-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

MARC is conducting a survey online: http://survey.confirmit.com/wix/p678716001.aspx
You have until July 31st to fill it out. I already took care of mine.. I have to say that, although the service has been satisfactory for the last two weeks (which is the reason I have not blogged at all), I still think MARC service leaves a lot to be desired. I am urging anyone who reads this blog to please fill out the survey and forward the link to any other MARC riders.

Will the poll make a difference? Who knows! My stance about this whole MARC mess is that there is no quick fix. The whole system is broken from the top; not only here in Maryland, but in Virginia too, with its Virginia Railway Express (VRE)... heck, the problem is really nationwide. It has to do with this country's approach to public transportation. According to the Transportation for America website "The Federal Government spends roughly 80% of our transportation dollars on roads and 20% on public transportation." There you have it. Big automobile and oil companies are the ones running the show, as always. Notice on that page, there is text that says "21st Century Infrastructure, 31st Century Jobs." Yes! If the government invested in modern, effective public transportation, so many jobs -jobs that can't be outsourced- would be created, in addition to easing transportation of workers to and from their place of employment, and causing less damage to the environment. Greater standard of living for everyone involved! Everybody wins!

Besides filling out the survey at the top of this paragraph, there are other things you can do. Learn more about the 2009 Transportation Bill, and if you feel strongly about it, tell Congress about it.

There is another interesting site here; Reconnecting America, "Center for Transit-Oriented Development. Interesting stuff to read.

This is why I have so little faith in politicians

2008-07-05T16:18:00.000-07:00

I just read this New York Times article. It is disheartening to see how politics can have such short-term concept of issues, how their actions lead to so many problems down the road (pun not intended!). The article, named "American Energy Policy, Asleep at the Spigot," explains how the current oil crisis was already in the making long ago and ignored by whichever administration that happened to be in power at the time. The article mostly focuses on fuel standards (basically, controlling these standards) but I think that having an efficient public transportation system is also part of looking at the problem.

I think the concept of a big car as a medium of social expression is interesting and so true. But I don't buy that consumers, even American consumers, want big gas guzzlers. They bought them because gas prices were artificially low, courtesy of the government. And this point is proven true as Americans are changing their car purchases, their commutes, their very lifestyles when faced with these higher gas prices.

I don't think gas prices are going to change, but regardless, this country needs to get serious with its public transportation system.

I must be one of the most reluctant bloggers out there

2008-07-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

... Because for me, having to blog is basically an extension of the punishment I endure every day, with the MARC train delays. Of course, if I am here right now, instead of say, watching the L Word, or clipping my toenails is because we were late today. Yes, after a short bliss of mostly prompt service, I arrived at Savage Station today, to be warned (via the pitiful marquee at the station) that all Camden line trains were from 10 to 25 minutes late, due to a switch problem (what else?). And get this, we were 25 minutes late to Washington DC this morning, indeed... and they still managed to make the train wait for about 10 additional minutes, outside of Union Station because they could not find a "parking space" for the train until another locomotive vacated a terminal platform. Just lovely.

I do see a light on the horizon, just for this week. This Friday is the 4th of July, and I am taking off tomorrow too. Besides being able to stay in bed until later, not having to take the MARC train for FOUR FULL DAYS, IN A ROW, it's such a pleasure!!!

... And I was right!

2008-06-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

We were late today, too!! About 20 minutes late, coming home from Washington DC... Lost signals, etc, etc, etc... Wow! The WHOLE week!!!!

Hell Must Be Having to Ride MARC for Eternity

2008-06-26T18:44:00.000-07:00

I am not religious, but I do think about heaven and hell from time to time. While I have no idea what heaven will be like, I do believe that hell must be having to endure MARC trips forever. Can you imagine? I shudder at the very thought.

Now, I was in a pretty good mood this afternoon, after learning that Spain beat Russia at the Euro 2008 Soccer Championship, plus this Washington Post's news story made me laugh so hard I almost fell out of my chair.

But that feeling pretty much went out the window when, after a nice, smooth departure, the train began to gradually slow down until it came to a full stop somewhere before Riverdale. We were twenty minutes late today, I was not able to take my exercise class. We were actually late yesterday too, about fifteen minutes, but I was too tired to post. So, come to think of it, MARC has been late every day this week, always on the way home. I guess for consistency purposes, they'll be late tomorrow too, right? I mean, just one more day, does it matter?

They Knew We Expected Bad Service... And That's What We Got

2008-06-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

Twice in a row. Today, Tuesday, I took the 5:18 p.m., and for nothing, really. Due to switch problems, it was as if I had taken the 5:51, because it arrived at Savage at the same time as the 5:51. Why do I even bother? I was too upset to sleep, so I was not startled when the engine kept making these puffing noises, as though it was giving up under too much pressure. But it sure woke up those passengers that were snoring on the train.

Nice Way to Start the Week! Thanks, MARC!

2008-06-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

We were late getting to Washington DC this morning. Around 15 minutes late. Of course, the train was parked kinda far from the station, and they did not open all the doors, so it took us another five minutes just to get out of the train. Total damage: 20 minutes late. What was their excuse this time? Switch problems.
What about you, how was your commute today?

Run Home- Shove Banana Down Throat - Run to Gym

2008-06-18T18:52:00.000-07:00

The title of this post sums up what I had to do this evening in order to make it to the gym and get a decent workout. Our beloved MARC train was 35 minutes late coming home. I was trying to nod off when I felt the train stop, and then we heard the conductor babble something about fixing the switch manually to get to the other track, and being behind another train. Needless to say, I did not feel like sleeping anymore, I was too annoyed.

By the time we made it to Savage we were 35 minutes behind. I jumped on the car and drove home. I did not have much time to get a decent snack, so much in a hurry I was to do some exercise.

If you happened to be at the Lifetime Fitness gym in Columbia this afternoon and saw a "crazy lady" appearing to vent her frustrations on the elliptical trainer machine, that was probably me.

Climbing the bridge

2008-06-16T19:03:00.001-07:00

Climbing the bridge
Originally uploaded by spain1969

When we got to the Savage Station this morning, we found out that there was a freight train parked on the track where our train would usually be. What we do on these occasions, is to climb up the bridge and go to the opposite side.

The second photo (click to see larger) shows people getting their morning workout by rushing to the other side of the track.

What's the problem with this? Well, the issue here is that if you happen to be on a wheelchair, or have some sort of health problem... heck, if you are carrying a baby and have to deal with a stroller, there is no way you can climb these stairs, walk over the bridge and make it to the other side to catch the train. Many times, when we arrive from Washington DC, we find a freight train parked on the "wrong" track, and we have to get off the train, climb the stairs again, to access the parking. Two years ago, I was doing just this when I slipped on one of the steps, as it was in January and there was some ice on them. It was a good thing I did not get injured.
So, riders, if you have a bad knee, or have to carry a stroller, or use a wheelchair, don't come to Savage Station, 'cause if CSX parks one of its freight trains, you are out of luck.
Other than this, we had an uneventful ride to work this morning, but in the evening we were ten minutes late.

I Must Be Dreaming

2008-06-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

That's what I thought yesterday, Wednesday when I got off the 5:18 p.m. Camden line and for the first time in a while it actually got me home on time!! And the ride to work yesterday morning wasn't bad either! Imagine that! I was so delirious with happiness, that I almost kissed the ground upon my arrival, as the Pope does. Well, not really.

Of course, the bliss was not to last and MARC is at it again. Our 7:09 a.m. train had an uneventful (read, on time) ride, but the train after that (I wasn't in that one) was stuck somewhere, apparently it was about an hour late getting to Washington. I found out about that delay because those e-mail alerts that I signed for. This is how the message read:

"Train 849 due out 7:20 am is disabled at Camden."

And check the text that follows: "Mechanical forces are en route." Isn't that dramatic? Doesn't that read like something out of a comic?

It pretty much went downhill from there. This is the message that I got at 7:58 a.m.:
Train 849 due out of Camden 7:20 will reverse to station if passengers want to seek other transportation. Train is expected to move south in next 10 minutes. WMATA will honor tickets.

I bet those passengers just LOVED that.

Click here to sign up for those e-mail alerts, ~~if you like to suffer,~~ I mean, if you'd like.

After that, I sunk deeper and deeper in my chair as the e-mail alerts started to peek on my inbox in the late afternoon. To sum it up: delays all around. I tried to take the 5:18 p.m., which was so late it actually became the 5:51 p.m. 'cause I got to Savage at 6:30 p.m. My husband had to work late, he took the 7:35 p.m., which was 45 minutes late getting to Savage.

Apparently, there was a freight train carrying orange juice and his train was behind. Yes, passengers are far less important than orange juice.

And your commute? How was it?

It it Going to Be Food or Gas Today?

2008-06-10T17:52:00.000-07:00

Interesting New York Times article. In rural areas, the combination of lower salaries and long commutes, means that in some cases people are spending 13% of their income in gasoline. There are reports of gas theft, of people having to choose between eating or having enough fuel to travel to work. One of the contributing factors to this dire situation is the lack of public transportation, as it is described in the article.
Ultimately, many people may choose that going to work is not economically viable, thus pushing them closer to poverty.

This is why a reliable, affordable public transportation system is SO important.

Going back to our beloved MARC service situation, today the Camden line was canceled due to an overturned gasoline tanker truck on I 95 and Hanover street. I avoided trouble by taking the Penn line both ways today. We got to Washington this morning just fine, but encountered trouble at the metro Red Line, which caused me to be around half an hour late to work. Well, the metro service here in DC deserves an entire different blog, actually. I did have to return home earlier, the stress MARC is putting on me is giving me bouts of insomnia and just feeling ill, it's not fun to work under those conditions.

What Have I Done to Deserve This?

2008-06-09T19:28:00.001-07:00

LateAgain
Originally uploaded by spain1969

That's what I thought as I made my way from the metro station section at Union Station onto the Amtrak/ MARC/ CSX part of Union Station, and I saw a crowd waiting by the marquee, see photo on the right. This could only mean one thing: delays and cancellations. And that's what we got. I saw trains from the Brunswick and Penn and Camden lines either delayed or right out canceled. In the sweltering heat (it was pretty warm today in Washington DC) we waited for news. We were told that the system was experiencing all kinds of misfortunes today: heat restrictions, freight train congestion and even machinery problems. This, supposedly, after a quiet weekend in which the trains were not scheduled for duty. If this is what happens during a normal day, I do worry what chaos would take place if, say, this city, being the capital of the country suffered a terrorist attack or some sort of natural disaster.

In the end, the 5:51 train left at 7:10 p.m., and it arrived at Savage at 7:50 p.m. How about your commute, how was it?

Uh?

2008-06-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

"MARC uses a variety of mostly modern locomotive power and passenger equipment. MARC has arguably one of the most attractive, comfortable and modern rail fleets in North America." Maryland Rail Commuter page.

Are we talking about the same train here? The same train that needs the crew to manually open the doors at every station? The same train that is freezing in the summer mornings (I always have to wear a cardigan) and sometimes has the air conditioning or lights off? The one that is constantly late because of switch/ engine problems?

Do click on the link above, if you have time, however. It does have a lot of information regarding the different lines MARC operates in the area. This link offers a pretty interesting look at the history of MARC from its origins as the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad's company until now.

MARC has outdone itself

2008-06-06T18:48:00.000-07:00

I so did not want to write this post tonight. I thought that it had been so bad so far this week, they could not possibly screw up today. Plus, today is Friday and Fridays are usually not too bad, all things considered.

Traveling to DC was uneventful this morning, so it was with a lot of anticipation and hope that I took the metro red line onto Union Station at 5:15 p.m from Metro Center Station. The 5:51, Camden line train was sitting on its tracks when I boarded it at around 5:40, after buying a mag -my commute treat for the week. Then the departure time arrives and passes and we are told that we are expecting a delay due to a Penn Line train experiencing problems. Unfortunately this train was blocking our exit, so as long as that train wasn't moving, neither would we. We finally took off at around 6:25 p.m. Of course, I don't have much optimism left in me, after all these years taking the MARC trains. I knew we were not home free yet, and I was right. We had just left Union Station when we suddenly stopped. This time, apparently we were following another train, which was also following a freight train, as I recall. By the time we started to move for good, it was 6:40 p.m. and it was 7:20 p.m. the time I had in my watch, when we finally "detrained"* the train at Savage. We were around 45 minutes late.

Nice way to start the weekend. So, what about you? How did the MARC system delight your evening?

*(is that even a word? That's the term the MARC crew uses)

A hell of a week... and it's not over yet

2008-06-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

Let me take a wild guess and say that the Transportation Secretary or the Maryland Governor don't take the MARC train every day to go to work...

Well, I do and I can tell you that this week has been the worst. And I have seen bad. I have been late to work every day, and have been extremely late getting home. I don't know which one feels worse, whether it is in the morning and I know I am expected at work (missing meetings and such) or in the afternoon, when I am tired from work and I just can't wait to get home, change in my workout clothes and head for the gym.

Getting home late means that I missed my workout today, and a big chunk of it yesterday. Of course this is nothing compared with the other folks on the train, who have bigger responsibilities, such as picking kids up from childcare or taking college classes.

The point is that MARC's crappy service (for which we pay physically and through taxes) affects us all. I mean, would you be able to get away with a similar track record at work? I don't know about you, but I would have been fired long ago.

To sum this up. This week, so far, late on Monday, but it wasn't as bad as Tuesday (still, with delays), Wednesday (awful, with the storm) and today.

What about you? How was YOUR commute?

Smooth ride for the rest of the week

2008-05-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

Of course, now that I started my blog, the rest of the week MARC was pretty uneventful, but I know the train system will mess up again, it is just a matter of time. Still, reeling after Monday, I had a couple of sleepless nights. I am prone to insomnia, and the anxiety the commutes gives does no help.

Introducing: Commuter Rail to Hell

2008-04-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

I knew that sooner or later (sooner, actually) the MARC train system here in Maryland would mess up in a big way, and I decided that I would start my blog on that day. That time is today. Today, April 28, 2008 was the worst commute ever, in the four years and I have been unlucky enough to endure a daily commute to Washington DC. They did not mess up once, but twice. The train was 45 minutes late this morning on our way to work, and in the evening, well, they simply dumped us at Greenbelt. There was a tree fallen on the railroad tracks. A group of fellow commuters shared a cab all the way to Laurel Station, and one of them was nice and generous enough to drive us all the way to Savage Station. By the time we got home, we were about an hour late, and I was too exhausted to go to the gym, so I went for a walk instead.
How sucky was your commute aboard the MARC train today? Leave your comments below.