Construction on the $64.2 million, 35,000-square-foot facility began in 2021. The MARC Riverside facility includes four maintenance slots for locomotives undergoing heavy maintenance and repair, which MTA says will free up the existing shop building to streamline preventative maintenance and federally required inspections.
“I’m excited for the impact this facility will have on our MARC Train service,” said MDOT MTA Administrator Holly Arnold. “With its specialized machinery, this building will enable MARC to improve service and operate more efficiently for decades to come.”
Maintenance staff will begin a testing and commission period for the facility’s wheel truing machine and drop table. That process must be completed for each type of MARC vehicle and will take several months. The building is designed to accommodate future rolling stock, allowing MTA to procure dual-mode or electric locomotives in the future to operate on the Penn Line.
The new maintenance facility also supports future projects for MARC Train, including the proposed Penn-Camden Connector, a commuter rail connection between the two rail lines. It is also an enabling project for the future Frederick Douglass Tunnel/B&P Tunnel Replacement project.
