Storms cause delay of Penn Line trains

Severe weather in the Baltimore-Washington area not only affected commuters on roads and highways, but also those taking the Penn Line to and from Washington, D.C.

Wednesday morning the Maryland Transit Administration reported trains traveling the Penn Line in both directions were required to operate at restricted speeds. MARC Train officials said delays were 45 minutes to an hour in length.

Passengers who traveled the Penn Line Tuesday evening tell ABC2 News delays were also a problem as storms rolled through the area that afternoon. They say delays were several hours in length.

"Last night it took me 3.5 hours to get home, and I had to stand the majority of the time," said passenger Kathleen Flower. "This morning all of the trains were delayed."

The problem, according to the MARC Train alert system, is a series of signal issues between Bowie and Washington.

As of 9:50 a.m., Flower said she was still on a train that would have normally delivered her to her destination before 9 a.m.

"It's frustrating because it's affecting my home and work life. I need to get things done, but I can't," Flower said. "I was told that Amtrak wouldn't accept the MARC tickets and if you tried to buy an Amtrak ticket, it would cost $38. I can't afford that."

In response to the issues, according to the MTA, Metro is honoring MARC tickets.

According to the MARC alert system, issues were resolved at around 10 a.m. Trains were expected to operate on schedule Wednesday afternoon.