Brunswick Line

The Brunswick Line is a MARC commuter rail line between Washington, D.C., and Martinsburg, West Virginia, with a branch to Frederick, Maryland. It primarily serves the northern and western suburbs of Washington. The line, MARC's second longest at 74 miles, is operated under contract to MARC by Alstom and runs on CSX-owned track, including the Metropolitan, Old Main Line, and Cumberland subdivisions. It is the successor to commuter services provided by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O), which date to the mid-19th century.

Brunswick Line
A northbound MARC train on the Brunswick Line, after having departed Kensington Station.
Overview
OwnerCSX Transportation (tracks)
LocaleWashington D.C. and northern Maryland suburbs; West Virginia
Termini
Stations19
Service
TypeCommuter rail
SystemMARC Train
Train number(s)870–895
Operator(s)Alstom/Maryland Transit Administration
Rolling stockSiemens Charger, MPI MPXpress MP36PH-3C, Bombardier Multilevel
Daily ridership7,497 (June 2017)[1]
History
Opened1873
Technical
Line length74 mi (119 km)
Number of tracks2-5
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed34 mph (55 km/h) (avg.)
Route map

Martinsburg
Capitol Limited
Duffields
Harpers Ferry
Capitol Limited
Brunswick
Point of Rocks Tunnel
Point of Rocks
Frederick
Monocacy
Dickerson
Barnesville
Boyds
Germantown
Metropolitan Grove
Gaithersburg
Washington Grove
Rockville
Capitol Limited
Garrett Park
Kensington
Silver Spring
Union Station
DC Streetcar Virginia Railway ExpressAmtrak

History

The B&O had long operated commuter trains between Washington and Martinsburg, and continued to do so after the start of Amtrak on May 1, 1971. Maryland began subsidizing the trains in 1974 and, in 1975, assumed full responsibility for the subsidy and equipment replacement. West Virginia followed suit soon after, guaranteeing service to its stations.[2]

In 1983, as part of a federal requirement for Conrail (which operated the Penn Line service) to end its operation of commuter railroads on behalf of states, the state government of Maryland took control of its commuter railroads, organizing them under the "MARC" (Maryland Area Rail Commuter) service name.[3] Trains on the Brunswick Line were operated under contract by CSX Transportation, successor to the B&O. Brunswick Line service was augmented in 1986 when Amtrak transferred its Washington–Martinsburg Blue Ridge to MARC after agreeing to subsidize the train for five years.[2]

In May 2010, MARC announced that it planned to find a new operator for the Brunswick and Camden Lines after CSX announced its desire to discontinue operation of commuter trains.[4] MARC selected Bombardier Transportation Services USA Corporation (BTS) (a subsidiary of the Canadian company Bombardier Transportation) to replace CSX, and BTS assumed operations and maintenance of the lines on June 29, 2013. CSX continues to dispatch the lines.[5]

Rolling stock

Brunswick Line trains 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.

Before they were replaced by new Bombardier Multilevel II cars, MARC's ex-Metra Pullman Gallery cars were used exclusively on the Brunswick Line, which is the only MARC line with all low-level platforms (except the Frederick Branch, which has a high-level platform at Monocacy station).

Service

The Brunswick Line has service only on weekdays,[6] with nine trains in each direction during 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. Of the remainder, three inbound and three outbound serve Martinsburg, while the remainder originate or terminate at Brunswick. A bus runs between Frederick and Point of Rocks, meeting trains that do not serve the Frederick Branch.[6]

Union Station is the southern terminus of Amtrak's Capitol Limited, which shares much of the Brunswick Line's route; Martinsburg, Harpers Ferry, and Rockville are also served by the Capitol Limited. Connections to the Washington Metro's Red Line are available at Rockville, Silver Spring, and Union Station.

Stations

The Brunswick Line serves the following stations. Not all trains stop at all stations.

State Town/City Station Connections
DCWashington, D.C.Union StationAmtrak Amtrak: Acela Express, Cardinal, Capitol Limited, Carolinian, Crescent, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Vermonter, Thruway Motorcoach to Charlottesville, Virginia
Metrorail: Red Line
Metrobus (Washington, D.C.) Metrobus: Loudoun, OmniRide
Virginia Railway Express VRE: Manassas Line, Fredericksburg Line
MARC: Camden Line, Penn Line
MTA Maryland commuter buses MTA Commuter Bus: 903, 922
MDSilver SpringSilver Spring Metrorail: Red Line
Metrobus (Washington, D.C.) Metrobus: 70, 79, F4, J1, J2, J4, Q1, Q2, Q4, S2, S4, S9, Y2, Y7, Y8, Z2, Z6, Z8, Z11
Ride On (bus) Ride On: 1, 2A, 2B, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 28, 127
MTA Maryland commuter buses MTA Commuter Bus: 915, 929
KensingtonKensingtonRide On (bus) Ride On: 4, 5, 33, 34, 37
Garrett ParkGarrett ParkRide On (bus) Ride On: 5, 37, 38
RockvilleRockvilleAmtrak Amtrak: Capitol Limited
Metrorail: Red Line
Metrobus (Washington, D.C.) Metrobus: T2, Q1, Q2, Q4, Q5, Q6,
Ride On (bus) Ride On: 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 52, 54, 55, 56, 59, 63, 81, 101
Washington GroveWashington GroveRide On (bus) Ride On: 61
GaithersburgGaithersburgRide On (bus) Ride On: 57
Metropolitan GroveRide On (bus) Ride On: 61
GermantownGermantownRide On (bus) Ride On: 61, 75, 83,[7] 97
BoydsBoyds[8]
BarnesvilleBarnesville
DickersonDickerson[8]
FrederickMonocacyTransIT services of Frederick, Maryland TransIT: 10, 20
MTA Maryland commuter buses MTA Commuter Bus: 204, 505, 515
Bus interchange Meet-the-MARC shuttle
FrederickTransIT services of Frederick, Maryland TransIT: 20, 40, 50, 60
MTA Maryland commuter buses MTA Commuter Bus: 515
Bus interchange Meet-the-MARC shuttle
Brunswick Line:
Point of RocksPoint of RocksBus interchange Meet-the-MARC shuttle
BrunswickBrunswick
WVHarpers FerryHarpers FerryAmtrak Amtrak: Capitol Limited
DuffieldsDuffields
MartinsburgMartinsburgAmtrak Amtrak: Capitol Limited

References

  1. "MTA Average Weekday Ridership – by Month". Maryland Open Data Portal. June 2017. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  2. West Virginia Department of Transportation, State Rail Authority (March 12, 2013). "West Virginia State Rail Plan: Maryland Area Regional Commuter Service". Archived from the original on 2016-10-07. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  3. MARC History on MTA website Archived April 23, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  4. "MARC to seek new operator for CSX-run routes". Trains Magazine. 14 June 2010. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
  5. Weir, Kytja (17 October 2012). "Bombardier wins $204m MARC commuter train contract". The Washington Examiner. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  6. "Brunswick Line Schedule" (PDF). MTA Maryland. March 4, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  7. "New Shuttle Service Between Kingsview Park & Ride Lot and Germantown MARC Station Now Available". Montgomery County, MD. Archived from the original on 2015-06-21. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  8. Closure of station due to low ridership was proposed in an early-2006 MARC plan that was ultimately canceled.
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