Hunt Valley's Recent Light Rail Delays

The only thing worse than waiting for a late train is waiting for a late train in blistering, 100-degree heat.

We had plenty of both in July—high temperatures and late trains.

The extradordinarily hot weather has taxed the light rail, requiring additional maintenance, a spokesman for the Maryland Transit Administration said.

Any day over 90 degrees is called a “heat day,” according to John Wesley, a public information officer with the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA).

“We've had close to 15 days where the days have been close to 100 [degrees], and the heat index has been even higher,” Wesley said.

The Hunt Valley light rail stop has experienced its share of delays. Most recently, on July 29, there were “minor service delays” announced by the MTA Alerts email system.

The day before, July 28, “service delays” were announced, along with 10 canceled trips, five of which involved light rail stops in Hunt Valley and Timonium.

Two days prior, on July 26, “minor delays” from Hunt Valley were announced.

Between July 21 and 23 there were several 20-minute service delays announced, and a 40-minute service delay when train movement was suspended because of “a loss of BGE power north of Timonium Station,” according to the email alert. MTA shuttle buses were deployed to alleviate the delays.

Obviously, these delays, whether they're because of “heat days” or not, can affect a rider's commute.

Wesley said in a statement:

"We have experienced an increased number of service delays due to the unusual heat wave covering our region this summer... The extreme heat has necessitated additional servicing of our Light Rail cars. The air conditioning units on 19 of our 106 Light Rail cars have required maintenance recently due to continuous use to offset the weather conditions. We continue to repair and return those cars to service as quickly as possible. We also have the usual staffing issues that come with summer vacation schedules, training, and other un-avoidable factors such as workman’s comp, and medical leave.

"While we have seen an increase in the number of delays on Light Rail the On Time Performance overall continues to be above 95 percent."

Dominique Morgan, of Baltimore, has no problem in the mornings, hopping on the light rail at West Coldspring Lane to get to her job at Wegman's in Hunt Valley.

“Where I catch it, it's been on time,” Morgan said. “I take it pretty much every day.”

But getting home is a different story. Waiting at the Hunt Valley light rail station after her shift, around 3 p.m., can be a lengthy process.

“When I go home, there's usually a delay when I go home. Like 15, 20 minutes,” Morgan said.