MARC: The good, the bad and the ugly
MARC riders are reporting it was a rough morning on both the Penn and Camden lines, with breakdowns, delays, slow trains and missed communication -- par for the course.
But here's some man-bites-dog good news. Here we have a Maryland agency saying it intends to keep doing its job even in the snow. Amazing. Here's the announcement from the MARC web site:
MARC Train will operate full service on Friday, January 7, 2011. Given the forecast for light snow showers, please keep the following safety tips in mind to ensure that you get to work safely. 1) Wear sturdy footwear--we strongly discourage heels, men's dress shoes, and other footwear with limited tread and stability. 2) Roads, especially local and lightly-traveled roads will be very slick. Please drive carefully. 3) Arrive at least 15 minutes before train departure to allow extra time to park your car, WALK to the station or platform, and board your train. 4) NEVER run or walk fast on icy and snow covered platforms. Thank you for riding the MARC Train Service.
But there's also some ugly to go along with it:
MARC Tracker Problems--The company that services the MARC Tracker system is having server problems which affects the operation of the system. A new computer has been ordered and will be installed by Friday. For this week (January 3-7), it is likely that the system will display incorrect or outdated information. Email updates will be sent about delays as they occur. Click here to sign up for email alerts and updates. MARC Train regrets this inconvenience and appreciates your patience.
Comments
It's the "missed communication" business that is the most inexcusable. MARC/MTA should know the whereabouts of the MARC trains so that we riders who have options can pursue them (i.e., Penn Line vs. Camden line vs. driving to work).
This morning was a prime example. I dutifully checked MARC tracker to see the status of the morning's trains and found that there were delays as well as a "pending" status on a train. After waiting a while for the "pending" train, I called MTA, who said that they had no additional info about this train other than the pending status. Another passenger nearby called and was told that the "pending" train had already passed through our station (it had not as he had arrived at the station well before the train's scheduled departure time). So at this point we were left to wonder whether the "pending" train was going to run at all.
Rather than waiting there indefinitely for a train of unknown status some of us could've jumped onto another line or driven to work. It's puzzling to me how in the dark MTA seems to be at times about the status of the MARC trains.
Some of us can
Posted by: MARC CRAM | January 7, 2011 12:21 PM
For a system that has such a dificult time maintaining any schedule whatsoever (I place an equal amount of blame on Amtrak), the least the MTA can do is ensure the MARC Tracker feature is operational.
I've been a regular MARC rider for years, and most days I get the feeling that the train I'm on is the first one that has ever been operated by the MTA. Engineers can't even figure out where to stop the train at the Odenton Station. Sometimes the first door opens; sometimes it doesn't. Stopping at the proper location at each stop seems so very elementary. Most days, I breathe a sigh of relief when the train actually makes it to the station at all without derailing or crashing.
When my office is at the height of dysfunction, I try to imagine what it must be like to work for the MTA, and I feel a little better about my situation.
Posted by: Kevin | January 7, 2011 1:04 PM
I had to laugh a little this morning when MARC 415 had to stop and rescue passengers from the disabled Amtrak 151. We were delayed 30 minutes loading the passengers off of that train onto ours. I had to think - how many Amtrak trains have stopped to rescue MARC passengers? How many Amtrak trains flew right on by the Hell Train last year while passengers roasted? Oh well, i guess they're allowed to do that when they own the tracks right?
Posted by: MARC Rider | January 7, 2011 2:11 PM