As a MARC train pulled into Baltimore Penn Station ahead of last weekend’s Ravens-Vikings game, the conductor offered riders a little piece of trivia.
 
“This was the first Marc train to run on a Sunday,” he said.
 
MARC, the Baltimore-Washington region’s commuter rail system, has historically run only on workdays. But Sunday’s ride marked the beginning of new weekend service, which will feature six round-trip trains on the Penn Line each Saturday and Sunday. The hour-long route includes stops at Union Station, New Carrollton, Bowie, Odenton, BWI, Halethorpe, West Baltimore and Baltimore Penn Station.

It’s a big deal for budget-conscious Baltimore-to-D.C. travelers, who were once stuck buying Amtrak tickets ($16 to $74 per ticket, compared $7 for MARC), scoping out Greyhound options, or just staying home.
 
“Without it [MARC weekend service], people would either get to Baltimore on Amtrak, and they’d pay more,” says train master Anthony Mobley, who rode round-trip on Saturday and again on Sunday. “Or else, they’d be driving. And that’s a hassle and they’d pay more with what gas costs.”
 
Early numbers suggest the new service will be popular. Maryland Transit Administration head Robert Smith told the Washington Post that MARC expected at least 6,000 weekend passengers.
 
“A lot of people came for sight-seeing on Saturday,” Mobley says. “On Sunday, a lot of people on the train are going to the Ravens’ game or catching connecting flights.”

Elevation DC spoke to riders on the first weekend of service to see how the new trains are affecting the ways we get around. Here are the faces of MARC riders.



Kris Rath, Washington Union Station to Baltimore Penn Station
“I’m here to visit my brother. I was in Virginia for a wedding. I don’t know what I would have without MARC. I’d probably look into a bus or something like that. I’m just here for the day. I’ll probably just jump back on the MARC train tonight.”
 

"I’m a college freshman, it’s not like I have a car."

Parker McMillan, Washington Union Station to Baltimore Penn Station
“I’m from Fairfax, I’m going for a Ravens game. Without MARC, I probably would have taken Amtrak. I’m a college freshman, it’s not like I have a car.”   
Micker Ivory, Washington Union Station to Baltimore Penn Station
“I’m going to visit a friend. We’re gonna watch football and get dinner. I usually drive but I prefer the train. I get to sit back and relax.”
 
Karis Bilby, Washington Union Station to BWI
"I’m getting off at BWI. I come to D.C. once a month [from Kentucky] to visit my daughter.If I wasn’t on this train, I would have taken Amtrak. And I’d have paid more."


Edith Hirte, Baltimore Penn Station to Washington Union Station
“I was visiting a friend in Baltimore. It’s my first MARC trip. I missed my Amtrak train, that’s why I took this one. It’s the first weekend of service, I didn’t know. Of course I would choose the cheaper train.”
 

"I used to work two jobs in D.C., so I worked six days a week."

E. Torry, Baltimore Penn Station to Washington Union Station
“I’m going to Arlington for a baby shower. I probably would have taken the Greyhound to D.C. otherwise. It’s great, the MARC weekend service. I used to work two jobs in D.C., so I worked six days a week. I’d have to catch the Amtrak, and it wasn’t always convenient. It’s expensive. I couldn’t use my monthly card. This is a really quick ride. It’s perfect.
 
Ryan Lupton and Genevieve Lupton, BWI to Washington Union Station
GL: “We live in D.C. Without MARC, we’d have someone pick us up, or Amtrak, or a taxi, I guess.”
RL: “My parents live in Atlanta, my family uses MARC a lot. Having the train makes it possible for them to fly in BWI. Without it, they’d probably choose a different option, since Reagan and Dulles are closer.”
 
Shelby Priddy, BWI to Washington Union Station
“We’re going to visit the Smithsonian. We’re staying in Laurel and we wanted to get into the city. I think Odenton is actually closer, but we were just like, ‘I know there’s a train out of BWI, we’ll just go there.”