Commuters: MTA Tweaks Brunswick Line Plans

State transit officials have revised plans to change the MARC train’s Brunswick Line schedule, following riders’ concern over an initial proposal that would have resulted in longer service gaps and cut stops at smaller Upcounty stations.

The Maryland Transit Administration is soliciting feedback on the new schedule, which was posted on its website. There are also town hall forums scheduled throughout May:

• Saturday, May 19, Charles Town, W.Va. — Old Charles Town Public Library, 200 E. Washington St., 1 to 4 p.m. 
• Tuesday, May 22, Rockville — Council Office Building, Ground Level Auditorium, 100 Maryland Ave., 5:30 to 8:30pm
• May 23, Frederick, Md. — Frederick County Government Complex, Winchester Hall, 12 E. Church St., 6 to 9 p.m.

The current draft increases service in Montgomery County, though train stops in West Virginia would be affected — the “super-express” 4:55 p.m. train from Union Station, for example, would not stop in West Virginia, The Associated Press reported.

MTA officials said changing the Brunswick Line schedule would improve its timeliness. The commuter train runs from Martinsburg, W.Va., to Washington — stopping in Germantown along the way.

When the initial draft schedule was released, were the loss of train stops at smaller stations and longer service gaps between trains. that MARC would re-evaluate schedule changes.

The revised schedule would keep the service gap for early morning eastbound trains at Boyds and Dickerson to closer to an hour, as opposed to the prior draft, which had gaps as long as 90 minutes gaps for certain trains.

Also, train No. 877, which leaves Washington, D.C., at 4:45 p.m., adds stops in Washington Grove, Gaithersburg, Metropolitan Grove, Germantown and Boyds.

The MTA said there was “no target date for implementation” because they were still compiling feedback from riders.