In an effort to improve safety, increase reliability and provide passengers with a more comfortable ride, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) awarded a $36.8 million contract to Bombardier Transportation to overhaul 63 MARC III bi-level commuter railcars.

“MTA's MARC train plays a vital role in connecting people from all parts of Maryland to jobs in our nation's capital every weekday, and our popular weekend Penn Line service between Baltimore and Washington continues to grow," said MTA Administrator/CEO Paul Comfort. "MTA is committed to providing safe, efficient and reliable transit with world-class customer service. Overhauling our MARC III cars is a cost-effective way to improve the safety and reliability of our fleet so we can deliver on those goals to the thousands of commuters, businesses and tourists that depend on MARC Train service every day."

MARC operates along three commuter rail lines in Maryland: Penn, Camden and Brunswick. Average weekday ridership on all three MARC lines is roughly 37,500 riders. MARC also operates weekend trains on the Penn Line between Martin State Airport and Union Station transporting about 5,500 riders. The MARC III bi-level commuter railcars have been in service nearly 17 years.