Copyright 2000 The Washington Post
The Washington
Post
April 18, 2000, Tuesday, Final Edition
SECTION: METRO; Pg. B04
LENGTH: 187 words
HEADLINE:
Md. Officials to Hold Hearings On MARC Trains' Performance
BODY:
Top Maryland transportation officials
plan to hold three public meetings over the next week to discuss the mounting
frustration of MARC rail commuters with train service that on
average runs behind schedule nearly one-fifth of the time and that
Transportation Secretary John Porcari has called "unacceptable."
The
hearings, which start at 7:30 tonight in the Jefferson Ruritan Center in
Jefferson, in Frederick County, come after a year of declining performance
caused, at least partly, by increasing freight traffic on the
railroad tracks owned by CSX Corp. The state and CSX are now in negotiations
over a new contract for rail operations. While CSX initially had urged that the
hearings be delayed until after the negotiations were finished, spokesman Robert
L. Gould said yesterday that at least one company official would participate in
the sessions and try to address concerns raised by riders.
In addition
to the hearing tonight, sessions are scheduled for 11 a.m. tomorrow at Martin
Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in the District and at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the
Quality Inn and Suites in Laurel.
LOAD-DATE: April 18,
2000 
