the Railroad

each week 364 scheduled trains -- and many others running extra -- roll past the Town.

CSX

CSX Transportation is the successor by merger to the Baltimore & Ohio railroad (and many others), and continues to serve Washington Grove.

the Town's siding was pulled up many years ago, followed more recently by many nearby side tracks, so local shippers and consignees are obliged to make use of the Rockville team track, and must arrange for drayage between there and the Town.
even without the Town's carload freight traffic the Metropolitan Subdivision is a busy freight and passenger line.

MARC

local (commuter) train service to Washington Grove is operated by CSX under contract to the Maryland Department of Transportation. the commuter trains to downtown are still faster and more reliable than any other form of transportation, and arguably the most pleasant.
on weekdays the Metropolitan Subdivision ("Brunswick line") hosts seven inbound and nine outbound trains, of which three (inbound) and five (outbound) stop in Washington Grove. for details, scroll down to schedules.

under state auspices the service has experienced a revival. the Town regained a station structure in 1998 (the B&O depot had been pulled down in 1956).

Amtrak

Amtrak trains operate over CSX on trackage rights. each day the Capitol Limited comes blasting through Washington Grove without stopping on its runs between Washington and Chicago (operating through to Los Angeles).

local passengers are obliged to make use of the Rockville station, and must arrange for livery service between there and the Town.

schedules

for detailed schedule information, including queries to return current location/status or generate a dynamic map, visit the Mid Atlantic Train Finding Tools on this site.

passenger service

Amtrak schedule information and train arrival status are available online from amtrak.com or by calling (800) USA-RAIL.

MARC service has long appeared to be one of Maryland best-kept secrets.

here's the schedule:

MARC Brunswick Line service - effective 29 April 2001
Eastbound - Read Down											Westbound - Read Up
870	872	874	876	878	880	882	884	890	892		871	873	875	877	879	881	883	885	887
		05:30			06:35				19:45	Martinsburg				18:44		19:30		20:29
		05:46			06:51					Duffields				18:24		19:12		20:06
		05:56			07:01					Harpers Ferry				18:12		19:00		19:55
05:15	05:35	06:07	06:22	06:43	07:12	07:35	16:30	16:55	20:15	Brunswick	14:52	16:53	17:50	18:02	18:38	18:50	19:24	19:44	20:41
05:25	05:45	06:18	06:32	06:54	07:22	07:45				Point of Rocks	14:36	16:36	17:31	17:47	18:20	18:38	19:09	19:33	20:26
	05:53			07:01		07:53				Dickerson	14:26				18:11		19:02		20:14
05:36	05:57	06:29	06:43	07:05		07:58				Barnesville	14:23	16:25	17:19		18:08	18:25	18:58	19:23	20:10
	06:04			07:12		08:04				Boyds	14:17				18:02		18:52		20:05
05:45	06:08	06:38	06:52	07:16	07:40	08:08				Germantown	14:13	16:17	17:10		17:57	18:16	18:48	19:15	20:01
05:49	06:12	06:43	06:57	07:21	07:45	08:13				Metropolitan Grove	14:09	16:12	17:05		17:51	18:10	18:42	19:11	19:57
05:54	06:16	06:48	07:02	07:26	07:50	08:18				Gaithersburg	14:05	16:08	17:01		17:47	18:06	18:38	19:07	19:53
	06:19			07:29		08:21				Washington Grove	14:02				17:44		18:35	19:03	19:50
06:02	06:24	06:55	07:10	07:35	07:58	08:26				Rockville	13:57	16:00	16:53	17:21	17:39	17:59	18:28	18:58	19:45
06:07			07:16	07:41		08:32				Garrett Park	13:51				17:34	17:53	18:23	18:52	19:41
06:10	06:31		07:20	07:45		08:36				Kensington	13:48	15:53	16:44		17:30	17:49	18:19	18:48	19:38
06:16	06:37	07:06	07:26	07:51	08:09	08:43				Silver Spring	13:43	15:48	16:38	17:09	17:24	17:44	18:13	18:43	19:33
06:35	07:00	07:25	07:45	08:10	08:28	09:02	17:45	18:00		Washington	13:30	15:35	16:25	16:55	17:10	17:30	18:00	18:30	19:20
notes: in this simplified schedule some times shown represent flag or discharge-only stops. nos. 874, 877, 878 and 881 offer parlor car service nos. 884, 890 and 892 are deadhead (non-revenue) movements

source: published MARC timetables
also see our Mid Atlantic Train Finding Tools page.

for further information about MARC service, see the official MARC web site.
MARC tickets and passes can be purchased online from https://www.commuterpage.com, a web site operated by Arlington County VA, or from The Commuter Store™ retail outlets in Northern Virginia.

24-hour lineup

here's a list of the trains an observer might expect to see pass through Town in a 24-hour period.
your actual mileage may vary -- in particular you should expect to

add second sections, unit trains, light engine moves (i.e., B21x helpers returning to Brunswick), work trains and track inspectors in Hy-Rail vehicles;
subtract trains that are run between Point of Rocks and Halethorpe via the Old Main Line, or that get annulled for the day; and
take the information in the table below cum grano salis, particularly until merger-related service disruptions have run their course.

time	direction	symbol	description	frequency	origin	destination	notes	velocity
00:01	W	Q223	automotive	mon-fri	Baltimore MD	Chicago IL		45.20
00:05	E	L130	intermodal	sun	Brunswick MD	Portsmouth VA		39.88
00:14	W	Q400		daily	Hamlet NC	Cumberland MD		18.83
00:36	W	Q133	intermodal	tue-sun	Baltimore MD	Chicago IL		33.90
00:45	W	K953	rock runner	mon-sat	Bladensburg MD	Millville WV	empties	34.44
01:16	W	Q341		daily	Baltimore MD	Cumberland MD		45.20
01:53	E	Q216	intermodal	daily	Willard OH	Philadelphia PA		37.67
02:36	E	Q276	automotive	daily	Willard OH	Baltimore MD		28.95
02:41	E	Q415		daily	Cumberland MD	Rocky Mount NC		28.25
04:09	W	Q135	intermodal	daily	Philadelphia PA	Chicago IL		35.68
04:10	W	Q249	automotive	daily	Baltimore MD	Detroit MI		25.11
04:32	E	Q136	intermodal	daily	Chicago IL	Philadelphia PA		32.29
04:50	W	D767	local	daily	Benning DC	Brunswick MD	coal empties	15.38
05:20	E	Q344	automotive	daily	Cumberland MD	Oak Island NJ		21.06
05:56	E	P870	MARC	mon-fri	Brunswick MD	Washington DC		42.00
06:00	E	Q138	intermodal	daily	Chicago IL	Baltimore MD		30.82
06:19	E	P872	MARC	mon-fri	Brunswick MD	Washington DC	station stop	57.00
06:20	W	Q375		daily	Philadelphia PA	Lousiville KY		28.25
06:46	W	Q217	intermodal	daily	Philadelphia PA	Detroit MI		45.20
06:48	E	P874	MARC	mon-fri	Martinsburg WV	Washington DC		58.80
06:57	W	Q137	intermodal	daily	Baltimore MD	Chicago IL		29.48
07:03	E	P876	MARC	mon-fri	Brunswick MD	Washington DC		49.00
07:28	E	P878	MARC	mon-fri	Brunswick MD	Washington DC	station stop	45.60
07:44	W	Q414		daily	Rocky Mount NC	Cumberland MD		18.83
07:47	W	D765	trash	mon-sat	Derwood MD	Dickerson MD	loads	34.80
07:51	E	P880	MARC	mon-fri	Martinsburg WV	Washington DC		49.00
08:08	E	Q252	automotive	mon, sat	Nashville TN	Philadelphia PA		37.67
08:14	W	Q301		daily	Port Reading NJ	Cumberland MD		18.83
08:19	E	P882	MARC	mon-fri	Brunswick MD	Washington DC	station stop	57.00
09:10	E	K951	rock runner	mon-sat	Millville WV	Bladensburg MD	loads	30.36
09:20	W	Q139	intermodal	mon-sat	Portsmouth VA	Chicago IL		17.38
09:56	E	Q296	automotive	daily	Saginaw MI	Baltimore MD		28.25
10:51	E	D742	local	daily	Brunswick MD	Benning DC	coal loads	24.60
11:06	E	K935	rock runner	monday	Millville WV	Featherstone VA	loads	11.92
11:38	E	D765	trash	mon-sat	Dickerson MD	Derwood MD	empties	34.80
11:41	E	Q398		daily	Cumberland MD	Baltimore MD		28.25
11:44	W	K951	rock runner	mon-sat	Bladensburg MD	Millville WV	empties	34.15
13:53	E	P030	Amtrak	daily	Chicago IL	Washington DC	"Capitol Limited"	58.64
13:56	E	Q401		daily	Cumberland MD	Hamlet NC		28.25
14:22	E	Q278	automotive	daily	Willard OH	Baltimore MD		24.81
14:31	W	P871	MARC	mon-fri	Washington DC	Brunswick MD	flag stop	57.00
16:03	W	P873	MARC	mon-fri	Washington DC	Brunswick MD		42.00
16:33	W	P029	Amtrak	daily	Washington DC	Chicago IL	"Capitol Limited"	58.64
16:50	W	D742	local	daily	Benning DC	Brunswick MD	coal empties	15.38
16:58	W	P875	MARC	mon-fri	Washington DC	Brunswick MD		42.00
17:11	W	Q343		daily	Baltimore MD	Cumberland MD		18.26
17:16	E	P884	MARC	mon-fri	Brunswick MD	Washington DC	deadhead	43.04
17:25	W	P877	MARC	mon-fri	Washington DC	Martinsburg WV		62.64
17:35	E	P890	MARC	mon-fri	Brunswick MD	Washington DC	deadhead	49.66
17:43	W	P879	MARC	mon-fri	Washington DC	Brunswick MD	station stop	57.00
18:04	W	P881	MARC	mon-fri	Washington DC	Martinsburg WV		49.00
18:34	W	P883	MARC	mon-fri	Washington DC	Brunswick MD	station stop	38.00
19:02	W	P885	MARC	mon-fri	Washington DC	Martinsburg WV	flag stop	57.00
19:20	E	Q130	intermodal	mon, wed, thu, sat, sun	Chicago IL	Portsmouth VA		39.88
19:49	W	P887	MARC	mon-fri	Washington DC	Brunswick MD	flag stop	57.00
20:11	E	Q368		daily	Louisville KY	Baltimore MD		75.33
20:22	E	Q134	intermodal	tue, wed, thu, sat, sun	Chicago IL	Baltimore MD		42.11
21:02	E	Q346		daily	Cumberland MD	Philadelphia PA		32.29
22:10	E	K953	rock runner	sun-fri	Millville WV	Bladensburg MD	loads	30.36
22:52	W	Q297	automotive	daily	Baltimore MD	Toledo OH		26.90
22:52	E	D767	local	daily	Brunswick MD	Benning DC	coal loads	24.44
23:37	E	L134	intermodal	fri	Chicago IL	Baltimore MD		42.11
23:53	E	K952	rock runner	wed, fri, sun	Millville WV	Curtis Bay MD	loads	20.20

sources: see our Mid Atlantic Train Finding Tools page.

signals

a quick guide to the B&O signal usage in effect along the Metropolitan Subdivision.

accidents

the tragic story of the November 1951 Washington Grove work train derailment caused by a collision with a large dog. the subsequent litigation was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in May 1957.
revised to include a new incident with a happy ending
the intermodal incident of September 1999.

photographs

railroading in the rain
special train operated by Amtrak and the US Postal Service.
winter railroading
MARC
Amtrak
K95x Rock Runners (coming Real Soon Now)
D765 intermodal trash turn
B21x helpers

Back to the Farm