MARC Discusses Proposed Brunswick Line Changes

Montgomery County Council’s transportation committee sought clarity Monday from state transit officials regarding a proposal to change MARC’s Brunswick Line schedule.

“We are embracing transit more in our community and not less,” Council President Roger Berliner (D-District 1) of Potomac, the committee chair, said at the start of body’s meeting. “So whenever there’s a diminution of service, it gets our attention.”

But after hearing from representatives from the Maryland Transit Authority, CSX Transportation and MARC, the committee determined it needed more information before it could take any position on the proposed changes.

“As of now, what we’ve seen at first glance is that they’re cutting service in Montgomery County so they can expand it in another location,” said Councilman Hans Reimer (D-At Large) of Silver Spring.  “We see that that’s not the case. But I think we could do better just trying to understand the impact.”

“Is it the case that some people now, with their lifestyle, can’t use MARC any more?” Reimer continued. “Or is it a 10-minute adjustment? What are you talking about on a per-station basis?”

The Brunswick Line train runs from Martinsburg, W.Va., through Germantown, to Washington, D.C. According to state transit officials, the schedule adjustments — which would drop departures from several Montgomery County stations — were needed in order to make MARC service more reliable.

“The performance has been nothing but rotten on the Brunswick line,” said John Hovatter, director of MARC train and commuter bus services.

Hovatter said reliability was “the biggest reason” people chose not to ride the trains. He said Brunswick Line trains operated on schedule about 83 percent of the time. As an example, Chief Customer Communications Officer David Johnson pointed to what’s currently happening with the first two trains that leave Union Station — No. 873, which makes all stops to Brunswick, Md., and No. 891, which makes limited stops to Frederick, Md.

“Virtually every day, that 891 catches up to the 873,” Johnson said. “While he’s piddling along making the stops, the 891, which is supposed to be an express, slows down to follow the other train.”

A common theme throughout the meeting was finding a balance between the availability of service and making train service more reliable. Councilman Phil Andrews (D-District 3) of Gaithersburg, who sat in on the committee meeting, said his constituents have said they’d prefer more departures over fewer departures with on-time schedules. Opponents, including the transit system’s own Riders’ Advisory Council, have argued fewer stops amounted to worse service.

Hovatter revisited the example of westbound train No. 873, which is slated to lose four stops under the proposed schedule. He said over the span of nine months, an average of six people total got off at Garrett Park, Washington Grove, Boyds and Dickerson.

Councilwoman Nancy Floreen (D-At Large) of Garrett Park asked transit officials to address the perception among her constituents that reduction of departures will lead to a reduction of riders, which would result in the “worst-case scenario" of station closures.

“I don’t see reduction in ridership in this at all,” Hovatter said.

Hovatter said there was nothing about the schedule that was set in stone. The proposed schedule has received more than 700 comments since it was announced earlier this month. Maryland Transit Authority posted an online survey soliciting feedback in addition to input they’ve received at “Meet the Management” events throughout the station.

“This isn’t the endpoint,” Hovatter said. “We threw it out there saying this is our best guess. This is what we think will work to get the trains on time. Now we’re going to take back what everybody comments about, our input and then we’re going to run a schedule.”