Transportation

MARC, VRE say on-time performance has dropped, cite increase in CSX trains as one factor

By Luz Lazo
July 27 at 8:00 AM

An increase in CSX freight trains operating in the Washington region has led to significant delays and worsening commutes for the thousands of passengers who use the region’s commuter rails, according to transit officials in Maryland and Virginia.

MARC and Virginia Railway Express say on-time performance has dropped dramatically this summer for a number of reasons: hot weather, mechanical and track issues, and glitches from a new automatic breaking system in Virginia. But they say a big factor in the delays is an increase in CSX freight trains and the congestion on the tracks that has come with it.

“There’s just a lot more trains out on the system than there used to be,” said Joe Swartz, VRE’s chief of staff. “It is not unusual for us to occasionally get caught behind a freight train, and that causes some delays.” ... Several MARC and VRE lines operate on tracks owned by CSX. That arrangement has become more of an issue this summer.

On any given day, passengers can wait up to 30 minutes to board their train to work or home, and on the very worst days are held inside stopped or crawling trains for a seemingly endless amount of time.
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Luz Lazo is a transportation reporter at The Washington Post covering passenger and freight transportation, buses, taxis and ride-sharing services. She also writes about traffic, road infrastructure and air travel in the Washington region and beyond. She joined The Post in 2011. Follow https://twitter.com/luzcita