Photo by Bill Green An afternoon MARC train pulls into the Frederick Monocacy MARC station Thursday evening. Trains are required to reduce their speed by 20 miles per hour when temperatures near 90 degrees.

Others remain unfazed.

"Compared with New York City, these trains are very mellow," recent Frederick transplant Betty Law said.

A MARC rider since February, Law commutes from Frederick to Union Station. Her solution to the late-train problem is for CSX to fix the kinks in its tracks.

With only 63 percent on-time performance for the Brunswick Line, MARC "has fallen far below what customers expect or deserve," said Paul Wiedefeld, an MTA administrator.

Summer temperatures don't just slow people down, Wiedefeld said. Heat also puts additional stress on train equipment and tracks, increasing the likelihood of failure.

According to the MTA website, whenever temperatures near 90 degrees are forecast or if temperatures increase by 30 degrees in one day, heat restrictions are imposed after 1 p.m. All Brunswick MARC trains then operate 20 mph less than the normal maximum authorized speed, usually 70-75 mph depending on the tracks.

"These heat restrictions are designed to reduce the impact on the track structure and minimize the possibility of (problems)," the website states.

Some service disruptions are unavoidable, Wiedefeld said, and in some instances the MTA could have acted to reduce anxiety, frustration and inconvenience for riders.

But the problems don't seem to be keeping people off the trains. According to the MTA, ridership in May was 6 percent higher than in the same month last year.

"Most take it well," said Arthur Greenway, a MARC train conductor. "Only some get irate."

Despite high ridership, MARC's resources are limited, the MTA website states. And since Sept. 11, 2001, MTA's cost for liability insurance has skyrocketed.

Increasing fuel prices have also increased MARC's costs, the website states. "Fares only cover 60 percent of the cost of operating the trains. The remainder comes from the state."

The MTA knows work is needed to improve the condition of equipment, but states that the funds are not available. "In order to pay incentives to these railroads sufficient to influence their decisions, MARC fares would have to be substantially higher."

Law said she would be willing to pay more to ride the train, if it meant improvements.

The future of the system could soon look brighter; the MTA has awarded a contract for the replacement of diesel locomotives. Wiedefeld said 26 new units will arrive in Maryland at the rate of two per month, beginning in early 2009. Maintenance on existing units will be enhanced to keep them operating safely.