MARC Northeast Maintenance Facility. Northeast, Maryland.
MARC’s ridership projections and rapid system growth brought about the need for a comprehensive maintenance facility and yard that could accommodate its fleet of locomotives and passenger cars. Extensive site alternative analysis helped MARC select a location that would be both feasible and permittable. WRA has prepared the preliminary design of a double-ended yard along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor with a full-service locomotive and passenger car maintenance shop, a 9-track storage yard with a 162-car capacity, a fueling facility, trainwash, and servicing and inspection pits for running gear and underbody inspection. Other site features included onsite surface parking, offices for employees, and train crew facilities. Continuous coordination with Amtrak, Cecil County, the Town of Perryville, SHA, and the local residents has been key to this project’s progression.
Services Performed
Project Highlights
Transit
Track design consisted of over 15,000 feet of new track and two new connections to Amtrak’s Northeast corridor. Special attention was given to horizontal and vertical alignments due to ROW restrictions, existing environmental features, and existing structures.
Civil Land Development
The site grading of the 110 acre site included extensive berming for visual screening and noise dampening from adjacent properties along three sides of the site. The access roadway was designed with access control features.
Bridges
A box culvert and a steel girder bridge were required to carry the ballasted lead track over a stream at two locations, while a mechanically stabilized earth wall was needed to separate the north lead track from the Amtrak Northeast Corridor.
Landscape Architecture
The landscaping was designed to match the aesthetic character of the area, supplement the visual screening created by the berms and provide a positive experience for both drivers passing by as well as the adjacent residents.