Marc Frequencies On Brunswick Line

The Brunswick Line is a commuter rail line operated by MARC, running between Washington, D.C., and Martinsburg, West Virginia, with a branch to Frederick, Maryland. It is the second-longest line at 74 miles and operates on weekdays with nine trains in each direction during rush hours. MARC has been exploring ways to boost the Brunswick Line service, including expanding service, improving regional links, and increasing speed limits. There have been calls for more frequent trains and improved infrastructure to enhance the service, with a focus on the Frederick branch.

The Brunswick Line is a commuter rail line between Washington, D.C., and Martinsburg, West Virginia

The Brunswick Line is a commuter rail line that runs between Washington, D.C., and Martinsburg, West Virginia, with an additional branch to Frederick, Maryland. It is one of three lines that make up the MARC (Maryland Area Rail Commuter) commuter rail system in the Washington–Baltimore area. The Brunswick Line is the second-longest line at 74 miles, running on CSX-owned tracks. It primarily serves the northern and western suburbs of Washington, with nine commuter-focused round trips per day from DC: six to Martinsburg and three to Frederick.

The line has 18 weekday trains, with nine trains in each direction during the morning and evening rush hour, and an additional train outbound from Union Station on Fridays. Three of the nine trains in each direction serve the Frederick branch, while the remainder originate or terminate at Brunswick or Martinsburg. The Brunswick Line has no weekend service, and service is reduced or suspended on certain federal holidays.

The Brunswick Line is the successor to commuter services provided by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O), which date back to the mid-19th century. In 1974, Maryland began subsidizing the trains, and in 1975, it assumed full responsibility for the subsidy and equipment replacement. West Virginia followed suit, guaranteeing service to its stations. In 1983, the state government of Maryland took control of its commuter railroads, including the Brunswick Line, and organized them under the MARC service name.

In 2010, MARC announced plans to find a new operator for the Brunswick Line after CSX expressed its desire to discontinue operating commuter trains. Bombardier Transportation Services USA Corporation (BTS) assumed operations and maintenance of the line in 2013, and CSX continues to dispatch the line.

The Brunswick Line typically uses trains with four to six single- or bilevel passenger cars and one or two diesel locomotives. The trains operate in a push-pull configuration, with the cab car typically facing Washington. The line serves several stations, including Rockville, Silver Spring, and Union Station, which offer connections to the Washington Metro's Red Line.

The line is 74 miles long and has nine trains in each direction during rush hour

The Brunswick Line is a 74-mile commuter rail line between Washington, D.C., and Martinsburg, West Virginia, with a 14-mile branch to Frederick, Maryland. It is MARC's second-longest line and is operated under contract to MARC by Alstom. The line runs on CSX-owned tracks, including the Metropolitan, Old Main Line, and Cumberland subdivisions.

The Brunswick Line offers nine trains in each direction during the morning and evening rush hours. Of these nine trains, three serve the Frederick branch, three inbound and three outbound serve Martinsburg, and the remaining trains originate or terminate at Brunswick. A bus service connects Frederick and Point of Rocks, meeting trains that do not serve the Frederick branch.

The Brunswick Line primarily serves the northern and western suburbs of Washington. It is the successor to commuter services provided by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), which date back to the mid-19th century. In 1983, the state government of Maryland took control of its commuter railroads, including the Brunswick Line, and organised them under the "MARC" (Maryland Area Rail Commuter) service name.

Despite its long history, the Brunswick Line has faced challenges in recent years. A 2023 report by MARC outlined plans to expand service on the line and improve its regional links to Martinsburg and Frederick. The report suggested ways to increase speed limits, lift constraints on the number of trains, and add extensions to Hagerstown and Cumberland.

The line has also experienced a decrease in ridership, with a pre-COVID-19 weekday ridership of 40,000, which dropped to 2,400 or 33% of its original number during the pandemic. This decrease in ridership may be due to the limited service provided by the line, as it only operates on weekdays, with no weekend or off-peak services available.

MARC's Brunswick Line has commuter-focused round trips from DC to Martinsburg and Frederick

The Brunswick Line is a commuter rail line operated by MARC, which runs between Washington, D.C., and Martinsburg, West Virginia, with a branch to Frederick, Maryland. The line serves the northern and western suburbs of Washington and is MARC's second-longest at 74 miles.

MARC's Brunswick Line offers nine commuter-focused round trips per day from DC: six to Martinsburg and three to Frederick. The line runs on CSX-owned tracks and primarily serves commuters travelling to and from the inner suburban stations.

The Brunswick Line has service only on weekdays, with nine trains in each direction during morning and evening rush hours. Three of the nine trains in each direction serve the Frederick branch. Of the remaining trains, three inbound and three outbound serve Martinsburg, while the rest originate or terminate at Brunswick.

The trains on the Brunswick Line typically have four to six single- or bilevel passenger cars and one or two diesel locomotives. The trains operate in a push-pull configuration, with the cab car typically facing Washington.

The Brunswick Line has a history of complaints about its limited service, with riders calling for weekend and all-day service. In response, MARC has released a draft technical report outlining ways to expand service on the line, including raising speed limits, removing constraints on the number of trains, and running extensions to Hagerstown and Cumberland.

The line has the most balanced ridership of MARC's lines, with about 7,100 riders per day pre-pandemic

The Brunswick Line is a commuter rail line operated by MARC, running between Washington, D.C., and Martinsburg, West Virginia, with a branch to Frederick, Maryland. It is the second-longest line at 74 miles and primarily serves the northern and western suburbs of Washington.

The line has a relatively balanced ridership, with many passengers getting on and off at the inner suburban stations, and fewer at Union Station. Before the pandemic, the line saw about 7,100 riders per day, which decreased to 251 from April 2020 to March 2021. Since then, ridership has recovered to around 2,400, or 33% of pre-pandemic levels. The Frederick branch has seen a slightly higher recovery, with 46% of its previous ridership returning.

The Brunswick Line operates nine commuter-focused round trips per day from DC, with six to Martinsburg and three to Frederick. It runs on tracks owned by CSX, a major freight carrier, and trains typically have four to six single- or bilevel passenger cars and one or two diesel locomotives.

Despite its relatively balanced ridership, the Brunswick Line has been a source of complaints for over 20 years, with riders calling for improved service, including weekend and all-day trips. In response, MARC has explored ways to expand service, including increasing speed limits, lifting constraints on the number of trains, and extending the line to Hagerstown and Cumberland.

To address these issues, MARC has proposed several service enhancements, including more peak service, reverse peak service, midday service, late-night service, and weekend service. These enhancements are expected to boost ridership by 50%, particularly with the addition of weekend and midday trips.

However, there are significant structural barriers to implementing these changes, primarily due to the limited right-of-way available around Silver Spring, and the need to accommodate CSX's freight traffic. To overcome these challenges, MARC has considered a new endpoint at Rockville, allowing passengers to transfer to the Metro, as well as exploring extensions to Hancock, Cumberland, and Hagerstown.

The line runs on CSX-owned tracks, including the Metropolitan, Old Main Line, and Cumberland subdivisions

The Brunswick Line is a commuter rail line operated by MARC, running between Washington, D.C., and Martinsburg, West Virginia, with a branch to Frederick, Maryland. The line runs on tracks owned by CSX, a major freight carrier, and is the second-longest line operated by MARC, at 74 miles. The CSX-owned tracks that the Brunswick Line runs on include the Metropolitan, Old Main Line, and Cumberland subdivisions.

The use of CSX-owned tracks is a significant factor in the operation of the Brunswick Line. CSX also operates a freight service using the same right-of-way, particularly between the Port of Baltimore and distribution centres in the Midwest, such as Ohio. This dual use of the tracks imposes constraints on the number of trains that can be run on the Brunswick Line.

The Brunswick Line has faced challenges in expanding its service due to the limitations imposed by sharing tracks with CSX freight operations. Despite this, there have been studies and plans, such as the MARC Growth and Investment Plan, that propose ways to boost service, including adding additional tracks and improving infrastructure.

The Old Main Line, one of the CSX-owned subdivisions that the Brunswick Line runs on, has been identified as a potential solution to accommodate CSX's freight traffic and ease the constraints on the Brunswick Line. By shifting more freight to the Old Main Line, there could be more opportunities to increase the frequency and capacity of trains on the Brunswick Line, as outlined in the 2019 MARC Cornerstone Plan.

The Brunswick Line has a long history, dating back to the mid-19th century when the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) operated commuter trains between Washington and Martinsburg. Over time, the line has changed hands, with Maryland and West Virginia assuming responsibility for subsidising the trains and equipment replacement. The line is now operated under contract to MARC, with a focus on providing commuter-focused round trips between DC and Martinsburg, as well as Frederick.

Frequently asked questions