Yet another account of Train 538 debacle
Here's another account of the MARC Train 538 saga from Monday night, this from a passenger named Jamie who prefers not to have his last name used. THis is one more reason I believe a public hearing about this incident is necessary:
Jamie wrote:
I was aboard the MARC train 538 that broke down monday night and all of the passengers stories are accurate. It was horrible. We were told by an AMTRACK police officer that if we busted out the windows or got off the train we would be arrested and/ or fined. It was stifling in there.
When the conductors came thru and shut the doors saying the new locomotive was there and then nothing happened, it got so hot a woman in my car started to have an asthma attack. She moved out into the vestibule and the conductor told her to move back in. She was turning bright red and having trouble breathing but the conductor walked away. The woman then laid face down on the floor and tried to get fresh air from the cracks between the two cars.
This was about the time someone in the car in front of us passed out and people then busted out the door. There was no MARC staff around to help people out of the train at any time that I saw. It was other passengers helping each other.
I was also one of the ones left behind because the rescue train was too full. We had to walk back to the disabled 538 and climb from the loose rocks back up - a rather large step. Again, no MARC assistance.
We sat for a while then crawled to New Carrollton. Got off the train and waited. I finally got to Odenton around 10:15.
Tonight I was on the 538. They had it boarding at the same time as a delayed Penn train. it was total chaos on the platform as none of the tracks were labeled. I saw MARC staff on the platform handing out copies of the apology letter with free VIP round trip pass attached. Really? What good is that for the majority of people who have monthly passes?
Once aboard the train, there were maybe 6 passengers on my car and I NEVER saw MARC staff. If they were on the train Tuesday night, they didn't walk thru it. Once at Odenton, they couldn't get the doors to stay open. This system needs a complete overhaul from the top down before we wind up with a mass tragedy like that of last years WMATA redline crash.
Comments
Thank you for accurately describing our 538 experience both nights. And Thank you Michael for reposting. The facts of the situation that transpired for those of us left behind need to get out because MTA has not explained what happened to the rest of us accurately.
Posted by: Colleen T. | June 23, 2010 6:10 AM
Where can I get my monthly pass?
I know a lot of BRAC people and they're only interested in moving to Baltimore City if they can use the MARC train.
This is a heck of a way to introduce them to Maryland...
Kudos to MARC, MTA and the state government. You endangered the lives of your own customers and citizens and can't even figure out how to make it right.
Posted by: bryanintowson | June 23, 2010 2:37 PM
It's comical that people are acting like this is the first time a breakdown like this ever happened. This crap goes on all the time on the MARC line.
on May 21st, I had my 2 1/2 yr old son with me going back home from work on the 534 express (leaving at 5:20) and that train broke down few miles outside of Union Station. it sat there WITHOUT AIR, no windows open, for 2 hours while the engineers tried to reboot the engine. Then finally another engine from DC came out and PULLED US BACK to Union Station, telling us that there is an Amtrak train waiting for people going to BWI. so we get off the train, run to the Amtrak train, and there was an angry AMTRAK guy telling everyone it's full and no one can board the amtrak, so the 9 car train worth of people from the MARC 534 had to cram in to MARC 442, leaving at 7:40pm, which already had the regular train 443 people on board. I had to take the Metro to greenbelt and had my wife come and pick us up. By the time we got home it was 9:30PM.
And just yesterday, taking the same 5:20pm train 534, it stopped few miles from Union Station, there was a train broken down, so we backed up, then crawled north, one time stopping for 15 minutes waiting for another train to pass us, and finally got to BWI at 6:45, an HOUR LATE!
It's about time that someone noticed the problems with MARC but those who are doing the so called 'investigation' in to the break down don't think this is the only time it happens. Breakdowns and DELAYS happen ALL THE TIME!
Posted by: J.B. from Columbia | June 23, 2010 3:49 PM