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MARC can probably be electrified. It's easier than you think
MARC can probably be electrified. It’s easier than you think
TRANSIT OPINION By Michael Starnes April 29, 2025
{snip composite photo}
Historically, rail electrification has been highly capital intensive, but the newest generation of battery driven trains is changing that. While typically rail electrification has required massive investments to string up new wire over every inch of a route, this is no longer a given. Even with currently available technology, MARC could immediately provide electric service on the shorter lines.
With MARC’s shortest routes, this is even easier. Both the MARC Penn Line and Camden Line span about forty miles between Washington and Baltimore. While the Penn Line has existing Amtrak catenary wire, the Camden Line lacks any source of electric power. Unfortunately Amtrak’s rates make it allegedly disadvantageous for MARC to frequently use electricity (this figure is not shared publicly). Likewise, the Camden Line, lacking any railway electrification, would cost tens of millions of dollars to retrofit.
While Amtrak Northeast Regional and Acela service are perfectly interoperable with MARC for overhead electric power, the politics aren’t. Therefore, unable to easily purchase electric trains with constant power, MARC primarily runs diesel trains under live electrical wires. Worse, instead of being able to pool resources into the common infrastructure, this typically has made service slower, noisier, and worse for the environment.
This used to be much more difficult to change. However, today the increasing densities of batteries have made Battery Electric Multiple Units (BEMUs) a darling of capital-challenged transit agencies. For countries without a highly electrified train network, the flexibility of having access to batteries with reasonable range and connections to use overhead electricity where it exists is like magic. On short routes, they can run without any wired power at all. On long routes, they can invest in electrification. They also provide enough battery power to skip ever electrifying parts of a route that could be disproportionately expensive, like tunnels or bridges.
{snip}
TRANSIT OPINION By Michael Starnes April 29, 2025
{snip composite photo}
Historically, rail electrification has been highly capital intensive, but the newest generation of battery driven trains is changing that. While typically rail electrification has required massive investments to string up new wire over every inch of a route, this is no longer a given. Even with currently available technology, MARC could immediately provide electric service on the shorter lines.
With MARC’s shortest routes, this is even easier. Both the MARC Penn Line and Camden Line span about forty miles between Washington and Baltimore. While the Penn Line has existing Amtrak catenary wire, the Camden Line lacks any source of electric power. Unfortunately Amtrak’s rates make it allegedly disadvantageous for MARC to frequently use electricity (this figure is not shared publicly). Likewise, the Camden Line, lacking any railway electrification, would cost tens of millions of dollars to retrofit.
While Amtrak Northeast Regional and Acela service are perfectly interoperable with MARC for overhead electric power, the politics aren’t. Therefore, unable to easily purchase electric trains with constant power, MARC primarily runs diesel trains under live electrical wires. Worse, instead of being able to pool resources into the common infrastructure, this typically has made service slower, noisier, and worse for the environment.
This used to be much more difficult to change. However, today the increasing densities of batteries have made Battery Electric Multiple Units (BEMUs) a darling of capital-challenged transit agencies. For countries without a highly electrified train network, the flexibility of having access to batteries with reasonable range and connections to use overhead electricity where it exists is like magic. On short routes, they can run without any wired power at all. On long routes, they can invest in electrification. They also provide enough battery power to skip ever electrifying parts of a route that could be disproportionately expensive, like tunnels or bridges.
{snip}