Maryland Transit Administration inks rail-car overhaul contract with Bombardier

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) has awarded a $36.8 million contract to Bombardier Transportation to overhaul 63 Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) III rail cars.

The work is aimed at improving safety, increasing reliability and providing passengers with a more comfortable ride, MTA officials said in a press release. The MARC III cars have been in service for almost 17 years.

"MTA's MARC train plays a vital role in connecting people from all parts of Maryland to jobs in our nation's capital every weekday, and our popular weekend Penn Line service between Baltimore and Washington continues to grow," said MTA Administrator and Chief Executive Officer Paul Comfort.

The Penn Line runs along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor from Perryville, Md., to Union Station in Washington, D.C. MARC trains carry 37,500 riders on an average weekday and operate along the Penn, Camden and Brunswick lines.