{"id":31930,"date":"2025-10-15T21:14:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T01:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yurasko.net\/wfy\/?p=31930"},"modified":"2025-10-15T21:14:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T01:14:00","slug":"taking-a-bicycle-on-marc-trains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2025\/10\/taking-a-bicycle-on-marc-trains\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking a bicycle on MARC trains"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The completion of the WB&A bike trail and a successful Tour de VRE combined to give me an idea for a little bicycling adventure<\/strong><\/a> – taking commuter rail to explore the trail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On an October Friday afternoon, I took a half-day from work and headed over from Barracks Row to Union Station to catch a MARC to Odenton. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Oh,<\/a>
Oh, hi MARC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Link: MARC Penn Line schedule<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Complications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Did you know that if a MARC doesn’t have a standing rack on it, customers need to have two bungie cords to secure their bike? Ask me how I found out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, I was kicked off the 424<\/strong> leaving at 2:15 p.m. Maybe the 424 had other cars with standing racks, but the conductor didn’t share that information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My solution was to bike over Frager’s Hardware, by a couple of bungie cords and then head back to Union Station. I arrived in time for the 426<\/strong> at 3 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The train I was on this time had a standing rack, so the bungie cords weren’t even needed. Of course, I had to get on first and Union Station is not a high level platform. I have some experience getting onto trains that way.1<\/a><\/sup>2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Payment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are three options for buying a ticket:<\/p>\n\n\n\n