Politics & Government

Earthquake Slowed Elkridge Commuters

MARC service was disrupted Tuesday and delays may continue Wednesday.

Alexandria Davis of Hanover said she thought the rattling from Tuesday’s earthquake came from the construction site next door. “My building was shaking and cracking,” she said of her office on Georgia Avenue in Washington, D.C.

At the  in Elkridge Tuesday evening, she wasn't clear whether she’d be returning on Wednesday; her employer had to verify the building’s safety after the . 

Davis wasn’t the only one whose Wednesday work schedule was questionable.

Find out what's happening in Elkridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

CSX alerted the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) that conductors and engineers could be in short supply on Wednesday because of federal mandates that they take breaks between shifts.

When trains were running at reduced speeds after the earthquake, it not only doubled travelers’ transit times—it also increased the hours that conductors and engineers were on the rails. As a result, CSX told the MTA, there might be reduced service.

Find out what's happening in Elkridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

On Wednesday, the MTA said there would be "full service" for MARC lines but there could be 10- to 20-minute delays to ensure staff had the requisite rest time between shifts.

John Hovatter, director of MARC train service, said in a follow-up statement to passengers that it took all night for CSX and the MTA to find rested crews, and the Brunswick line was delayed because it lacked the necessary staff.

In addition, the MTA advised that MARC patrons on the Camden line may experience delays Aug. 22 to Sept. 1. from congestion due to work on the freight tracks.

The delays, which MTA said would be "minor," will likely not compare to the Aug. 23 commute.

“It took an hour and 40 minutes to get from D.C. to here,” said Alaina Jenkins, who works for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and was leaving  at approximately 7 p.m. She said her office was released for the day at 4 p.m.

Hovatter said that train speeds were reduced to 15 mph to allow engineers to make "safety-based decisions" during a volatile period.

"There were numerous after-shocks and the potential for further damage," said Hovatter, adding, "many messages took hours to get out" about safety conditions on the tracks because of Internet congestion.

After more than two hours on the train, John Mech was waiting inside the Elkridge terminal when Patch caught up with him on Aug. 23. He said the ride normally took about 45 minutes and "emergency restrictions" caused the slower speed after the earth-shaking event.

"It wasn’t like anything else I’ve ever felt before,” said Mech, who lives in Ellicott City. There was no doubt in his mind, he said, that what shook the Library of Congress, where he works, was an earthquake. Said Mech: “What else could it be?”


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