(The following story by Katherine Shaver appeared on the Washington Post website on April 30, 2009.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amtrak and MARC returned to full schedules this morning, but some trains could be delayed up to 30 minutes between Washington and Baltimore through this afternoon while crews replace a broken water main that flooded tracks in Baltimore County yesterday.
Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said delays this morning were closer to five minutes, and Amtrak expects any repair-related delays to be over by 5 p.m. While Amtrak warned yesterday that southbound Acela Express trains would not stop at the Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport station today, a temporary platform built at the station last night is allowing that stop as usual, Black said.
Cheron Wicker, a MARC spokeswoman, said some MARC trains were delayed 15 to 20 minutes this morning but that all trains ran.
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The delays are caused by trains having to travel more slowly through the Halethorpe area, where the repairs are being done north of the BWI airport station.
Kurt Kocher, a spokesman for the Baltimore Department of Public Works, said the agency hopes to have the 36-inch water pipe repaired today. He said the pipe burst because of manufacturing flaws in steel wire that was designed to reinforce the concrete main. The flooding left trees, mud and other debris on train tracks adjacent to the underground main, which carries water between Howard County and a Baltimore water treatment plant.
A voluntary water conservation request was lifted this morning in Howard. Residents and businesses were asked to reduce water consumption yesterday to help water tanks refill and restore water pressure overnight. Howard officials opened a new main, allowing water from the broken pipe to be diverted while the repairs are made, Kocher said.