Fixes to MARC service to cost state $369 million

Transit administrator had apologized for poor on-time record; most improvements won’t be done until 2012

In June, trains on the Camden and Brunswick lines were on time just 63 percent of the time and on the Penn line 81 percent of the time. By comparison, in 2007, the Penn line trains were on time 89 percent of the time, the Camden trains 91 percent and the Brunswick 89 percent.

The delays come as ridership is reaching all-time highs thanks to high gas prices.

Many improvements were in the planning stage before the recent problems, said MARC spokeswoman Jawauna ‘‘Jo” Greene.

As part of a plan to handle increased ridership expected from the military base realignments in the state, the state approved more than $369 million on projects including coach overhauls, new locomotives and increased track capacity. Most of the improvements are not expected to be completed until 2012.

Those projects would improve existing service. The plan also includes ambitious, long-term goals of increasing passenger service, adding stations and expanding track lines to expand daily capacity from 27,000 riders today to 103,000 by 2035 at a cost of $3.9 billion.

MARC officials faulted recent delays on high temperatures that put additional stress on equipment and tracks, a severe storm that cut power to the track signals and knocked down trees along the Brunswick line, an overturned fuel tanker truck on Interstate 95 in Baltimore that closed the Camden line, and an aging fleet of diesel locomotives.

Amtrak operates the trains for MARC on the Penn line; CSX operates the Brunswick and Camden lines.

‘‘We’re working very closely with MARC,” CSX spokesman Robert T. Sullivan said. ‘‘Some of the delays were from track work that was necessary and that could affect train service, not just commuter service, but also freight service. It’s like highway construction. It’s something you have to do or you pay the price for it, and you don’t want to compromise safety.”

Making the trains run on time is a priority, he said.

‘‘It’s really in everybody’s interest, including ours, to have the trains running on time,” Sullivan said.

Amtrak officials did not return calls.

With most of the locomotives nearly 40 years old, the fleet has become unreliable, Greene said.

Four electric locomotives are nearing completion and the first should be back in service by August.

In addition, MARC has 26 new diesel locomotives on order, the first of which should be in operation early next year, Greene said. ‘‘Locomotives are not like cars,” she said. ‘‘They don’t just roll off the assembly line.”

MARC has already heard back from several riders about Wiedefeld’s apology.

‘‘On the one hand, they were appreciative of what the problems were, but knowing why and knowing we have a projected timeframe doesn’t help them in the short run of trying to pick their kids up and trying to get to meetings on time,” Greene said.

Some problems such as the weather and the increased freight congestion on the tracks are outside MARC’s control, she said. High fuel costs have resulted in more freight shipped by rail instead of by truck.

Pete Rynberk, 45, a lawyer who takes the Brunswick line in to work daily from his Martinsburg, W.Va., home to his Washington office, said MARC is making too many excuses.

‘‘They need to solve this,” Rynberk said. ‘‘It’s ridiculous. For those who buy monthly passes, if they’re going to be so late, where are the refunds?

‘‘We’re sort of a trapped group. It’s the cheapest way downtown, but these delays make you late for meetings and home at night.”