I'm not sure why there are two yelp entries for the marc train but I thought I would just add my review to the one with more reviews. I take the marc every day to school and it really beats driving to DC and suffering through traffic on the beltway. It runs every hour and it's usually on time. I've had a few horror story situations like one time where a power line fell and I was on the train for 4 hours and my computer died and another time where I was bringing Shake Shack back from DC to my boyfriend for lunch and then there was some police incident and I was trapped in between West Baltimore and Penn Station for 30 minutes and then my boyfriend had to go to work before he could have his burger. They have a policy of not letting you out so you can walk or get a ride... In the winter, I recommend taking the train earlier than the one you think you'll need. The trains get delayed and the snow really messes everything up. They usually have trains that make extra stops during snow days, which is good. Also, now they have weekend service, which is awesome! It's not as frequent but it'll still get you to DC. The train conductors I've encountered have all been really courteous and friendly. They also don't put up with nonsense and I've seen them kick people off the train for not having tickets and they see right through all the crazy stories people tell about why they suddenly realized they don't have a ticket. One time, a man across the aisle from me was so drunk (I guess it was Friday and he was just so happy for his weekend?) that he couldn't even sit up. The train conductor made sure that the man wasn't driving home and forced him to call his wife to come give him a ride. It makes me feel safer that the conductors are looking out! read more

It's not the building itself it's Amtrak service, the trains are small cramped and they pack passengers on two trains and businesses and first class is practically empty also if you buy a ticket and you get sick or something happens Amtrak will not give you any of your money back that's not fair if they are going to do that they should take a small percentage. The trains and bathrooms are dirty it smells this the worst service ever and I will never never get on Amtrak again!!! The only reason I gave and tried a star because it will not let you post anything unless you give them a star they do not deserve a quarter of a star read more

The MARC - This is the bathroom and the coach car. This is not right. The tickets are high as hell the service you're getting it's not right people we - Public Transportation Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

The MARC used to be awesome, the past 6 months it has been completely unreliable. Trains are randomly cancelled minutes before you're supposed to board, constantly having delays. At this point, the number of times the train has been stopped for some technical reason while we're trapped inside is in the double digits. All of this happening right after Union Station removed 70% of its seating so now you're trapped for the hour or more with nowhere to hang out. Not sure what's going on that it's gotten this bad, but its become impossible to plan your commute. read more

I only use the MARC for getting to BWI, and only on Friday afternoons (since it doesn't run on weekends, so hope you get one of the $17 AMTRAKS home, or just take the Bus to the Metro). It's a little hectic getting on, but if you've got a suitcase you can throw you weight around a little. Good luck once you get on though. There's no where to stash your bag and good luck if you get a disgruntled commuter who wants the seat next to you. I almost got into a fist fight with a guy who kept saying "it's a commuter train, not a an airport shuttle" and insisted I somehow make my entire suitcase and carry-on and my girlfriends suddenly "disappear". Good think I'm 25 and he's 40 and I look like I'm in good shape, but seriously, the people on this train can be rude, pushy and annoying (but the MARC itself is a phenominal service, so you just suck it up and thank god you're not on the bus from the Green Line station) read more

LOUD conversation of 3 young "professionals" already invading my personal space aboard the MARC this morning: Dude #1: Hey man, you still going to that salon? Dude #2: Yeah man, every week. Chica: You know, you should really do the spray tan instead. Dude #1: Ah no, that stuff is too orange. Dude #2: Naw, actually it's really great, they've really improved it. *fast forward 30 seconds* Dude #2: Yeah I met him, he was so feminine. You know, that type of guy that just acts overtly gay. ugh, makes me sick. Chica: Yeah, I totally believe that you can choose to be gay or not. Dude #1: Oh absolutely, it's like they all just do it for the attention. Me: Umm, excuse me, is this train going to DC? Dude #2: Uhh, yes. Me: Ok, good. By the sound of your conversation I thought we were headed for some podunk town filled with bigots and ignorant morans like yourselves. True story!* Minus 2 stars for the cretinous douchebags I had to sit next to. Plus 2 stars for getting me out of Baltimore quickly and cheaply. *Except for my last comment. I may or may not have made that up. Truth is... I'm scared of republicans. read more

regardless of essential personnel during COVID 19, I would never take this train. A habit of people sneezing in this train continuously, is evidently this specific crow does not care about the rest of us and families. This service should be reduce or cut. I would never risk the safety of my family or myself just because someone has a bad habit.. read more

Considering that this is my primary way to get to work, I sort of have to say that it's "okay", really. It has its ups and downs, which I'll point out here: - If you're a regular rider, the conductors come to know you and they'll often say good morning, how are you, etc. They'll strike up a conversation when they have time. Some of them come to be really part of a commuter's day; we recently lost a conductor on the Camden Line last year to a heart attack and to this day, we all miss him. - You can have breakfast, drink your coffee, read, sleep, etc., all in relative leisure. No traffic to fight, no bleary-eyed commute, no school buses to dodge. That's always a plus. - They enforce the "quiet car" rules on this system. If you get on the quiet car with a cell phone or talking loudly or doing something similar to disturb people - trust me, they'll admonish you even before the conductors will. They are SERIOUS about their quiet time. This is a HUGE plus. - The later the train, the more crowded it's going to be. Overcrowding used to be MUCH worse before they adjusted the schedules, but it's still kind of a problem. Afternoon crowds are worse than the morning. On Penn, the "big" stations are Odenton, Halethorpe and Baltimore Penn. That's where most people seem to get on and off. On Camden, it's Laurel and Dorsey. - When the MARC runs smoothly, it does very well. It runs pretty much on time, and be warned: the conductors will NOT wait for you if you're late, even if they "know" you. They have a schedule to keep and they WILL follow it. Most regular riders know this. - When ONE train breaks down or has a problem, the entire system is thrown off kilter. Trains will run 20, 30, 45 minutes late. Not good, considering that a lot of people depend on this system to get to work on time. Amtrak problems will also slow things down. Camden is particularly bad because they run on a CSX line and they're subject to the freight trains' whims. Weather is also a problem on this line - Penn does much better as far as this is concerned. - Fares are cheap if you only ride it every now and then. For the regular commuter, it's about on par with the rest of the country's transit (might be a bit cheaper, though they're trying to push higher fares soon, sigh). - No weekend service, which is a disappointment. However, for monthly commuters, Amtrak WILL accept your monthly pass and allow you to ride down to D.C. or BWI, depending on what your pass rules are. I found this out last weekend when I had to work on a Saturday; this is actually a nice perk. The MTA claims that there are no funds available to establish weekend service right now - I actually believe that to be true, as they're struggling to keep afloat. Hopefully the economic picture will improve and they can consider that again. UPDATE: The MARC now runs on Saturday AND Sunday starting December 7, 2013. Huzzah! Also - Amtrak no longer takes MARC passes for any reason. - Those BWI people, haha. No, sorry, this is a commuter service for people that work in Baltimore/DC and live in the opposite city. The service goes to BWI mainly to serve the people that live in the Glen Burnie/Severn area - it's NOT a "cheap airport shuttle", as was sarcastically mentioned in another review. The seats are not there to store people's suitcases or bags, and if a "disgruntled commuter" asks you to move them, you should do so. Unless your suitcases paid for the seat, you're required to vacate it. Simple as that. There is no storage for suitcases or large bags; sorry to inconvenience, but that's not what the MARC is made for. - Unfortunately, others also ride these trains. This means that you may be subjected to overwhelming (and stinking) amounts of bad cologne/perfume or body odor. (The summertime is a HUGE problem concerning this: some really foul-smelling folks seem to ride the MARC between June and September.) Just sayin'. As I stated, there's positives and negatives. As someone who rides MARC 5 days a week, these are just some of my observations. YMMV. read more

A train that gets you from downtown DC nonstop to within a mile of BWI in ~25 minutes and costs only $6? Deal! While not as comfortable and pretty as our Coaster, it was hitting 120mph. read more

Great, quick train to DC and other surrounding areas. Only $7 each way, easy to purchase, and easy to navigate.

People have written very helpful guides to the MARC, so I'm not going to try to make a complete set of instructions here. What I try to preach to people who use transit in the Baltimore Washington area is to think of everything around here as if it is connected. Get to know the regional transit systems as a whole, and it will unlock a world of potential on a scale you previously hadn't considered. (RailBandit iPhone app is amazing for this big picture). The MARC is clean, on time, usually not OVER crowded, and you can eat, drink, and be merry while you ride. Conductors are respectful of your personal riding habits, as long as you have your pass visible, you can sleep, work, or have happy hour. MARC completes the system. It may not be perfect, but it's the best commuter train out there. And it connects the best of DC to the best of Baltimore, to the best of the region. read more

Love the MARC train but they need to add weekend service immediately! My girlfriend and I live in DC and recently just rallied up to Baltimore for the day. I highly recommend catching the MARC in New Carrollton and not at Union Station downtown. The trip north is a couple bucks cheaper, 15 minutes faster, and Union Station sucks to navigate through, even at 6am. We got off the Metro in new Carrollton and we walked right onto the MARC train after buying our tickets. Only a couple stops on this MARC train and we were pulling into Penn Station in Baltimore. It is only $6 each way, you can not beat the price. I hear it is unreliable but I put that more on the people who ride it. My experience has always been that they run right on time but I am not a regular commuter. The service is so good I actually contemplated living in Baltimore and commuting to DC every day, too bad I work Saturdays. The train is by no means luxurious but from DC to Baltimore you barely have time to notice. I'm thinking of rallying the Camden line for opening day of the Orioles and pulling right into Camden. read more

MARC is wonderful, no matter how you slice it, for saving us schmoes who commute to DC in an attempt to make real money the gas and aggravation of (2)95. There are trains leaving Union Station for Baltimore almost every hour, AND the City Paper says we are cool. If you ride Camden, and you've never tried Penn, try it for a smooth, upscale experience. But I'm sure you've had to try Penn already, because they'll stop running the Camden if someone spits on the rails. read more

It's a'ight. It's still reasonably cheap. It's better than driving between BWI and DC. Try not to ride it at rush hours or you'll end up standing in the aisles while listening to inane conversations by commuters with big mouths who think it's the social hour. Also, be forewarned that it gets delayed every time (a) precipitation falls, (b) the temperature exceeds 85 degrees or drops below 20 degrees, (c) the Amtrak trains break down/ get delayed or (d) sometimes for no good reason at all. If you catch it at the airport during tourist season, be prepared for approximately 1587 tourists a day asking you stuff like "Is this the MARC?" (it has MARC on the side of the train cars in 3-foot-tall letters, as opposed to the Amtrak which says AMTRAK on it), "Does this train go to Washington, DC?" (yes that's where it dead ends so you can't miss it) and other inanities. Fun Fact: The last train out of DC at night (which I believe is leaving at 10:40 pm on the Penn line these days - they keep jacking the schedules around) is always kinda empty and "party central" for more than a few folks who ride it. You can drink alcohol on there, if you're discreet, and some people do, regularly. read more

Y'know, it kind of worked out great that we had crummy weather on Friday. Robin W. and I were going to go to the Hagerstown Sun's game, but decided instead to head up to Baltimore. Robin HATES driving I-95 and the Balto-Wash Parkway! The weekday schedule between Washington and Baltimore is very convenient and you can go out on one line (the Penn) and return on the other (the Camden) as we did. It's cheap too--$7.00 each way, so you've already saved on parking costs. But why-o-why doesn't the MARC run on weekends? I'll bet a lot of folks would love to ride the train between the two on weekends. I could just picture my railfan husband chiding me. "You rode the MARC train and you DIDN'T take pictures, Susan?" read more

Every city has a transportation system that seems to annoy the residents but dazzle the outsider. MARC would be that system... If you had to take the MARC everyday, you would be upset that it's not as on time as it should be, understandably, because your boss hates to hear that you were late because of public transportation. However, for the individual who is playing hooky from work or works for themselves and needs to get away, MARC is as good as it gets. Purchase your favorite breakfast, favorite beverage and favorite magazine and go. Eat. Read. Relax. It's like a moving heaven. MARC played a major role in my decision to move from DC to Baltimore...$10 never traveled so well. The only sucky thing is that MARC doesn't run on the weekend, but then it keeps the secret, so maybe that's not so bad... read more

I've recently just started taking the MARC and I didn't understand anything. The employees were so helpful with getting to my location and a MTA pass. Also the patrons were very helpful with aiding me to the right locations. I don't know maybe it was just a lucky day but I enjoy the MARC away more than I enjoy the bus. read more

I recently took the MARC for the first time and was pleasantly surprised! For the reasonable fare charged, I didn't expect it to be comparable to the MetroNorth trains. But they are! The seats and cars are very nice and kept clean. Most of the conductors were helpful, which I found to be true on the main Baltimore to DC line and on one of the smaller lines. My only issues were that: 1) They weren't as super adherent to timeliness as I like. My first train was about 11 minutes late pulling out, didn't make up the time, and caused me to barely catch my connection. But, to be fair, this may have been a holiday hiccup. 2) They don't offer weekend service! That is no holiday hiccup! I find that pretty unacceptable. But hopefully this will eventually change. But, overall, I was quite happy with my experience and will choose MARC in the future! read more

my only 2 complaints are this: 1. MARC has no weekend service. I guess no one wants to visit DC or Baltimore for fun (ie when they don't have to work) 2. you can't bring regular sized bikes onboard (ok, maybe living in california spoiled me, but you can take your bikes on the commuter trains in nyc even!) what's good: 1. central stop locations in baltimore w/ pretty good connections 2. clean, fast, quiet read more

Does the thought of your work commute plunge you into a deep, dark depression? Do find your blood pressure rising dangerously high as you try to navigate bumper to bumper traffic? You ever wish you could get a few more winks of sleep and still get to work on time? Do you desire a green way to get to work but are too chicken to ride a bicycle in rush hour traffic? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you need to ride the MARC commuter train!* Train perks include riding to work in an upholstered arm chair, no distracted driving, leisurely gazing out the window, no bumper to bumper traffic, closing your eyes, no aggressive drivers cutting you off, and my favorite perk, reading a book. There are down sides: It is absolutely necessary to plan ahead of time to ensure you get to work and home on time. Tickets can be expensive. It is a breeding ground for the common cold. The train can be crowded, and people can be very loud. (No, I do not want to hear about your obsession with Patti LaBelle, your karaoke exploits or your favorite team) Try it for a week. You might like it.* * not approved for those with uncomfortable shoes, wide loads or children under 10. read more

Tough to love. You want to depend on it and need it, and it can get you there. However, service is not dependable. First train can be cancelled twice in a single week. Frequent delays due to freight which appears to take priority. Maintenance problems and delays due to faulty switching equipment. You will scramble to get out and to the train early for a special event only to find it cancelled. So if you have to be there by 8 plan for an earlier train. Then there are the passengers talking loudly to each other or on their phone. So you go to the quiet car right, wrong: half the time they dont set it up, then the conductors walk through it with their radios turned all the way up so you get to listen to the mile markers tick off. Then they allow people to sit in the front and rear galley areas of the quiet car and talk so the seats within a few rows of each are anything but quiet. And nobody is held accountable for talking anyway. The first stop is always three minutes late even when the train leaves on time, every day. Why dont they change the schedule, who knows. Trains can arrive on one side of the twin tracks or the other forcing you in some areas to scramble over an overpass at the last minute to get on, instead of merely stopping earlier so you can cross in front of the train. In short they try half heartedly but a culture of mediocrity prevails. Could be great. Is not. read more

The MARC - Inside - Public Transportation Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Used it a few times, last to get my car from the detailing shop in Kensington, and the time before to go to the Ravens Super Bowl Rally and with the latter I had to wait an hour more, but it beat those long lines at the Light Rail. Still remember when Camden Yards opened they the "MARC to the Park" but the freight company shot that down. Since then, I just drive to North Linthcum stationand take the Light Rail which takes the Metro Smarttrip as payment. read more

After commuting to Washington from Baltimore for 18 months (notice, I'm actually couting months!), I would not wish the unreliability of the MARC train service on anyone's morning and evening routine. Granted, Amtrak is only marginally--if at all--more reliable, and the MARC train is definitely a lot better than sitting in Balti-Wash corridor's never-ending traffic. However, one's vehicular congestion issues are unresolved via this form of public transit--instead, they are converted into the inconveniences of the almost daily train delays and clockwork breakdowns. Curiously, these happen on at least a weekly basis--it's either raining (visibility?), snowing (slippery when iced!), or too hot (I'm serious--the rails get kinks so trains have to slow down). Then there is fate's options of engine malfunction, lateness (or is it temporary loss?) of crew, or insufficient equipment causing problems. With countries like Switzerland and Germany perfecting train transit to a T, why can't most US transit systems work out the issues with their systems? Alright, if you must commute by the MARC train, consider implementing some of the following survivor's guide tips: --Subscribe your phone and/or e-mail service to MARC train alerts (http://www.mtamaryland.com/resources/enewsservice/). Believe me, this delay-reporting system is invaluable and key to mitigating some of the frustrations associated with regular problems encountered by this service. If there is inclement wheather, it's good to find out of cancellations before you rush, panting, into the train station. --Get your voice heard: join the MARC Riders Advisory Council (http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/marc/serviceInformation/MARC_Riders_Advisory%20Council.cfm ) or follow along regarding developments and attempts at improvements online. --Bring a book, magazine, water, food, and a blanket. Really, you just don't know what might happen or how long the detour could be. --Lastly, develop a casual friendship with your co-riders as life gets a little better from commiseration with a stranger. If you're lucky, you just might make a few lasting contacts. Good luck!!!! read more

$7 to DC (or stop at BWI on the way) on weekdays. 10 stars. To be reasonable, 5 stars. Doesn't run very late. -1 star. A plus: your ticket is valid for a while. If you miss your train, you can take the next, or take one a month from now. read more

Rode the bike car today. Penn line. It's truly amazing for a cyclist! The conductor took us to the bicycle car and gave us personalized service. As a matter of fact, there was a gentleman that worked in Union Station, took us to where we had to buy our tickets. Just the really nice experience. read more

this blows. only works m-f overpriced and never on time!

The Marc train now runs on the weekend and it's awesome! It's comfortable and overall it's on time. Thank you MTA for running the trains on the weekend!! read more