Details are still sketchy, but the agenda of the Board of Public Works shows that the Maryland Transit Administration has reached a contract agreement with Bombardier Transit Corp. of Montreal to provide 54 multi-level rail cars for the MARC commuter train service at a cost of $153 million.

MTA spokesman Terry Owens said  MARC intends to retire 38 of its older rail cars and to expand its current fleet by 16. Owens said the agency will not discuss further details of the deal until the board acts on the contract.

 Delivery will not necessarily come soon. In past MARC procurements, it has taken multiple years to go from purchase agreement to the start of actual service. But the MTA said that by piggybacking on an order by New Jersey Transit, it will cut an estimated nine months to a year off the procurement process.