Traffic & Transit

MARC Service Resumes After Person Killed On Tracks

Service was suspended on the MARC Penn Line Tuesday after a person was hit by a train, officials say.

BOWIE, MD — After a track worker was hit by a train near Bowie, MARC service was suspended for several hours Tuesday. Commuters taking the Penn Line were impacted from about 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the Maryland Transit Administration.

An Amtrak train hit someone near the Bowie State MARC station, officials reported.

The victim was located about 0.5 mile from the train station and was pronounced deceased, Prince George's County public safety officials reported at 9:20 a.m.

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RELATED: Train Strikes, Kills Track Worker Near Bowie State

MARC Penn Line riders were told to take another form of transportation, since service was expected to be suspended for an extended period of time, according to the Maryland Transit Administration.

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After 3 p.m., officials said that the police activity had cleared between Bowie and Odenton stations. Prior to that, train service reportedly began resuming in a limited way at 11 a.m.

Residual delays of 15 to 20 minutes may continue, officials reported.

In addition, Camden Line trains may be affected, with increased congestion to the point that authorities said trains could possibly be at capacity.

Metro will honor Penn Line tickets, officials said.

Brunswick Line trains may experience minor departure delays due to congestion on the Penn Line and in Washington's Union Station.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it sent investigators to Bowie to look into the collision, which it described as "an accident involving Amtrak train #86 that struck and killed a track worker."

There were 251 passengers aboard the regional train, which travels from Richmond, Virginia, to Boston, Massachusetts, according to Fox 45, which reported nobody other than the worker was injured.

The crash Tuesday morning came a week after another person was hit on the tracks.

At 4 p.m. on April 17, an Amtrak Acela Express train struck and killed a person on the railroad tracks near the Anacostia River Bridge, between Washington and New Carrollton.

"When an incident like this occurs, the area — including tracks not occupied by the train involved in the incident — is treated as a crime scene and all rail traffic is stopped," the Maryland Transit Administration later reported.

After that incident, there were several hours of delays.

See transportation options from the Maryland Transit Administration.

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