The MARC

Rode the bike car today. Penn line. It’s truly amazing for a cyclist! The conductor took us to the bicycle car and gave us personalized service. As a matter of fact, there was a gentleman that worked in Union Station, took us to where we had to buy our tickets. Just the really nice experience.

The customer service sucks but I had low expectations anyway. The police sit at an information desk. Rude answers to polite questions. The lady at the ticket window was busy watching a video one of the cops showed her on his phone and was not very polite either.
Four stars for the train itself. A trip from Baltimore to DC is $ 8 each way compared to about $ 20 for the regular Amtrak that goes to the same stations. The train was comfortable and really didn’t feel like it had that many stops. It still took about 40 – 50 minutes.

The Marc train now runs on the weekend and it’s awesome! It’s comfortable and overall it’s on time. Thank you MTA for running the trains on the weekend!

I’m not sure why there are two Unilocal entries for the marc train but I thought I would just add my review to the one with more reviews.
I take the marc every day to school and it really beats driving to DC and suffering through traffic on the beltway. It runs every hour and it’s usually on time. I’ve had a few horror story situations like one time where a power line fell and I was on the train for 4 hours and my computer died and another time where I was bringing Shake Shack back from DC to my boyfriend for lunch and then there was some police incident and I was trapped in between West Baltimore and Penn Station for 30 minutes and then my boyfriend had to go to work before he could have his burger. They have a policy of not letting you out so you can walk or get a ride…
In the winter, I recommend taking the train earlier than the one you think you’ll need. The trains get delayed and the snow really messes everything up. They usually have trains that make extra stops during snow days, which is good.
Also, now they have weekend service, which is awesome! It’s not as frequent but it’ll still get you to DC.
The train conductors I’ve encountered have all been really courteous and friendly. They also don’t put up with nonsense and I’ve seen them kick people off the train for not having tickets and they see right through all the crazy stories people tell about why they suddenly realized they don’t have a ticket. One time, a man across the aisle from me was so drunk (I guess it was Friday and he was just so happy for his weekend?) that he couldn’t even sit up. The train conductor made sure that the man wasn’t driving home and forced him to call his wife to come give him a ride. It makes me feel safer that the conductors are looking out!

I rode the MARC from Penn Station to DC, no problems. On the way back, that was another matter. The train broke down. But instead of putting us on a relief train, we just had to wait for the next scheduled train to arrive.
So I could have spent an extra hour sightseeing in DC and arrived back at my hotel at the same time.

I’ve recently just started taking the MARC and I didn’t understand anything. The employees were so helpful with getting to my location and a MTA pass. Also the patrons were very helpful with aiding me to the right locations. I don’t know maybe it was just a lucky day but I enjoy the MARC away more than I enjoy the bus.

$ 7 to DC (or stop at BWI on the way) on weekdays. 10 stars. To be reasonable, 5 stars.
Doesn’t run very late. –1 star.
A plus: your ticket is valid for a while. If you miss your train, you can take the next, or take one a month from now.

People have written very helpful guides to the MARC, so I’m not going to try to make a complete set of instructions here. What I try to preach to people who use transit in the Baltimore Washington area is to think of everything around here as if it is connected. Get to know the regional transit systems as a whole, and it will unlock a world of potential on a scale you previously hadn’t considered. (RailBandit iPhone app is amazing for this big picture).
The MARC is clean, on time, usually not OVER crowded, and you can eat, drink, and be merry while you ride. Conductors are respectful of your personal riding habits, as long as you have your pass visible, you can sleep, work, or have happy hour.
MARC completes the system. It may not be perfect, but it’s the best commuter train out there. And it connects the best of DC to the best of Baltimore, to the best of the region.

A train that gets you from downtown DC nonstop to within a mile of BWI in ~25 minutes and costs only $ 6? Deal!
While not as comfortable and pretty as our Coaster, it was hitting 120mph.

It works. Better than driving to DC and back during rush hour.

Considering that this is my primary way to get to work, I sort of have to say that it’s «okay», really. It has its ups and downs, which I’ll point out here:
— If you’re a regular rider, the conductors come to know you and they’ll often say good morning, how are you, etc. They’ll strike up a conversation when they have time. Some of them come to be really part of a commuter’s day; we recently lost a conductor on the Camden Line last year to a heart attack and to this day, we all miss him.
— You can have breakfast, drink your coffee, read, sleep, etc., all in relative leisure. No traffic to fight, no bleary-​eyed commute, no school buses to dodge. That’s always a plus.
— They enforce the «quiet car» rules on this system. If you get on the quiet car with a cell phone or talking loudly or doing something similar to disturb people — trust me, they’ll admonish you even before the conductors will. They are SERIOUS about their quiet time. This is a HUGE plus.
— The later the train, the more crowded it’s going to be. Overcrowding used to be MUCH worse before they adjusted the schedules, but it’s still kind of a problem. Afternoon crowds are worse than the morning. On Penn, the «big» stations are Odenton, Halethorpe and Baltimore Penn. That’s where most people seem to get on and off. On Camden, it’s Laurel and Dorsey.
— When the MARC runs smoothly, it does very well. It runs pretty much on time, and be warned: the conductors will NOT wait for you if you’re late, even if they «know» you. They have a schedule to keep and they WILL follow it. Most regular riders know this.
— When ONE train breaks down or has a problem, the entire system is thrown off kilter. Trains will run 20, 30, 45 minutes late. Not good, considering that a lot of people depend on this system to get to work on time. Amtrak problems will also slow things down. Camden is particularly bad because they run on a CSX line and they’re subject to the freight trains’ whims. Weather is also a problem on this line — Penn does much better as far as this is concerned.
— Fares are cheap if you only ride it every now and then. For the regular commuter, it’s about on par with the rest of the country’s transit (might be a bit cheaper, though they’re trying to push higher fares soon, sigh).
— No weekend service, which is a disappointment. However, for monthly commuters, Amtrak WILL accept your monthly pass and allow you to ride down to D.C. or BWI, depending on what your pass rules are. I found this out last weekend when I had to work on a Saturday; this is actually a nice perk. The MTA claims that there are no funds available to establish weekend service right now — I actually believe that to be true, as they’re struggling to keep afloat. Hopefully the economic picture will improve and they can consider that again. UPDATE: The MARC now runs on Saturday AND Sunday starting December 7, 2013. Huzzah! Also — Amtrak no longer takes MARC passes for any reason.
— Those BWI people, haha. No, sorry, this is a commuter service for people that work in Baltimore/​DC and live in the opposite city. The service goes to BWI mainly to serve the people that live in the Glen Burnie/​Severn area — it’s NOT a «cheap airport shuttle», as was sarcastically mentioned in another review. The seats are not there to store people’s suitcases or bags, and if a «disgruntled commuter» asks you to move them, you should do so. Unless your suitcases paid for the seat, you’re required to vacate it. Simple as that. There is no storage for suitcases or large bags; sorry to inconvenience, but that’s not what the MARC is made for.
— Unfortunately, others also ride these trains. This means that you may be subjected to overwhelming (and stinking) amounts of bad cologne/​perfume or body odor. (The summertime is a HUGE problem concerning this: some really foul-​smelling folks seem to ride the MARC between June and September.) Just sayin’.
As I stated, there’s positives and negatives. As someone who rides MARC 5 days a week, these are just some of my observations. YMMV.

Great, quick train to DC and other surrounding areas. Only $ 7 each way, easy to purchase, and easy to navigate.

Every city has a transportation system that seems to annoy the residents but dazzle the outsider. MARC would be that system…
If you had to take the MARC everyday, you would be upset that it’s not as on time as it should be, understandably, because your boss hates to hear that you were late because of public transportation.
However, for the individual who is playing hooky from work or works for themselves and needs to get away, MARC is as good as it gets. Purchase your favorite breakfast, favorite beverage and favorite magazine and go. Eat. Read. Relax. It’s like a moving heaven.
MARC played a major role in my decision to move from DC to Baltimore…$ 10 never traveled so well.
The only sucky thing is that MARC doesn’t run on the weekend, but then it keeps the secret, so maybe that’s not so bad…

I recently took the MARC for the first time and was pleasantly surprised!
For the reasonable fare charged, I didn’t expect it to be comparable to the MetroNorth trains. But they are! The seats and cars are very nice and kept clean. Most of the conductors were helpful, which I found to be true on the main Baltimore to DC line and on one of the smaller lines.
My only issues were that:
1) They weren’t as super adherent to timeliness as I like. My first train was about 11 minutes late pulling out, didn’t make up the time, and caused me to barely catch my connection. But, to be fair, this may have been a holiday hiccup.
2) They don’t offer weekend service! That is no holiday hiccup! I find that pretty unacceptable. But hopefully this will eventually change.
But, overall, I was quite happy with my experience and will choose MARC in the future!

Does the thought of your work commute plunge you into a deep, dark depression? Do find your blood pressure rising dangerously high as you try to navigate bumper to bumper traffic? You ever wish you could get a few more winks of sleep and still get to work on time? Do you desire a green way to get to work but are too chicken to ride a bicycle in rush hour traffic?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you need to ride the MARC commuter train!*
Train perks include riding to work in an upholstered arm chair, no distracted driving, leisurely gazing out the window, no bumper to bumper traffic, closing your eyes, no aggressive drivers cutting you off, and my favorite perk, reading a book.
There are down sides: It is absolutely necessary to plan ahead of time to ensure you get to work and home on time. Tickets can be expensive. It is a breeding ground for the common cold. The train can be crowded, and people can be very loud. (No, I do not want to hear about your obsession with Patti LaBelle, your karaōke exploits or your favorite team)
Try it for a week. You might like it.*
* not approved for those with uncomfortable shoes, wide loads or children under 10.

my only 2 complaints are this:
1. MARC has no weekend service. I guess no one wants to visit DC or Baltimore for fun (ie when they don’t have to work)
2. you can’t bring regular sized bikes onboard (ok, maybe living in california spoiled me, but you can take your bikes on the commuter trains in nyc even!)
what’s good:
1. central stop locations in baltimore w/​pretty good connections
2. clean, fast, quiet

Y’know, it kind of worked out great that we had crummy weather on Friday. Robin W. and I were going to go to the Hagerstown Sun’s game, but decided instead to head up to Baltimore. Robin HATES driving I-​95 and the Balto-​Wash Parkway! The weekday schedule between Washington and Baltimore is very convenient and you can go out on one line (the Penn) and return on the other (the Camden) as we did. It’s cheap too – $ 7.00 each way, so you’ve already saved on parking costs.
But why-​o-​why doesn’t the MARC run on weekends? I’ll bet a lot of folks would love to ride the train between the two on weekends.
I could just picture my railfan husband chiding me. «You rode the MARC train and you DIDN’T take pictures, Susan?»

Love the MARC train but they need to add weekend service immediately!
My girlfriend and I live in DC and recently just rallied up to Baltimore for the day. I highly recommend catching the MARC in New Carrollton and not at Union Station downtown. The trip north is a couple bucks cheaper, 15 minutes faster, and Union Station sucks to navigate through, even at 6am.
We got off the Metro in new Carrollton and we walked right onto the MARC train after buying our tickets. Only a couple stops on this MARC train and we were pulling into Penn Station in Baltimore. It is only $ 6 each way, you can not beat the price. I hear it is unreliable but I put that more on the people who ride it. My experience has always been that they run right on time but I am not a regular commuter. The service is so good I actually contemplated living in Baltimore and commuting to DC every day, too bad I work Saturdays.
The train is by no means luxurious but from DC to Baltimore you barely have time to notice. I’m thinking of rallying the Camden line for opening day of the Orioles and pulling right into Camden.

After commuting to Washington from Baltimore for 18 months (notice, I’m actually couting months!), I would not wish the unreliability of the MARC train service on anyone’s morning and evening routine. Granted, Amtrak is only marginally – if at all – more reliable, and the MARC train is definitely a lot better than sitting in Balti-​Wash corridor’s never-​ending traffic. However, one’s vehicular congestion issues are unresolved via this form of public transit – instead, they are converted into the inconveniences of the almost daily train delays and clockwork breakdowns. Curiously, these happen on at least a weekly basis – it’s either raining (visibility?), snowing (slippery when iced!), or too hot (I’m serious – the rails get kinks so trains have to slow down). Then there is fate’s options of engine malfunction, lateness (or is it temporary loss?) of crew, or insufficient equipment causing problems. With countries like Switzerland and Germany perfecting train transit to a T, why can’t most US transit systems work out the issues with their systems?
Alright, if you must commute by the MARC train, consider implementing some of the following survivor’s guide tips:
–Subscribe your phone and/​or e-​mail service to MARC train alerts (
). Believe me, this delay-​reporting system is invaluable and key to mitigating some of the frustrations associated with regular problems encountered by this service. If there is inclement wheather, it’s good to find out of cancellations before you rush, panting, into the train station.
–Get your voice heard: join the MARC Riders Advisory Council (
) or follow along regarding developments and attempts at improvements online.
–Bring a book, magazine, water, food, and a blanket. Really, you just don’t know what might happen or how long the detour could be.
–Lastly, develop a casual friendship with your co-​riders as life gets a little better from commiseration with a stranger. If you’re lucky, you just might make a few lasting contacts.
Good luck!!!

I only use the MARC for getting to BWI, and only on Friday afternoons (since it doesn’t run on weekends, so hope you get one of the $ 17 AMTRAKS home, or just take the Bus to the Metro). It’s a little hectic getting on, but if you’ve got a suitcase you can throw you weight around a little. Good luck once you get on though. There’s no where to stash your bag and good luck if you get a disgruntled commuter who wants the seat next to you.
I almost got into a fist fight with a guy who kept saying «it’s a commuter train, not a an airport shuttle» and insisted I somehow make my entire suitcase and carry-​on and my girlfriends suddenly «disappear». Good think I’m 25 and he’s 40 and I look like I’m in good shape, but seriously, the people on this train can be rude, pushy and annoying (but the MARC itself is a phenominal service, so you just suck it up and thank god you’re not on the bus from the Green Line station)