MARC locomotive update: Looking better
The MARC system stands or falls on the strength of its locomotives, and a few months ago it was virtually falling apart on the Penn Line because so many of its electric engines were disabled. Late trains and trains with too few cars were a daily olccurrence.
But Amtrak found a way to fix the AEM-7 locomotives that had been laid up for more than two years, and the engines are gradually working their way back into service. Maryland Department of Transportation spokesman Jack Cahalan provided the following update as of Wednesday, saying the MTA is continuing too make progress:
Two of the AEM-7’s are now in revenue service and performing well. In fact, I saw one of the MARC AEM’s operating solo last week when I was waiting for a train at BWI station.
The third AEM is in revenue testing on the Penn Line paired with another locomotive. Same testing process MTA did for the first two.
The fourth AEM is still with Amtrak but work should be completed by the middle of this month. It will then go through the same revenue test process as the other three.
Cahalan said the certification work being done on the 26 new model diesels the MTA has been eagerly awaiting since the spring is 80 percent complete and is expected to be completed in the next few weeks. If nothing unexpected crops up, he said, the first of the new diesels will enter revenue testing -- powering an actual train but with a backup locomotive -- by the end of this month.
Comments
Did anyone bother to ask any of us patrons about the new seats on MARC? They are HORRIBLE! A man of 6'2" and hefty cannot fit in the new seats comfortably. They are AWFUL!!! What were they thinking?
Posted by: MARC Rider | December 2, 2009 11:39 PM
These seats must be on the bilevel cars that were recently obtained from Virginia Railway Express and put into use on the Penn Line to relieve crowded conditions. VRE specifies tighter seating than MARC.
Posted by: Brunswick Line Rider | December 3, 2009 3:16 PM
I don't ride daily, so I can't speak to the built up frustration of MARC riders, but at 6'0 I found the new cars just fine. Certainly beats standing all the way through BWI or even to Penn Station.
And it's a million times better than standing like a sardine on the #36 on the way home from work. I seem to always miss the 'tics that frequent that route.
Posted by: Jed | December 3, 2009 5:36 PM