Laurel MARC station to close for 10 weeks for platform replacement

BALTIMORE -- The Laurel MARC train station will close for 10 weeks starting this month to speed up a project to replace both its platforms, the Maryland Department of Transportation said Tuesday. 

The station will close August 21 and is expected to reopen October 29. It's part of a $2.6 million project to optimize safety for riders, which includes replacing the stairs and ramps to the station. 

The full closure enables crews to finish the work in less than half the time it would to repair one platform at a time, the agency said. 

"We appreciate the patience of our MARC customers as we update and modernize the Laurel Station," Maryland Transit Administrator Holly Arnold said in a statement. "We understand this will cause some short-term inconvenience, but working this way will result in a far faster return to service for our riders and ensure the safety of riders and workers during construction."

The agency announced the following alternative travel options:

• Camden Line stations Muirkirk (4.4 miles) and Savage (4.3 miles) – fares to and from Muirkirk or Savage stations are the same as from Laurel. Ample, free parking is available at both stations.
• Penn Line stations Odenton (8.6 miles) or Bowie State University (8.9 miles) also offer ample, free parking. Camden Line tickets are always honored for travel on the Penn Line. 
• Commuter Bus Route 305 and Route 315 from the Scaggsville and Burtonsville park and ride lots into Washington, D.C. These commuter bus routes will honor MARC tickets during the Laurel station closure.
• WMATA Bus 89M stops at several locations in downtown Laurel – a circle of Route 1 (Baltimore Avenue), Main Street and 7th Street – on its route to the Greenbelt Metro and MARC station. WMATA buses honor MARC weekly and monthly passes. Riders can transfer to a Camden Line train or WMATA Metrorail (appropriate Metrorail fare required).
• RTA Route 409 from a stop along Route 1/Baltimore Avenue at the Laurel MARC station to the Savage MARC station.