Brunswick Line
| Company type | Commuter rail service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | Baltimore and Ohio Railroad |
| Founded | 1974 |
Area served | Washington, D.C., Maryland, West Virginia |
| Products | Commuter rail transportation |
| Owner | Maryland Transit Administration |
| Parent | MARC Train |
The Brunswick Line is a MARC commuter rail service linking Washington, D.C. with Martinsburg, West Virginia, including a spur to Frederick, Maryland. It serves the northern and western suburbs of Washington and ranks as MARC's second longest route, spanning 74 miles. The line operates on tracks owned by CSX, such as the Metropolitan, Old Main Line, and Cumberland subdivisions, with operations managed under contract by Alstom. This service continues the commuter rail tradition originally established by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) in the mid-1800s.
History
Commuter trains between Washington and Martinsburg were initially run by the B&O and persisted after the launch of Amtrak on May 1, 1971. Maryland began subsidizing these services in 1974 and assumed full responsibility for funding and equipment upgrades in 1975. Shortly thereafter, West Virginia committed to maintaining service at its stations.
In response to a federal directive requiring Conrail to cease commuter rail operations in 1983, Maryland took over its commuter rail lines under the "MARC" (Maryland Area Rail Commuter) program. The Brunswick Line continued to be operated by CSX Transportation, the B&O's successor, under contract. Service expansion occurred in 1986 when Amtrak transferred its Washington–Martinsburg Blue Ridge route to MARC, providing subsidies for five years.
Following CSX's announcement in May 2010 that it would end its commuter rail operations, MARC sought a new operator for both the Brunswick and Camden Lines. Canadian company Bombardier Transportation’s U.S. subsidiary, Bombardier Transportation Services USA Corporation (BTS), was chosen and assumed operational and maintenance duties on June 29, 2013. CSX continues to manage dispatching responsibilities for these lines.
Rolling stock
Trains on the Brunswick Line generally comprise four to six passenger cars—either single-level or bilevel—alongside one or two diesel locomotives, running in a push-pull setup with the cab car typically oriented toward Washington. Historically, MARC exclusively deployed ex-Metra Pullman Gallery cars on this line, which was unique among MARC routes for having all low-level platforms (except for the Frederick Branch, which features a high-level platform at Monocacy station). These older cars have since been replaced by modern Bombardier Multilevel II coaches.
Service
The Brunswick Line operates exclusively on weekdays, providing nine trains in each direction during peak morning and evening periods, plus an extra outbound train from Union Station on Fridays. The Frederick branch is served by three trains each way; among other trains, three inbound and three outbound trips reach Martinsburg, while the remainder begin or end at Brunswick. To accommodate passengers during times when trains do not serve the Frederick Branch directly, a connecting bus runs between Frederick and Point of Rocks.
Union Station is also a stop for Amtrak's Floridian service, which covers much of the same route as the Brunswick Line; stations at Martinsburg, Harpers Ferry, and Rockville are also shared stops with this Amtrak route. Transfers to the Washington Metro's Red Line are accessible at Rockville, Silver Spring, and Union Station stations.
Stations
The Brunswick Line operates through numerous stations located in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and West Virginia. It is important to note that not every train halts at all these stops.
| State | City/Town | Station | Connections |
|---|---|---|---|
| DC | Washington | Template:Marc | Amtrak services: Acela, Cardinal, Floridian, Carolinian, Crescent, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Vermonter; Amtrak Thruway Bus to Charlottesville Washington Metro: Red Line Virginia Railway Express: Manassas, Fredericksburg routes MARC lines: Camden, Penn Metrobus, Loudoun County Transit, OmniRide, MTA Commuter Bus |
| MD | Silver Spring | Template:Marc | Washington Metro: Red Line Flash BRT: Blue and Orange Lines Metrobus, Ride On, MTA Commuter Bus |
| Kensington | Template:Marc | Ride On Bus service | |
| Garrett Park | Template:Marc | Ride On Bus service | |
| Rockville | Template:Marc | Amtrak Floridian Washington Metro: Red Line Metrobus, Ride On transit | |
| Washington Grove | Template:Marc | Ride On Bus service | |
| Gaithersburg | Template:Marc | Ride On Bus service | |
| Template:Marc | Ride On Bus service | ||
| Germantown | Template:Marc | Ride On Bus service | |
| Boyds | Template:Marc | ||
| Barnesville | Template:Marc | ||
| Dickerson | Template:Marc | ||
| Frederick Branch: | |||
| Frederick | Template:Marc | TransIT and MTA Commuter Bus connections | |
| Template:Marc | TransIT and MTA Commuter Bus connections | ||
| Brunswick Line: | |||
| Point of Rocks | Template:Marc | TransIT Bus Route 1 | |
| Brunswick | Template:Marc | ||
| WV | Harpers Ferry | Template:Marc | Amtrak Floridian service |
| Duffields | Template:Marc | ||
| Martinsburg | Template:Marc | Amtrak Floridian service | |