Maryland Congressional Delegation Lauds $9M Federal Grant to Implement Positive Train Control on MARC Trains

WASHINGTON– Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), along with Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07), C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02), John Sarbanes (MD-03), John K. Delaney (MD-06), Andy Harris (MD-01) Anthony G. Brown (MD-04), and Jamie Raskin (MD-08) issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Transportation announced a $9 million grant award to the Maryland Transportation Administration (MTA) to install Positive Train Control (PTC) technology—a crash-avoidance rail-safety system that can automatically prevent collisions—along the MARC Train Penn Line, which connects Baltimore and Washington, DC:

"Every day, thousands of Marylanders use the MARC trains to commute to work.  This grant is a critical investment in Maryland's infrastructure, which will allow the state to implement life-saving Positive Train Control technology on the MARC's Penn Line and keep Marylanders safe."

The PTC system will cover a total distance of 77 miles from the Perryville, MD MARC Station to Union Station in Washington, DC.