New MARC Train Service Will Connect Montgomery County, Baltimore

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Commuters in Montgomery County will soon have a new way to get to Baltimore without having to make a train transfer.

Starting Sept. 28, MARC Train will launch a new weekday service that directly connects multiple communities in Montgomery County with Baltimore.

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The new service will provide a ride between Brunswick, Point of Rocks, Barnesville, Germantown, Metropolitan Grove, Gaithersburg, Rockville, Kensington, Silver Spring, College Park, Laurel and Baltimore.

One train will travel toward Baltimore in the morning, with another returning in the evening. The change is expected to significantly cut travel times for some commuters.

Officials say a trip from Silver Spring to Baltimore's Camden Station will drop from 118 minutes to 57 minutes. Similarly, a ride between Germantown and College Park will fall from 90 minutes to 46 minutes.

Travel between Gaithersburg and Camden Station will take about 78 minutes, an hour less than current times.

The new travel option is part of an initiative by the Maryland Transit Administration to deliver on the Moore-Miller administration's effort to improve public transportation in the state.

"Baltimore and Montgomery County are home to millions of residents as well as major employers, educational institutions and medical centers," MTA Administrator Tony Bridges said in a statement.

"Providing a direct link between these communities will help build a stronger and more sustainable Maryland."

The new connections are being created by adjusting existing MARC service, a move allowing the MTA to avoid additional operating costs.

The MTA said the changes will also make rail travel times more competitive with drive times between the same destinations.

As the new service will require schedule changes to Brunswick and Camden Line trains, travelers are encouraged to review the updated MARC timetables before the new service takes effect.