Car? On Tracks?

It hasn’t been a day for rail travel: a car fell onto the tracks at Silver Spring Station, and both Penn and Camden lines were tied up in both directions by heat restrictions and Amtrak engine problems, effectively blocking my two main routes home. So, I was on the MARC Penn Line for almost three hours again, at one point sitting idle just ten miles out of Washington for about 45 minutes, waiting on a stalled Acela Liner at the New Carrolton interlock which was blocking rail traffic all the way to Philly. They eventually got the nonfunctional engine off the interlock with a gentle push from a southbound MARC Local train.

Now I’m home, in a room without airconditioning, holding steady at 90°F. At night. With the fan running on high. It’s like I’m back in Manila.

Update: Washington Post photo of the offending car, and corresponding story.

Comments

  1. Wyclif says:

    You’ve just discovered why Americans, despite the tax breaks and massive amounts of federal aid thrown at development, don’t like public transportation and prefer autos.

    I’m still waiting for public trans. that is quick, reliable, cheap, and safe. The Japanese have it, but this country is a lot bigger than Japan.