Camden Line Commuters 2023

Submitted by Kafkaesque1453 t3_10tj22u in baltimore

I’m wondering how the recent Camden line commute is for folks who use it regularly. I see constant delays posted on MTA’s accounts, and there’s no Amtrak as a backup. Am I missing any positives? Are there any improvements made recently?

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No-Lunch4249 t1_j772v9u wrote

Not a rider of the Camden line, but the reason it suffers so many more delays than the Penn line is that Camden runs on CSX-owned tracks, and so is often impeded by slow freight trains and other forces outside of MTAs control. Penn line runs on Amtrak-owned rails and is much more reliable as a result.

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Kafkaesque1453 OP t1_j776hlr wrote

Indeed- As a Penn rider, I’m curious about the regular rider experience rather than the cause

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jyjelly87 t1_j7d4z1l wrote

It's not so much that the freight is slow its that CSX doesn't care about passenger trains because they don't make as much money

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FlimFlamMagoo728 t1_j78g0a6 wrote

I usually ride the Camden line a couple times per week and usually it is fine, there are occasional delays but typically in the 10-15 minute range

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STrRedWolf t1_j7748in wrote

Before we get too far, there needs to be some background here.

The MARC Camden Line runs on CSX tracks, not Amtrak tracks like the Penn Line. That means you're contending with freight train traffic... and many of the railroads want to run longer freight trains.

The line is double-track (YAY!) but has some areas of contention (from north to south, skipping some small track branches):

  • HB TOWER Interlocking (read: track switch) east of Raven's Stadium, which lets trains go through the Howard Street Tunnel, over to Locus Point, or down to DC.
  • BAILEY Interlocking, which lets trains go north, east, or south depending on direction of travel... and pick a track.
  • CARROL Interlocking, which lets trains go around and possibly connect to the ol' B&O Museum, head down to Curtis bay, or continue south through the Mount Winans train yard.
  • ST DENIS Interlocking, as we move down south, before the actual MARC station. This allows trains to hit the right track to go to Western Maryland via Elicott City, or continue south. The MARC stop requires some track protection.
  • Further south you have DORSEY and the MARC station just north of it.
  • You got JESSUP Interlocking and the MARC station north of it, which is a good spot to catch some track switching action (and not a good station to actually, you know, catch a train to DC from). It feeds into a major CSX yard for use in offloading cars. The other end of the yard has PA TOWER and FT MEADE JUNCTION Interlockings north of the Savage train station.
  • You got SAVAGE Interlocking south of that, which just lets trains switch tracks.
  • South you got two stations, the Laurel Racetrack (two doors wide) and Laurel itself. Further south, Muirkirk.
  • The next full track switch you got is AMMENDALE Interlocking. Gee, that's a lot of track to have a train on one side.
  • You got Greenbelt station, that lets MARC trains offload on "pocket" tracks... and get trapped with too long freight trains. College Park and Riverdale stations are after that.
  • Then you get to RIVERDALE PARK and JD interlockings, which lets trains go down further south through Virginia.
  • And finally, before you hit Union Station, you got F Tower, which lets trains ether switch to Amtrak trackage or curve back northwest to QN tower.

I think you can see why trains get delayed.

The only benefit here is that Dorsey and Savage are closest to Columbia, where a TON of people live. Dorsey's close to BWI (and it's pay-to-park station) and Savage is close to Odenton (and it's free-but-full station).

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Kafkaesque1453 OP t1_j776do5 wrote

Thanks for the detailed response, I know why the issues exist, but wondering about daily rider experience

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STrRedWolf t1_j777b5c wrote

Ahhh. I can only relate to my college-year experience going down to UMCP, when they opened Dorsey station 30-ish years ago. Most of the time, it was normal, boring, slightly crowded, with occasional delays.

For going to DC now, I'd just go to the Penn Line.

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TheCaptainDamnIt t1_j773gmm wrote

These kind of delays wouldn't happen if only The Wine Source didn't get more parking.

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STrRedWolf t1_j774lsq wrote

> The Wine Source

What does a store north of Camden Yards (and the end of the Camden line, let alone nowhere hear freight railroad tracks) have to do with a Baltimore-to-DC passenger line?

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Glittering_South_653 t1_j79jy1s wrote

It's been fine lately. I do the Camden to Union Station commute three times a week. I wish we had later train options and more than once an hour, but honestly, it's been more reliable the last few months than it has been in a while (been taking the Marc since Fall 2020). Best positive it that it's walking distance from home and if I miss the last Camden line I can still use my monthly pass on the Penn line but will either have to take a cab or ask my partner to pick me up.

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