MARC broke ridership record in April

The Maryland Transit Administration's (MTA) MARC commuter-rail service set a new ridership record in April.

Ridership on the Penn, Camden and Brunswick lines reached 38,112 last month, breaking the previous high of 37,034 set in November 2012, MTA officials said in a press release.

Ridership rose 4.3 percent overall compared with April 2012, with the MARC Penn Line leading the increase. Passenger counts climbed 5.4 percent on the Penn Line and 4.4 percent on the Brunswick Line, and dipped 2.1 percent on the Camden Line.

On average, the Penn Line carries 25,512 riders, the Brunswick Line, 8,149 riders, and Camden Line, 4,451 riders per day.

"The growth in ridership reflects Gov. [Martin] O'Malley's investment in new equipment, and our commitment to improved performance," said MTA Administrator Ralign Wells.

MARC trains also achieved on-time performance of 95 percent in April.