Metrolink
Beginning Tuesday, July 1, Metrolink will debut new fares through the end of the calendar year designed to make train travel more accessible and affordable, the agency recently reported. Changes, Metrolink says, “will simplify the existing ticket menu to reduce confusion at the point of purchase, lower the price of most monthly passes, and introduce new deals and discounts.”
Building on the popularity of the seasonal $15 Summer Day Pass promotion, first introduced in 2022, Metrolink will now offer a year-round $15 weekday fare option, called the SoCal Day Pass, which provides unlimited rides on the day of purchase. On Saturdays and Sundays, the price of the SoCal Day Pass will drop to $10 to match the current weekend rate. Up to three kids ages 17 and under will continue to ride free with a fare-paying adult on weekends.
“We’re giving our customers more without charging more,” Metrolink Board Chair Doug Chaffee said. “By making fares easier to understand and more affordable, we’re helping their hard-earned dollars go further. These changes make Metrolink an even more valuable and accessible travel choice—and encourage more people to ride.”
In addition to the new slate of day-pass options, Metrolink is expanding available discounts to include 10% off for military veterans, matching the current active-duty military markdown, and 50% off for riders under the age of 19 and students with a valid school ID. The latter will help keep student fares low following the conclusion of Metrolink’s free Student Adventure Pass pilot program on June 30. The new half-price student discount is double the original 25% student/youth discount that was in place prior to October 2023, when the grant-funded program launched. A full list of everyday Metrolink discounts is available here.
Metrolink’s monthly-pass fare table is also changing, starting July 1. Most monthly passholders will see cost savings of approximately 10%, thanks to “a new, more consistent pricing formula that better reflects how traditional commuters travel in today’s hybrid work environment.”
To further simplify fares, Metrolink is eliminating several underused or duplicative ticket types. The 7-Day Pass, 10-Day Flex Pass and round-trip ticket option, which was priced at double the cost of a one-way ticket, will no longer be available. Customers traveling round-trip can use two one-way tickets or likely find the SoCal Day Pass to be a more affordable option. Riders seeking trip flexibility will still be able to purchase the popular 5-Day Flex Pass.
Metrolink says it is piloting the new fare structure through Dec. 31 and may extend the program into 2026 if the new fares “demonstrate strong potential to drive ridership and revenue growth for the agency.” Additional information is available here.
MDOT MTA
MDOT MTA on June 25 announced the publication of the MARC Growth and Transformation Plan, “a major milestone in advancing future rail initiatives and outlines five-year, 10-year, and unconstrained service scenarios.”
The MARC Growth and Transformation Plan (download below), which expands upon the agency’s MARC Cornerstone Plan, last published in 2019, details service opportunities, projects needed to achieve each scenario, associated costs and next steps for Maryland’s passenger rail service.
The MARC Growth and Transportation Plan is being introduced when MARC ridership has grown exponentially in 2025, the agency noted. Since January, MARC ridership has seen a significant surge, increasing by 58% overall. Each individual line has experienced substantial ridership growth, with the MARC Penn Line up by 52%, the Camden Line by 66% and the Brunswick Line by 85%. When comparing ridership from January through May 2025 to the same period in 2024, overall, MARC ridership rose by 23%. During this time, the Penn Line increased by 20%, the Camden Line by 46.5% and the Brunswick Line by 24%.
“Thanks to Maryland’s additional transportation revenues, MTA has funding to help move MARC Train forward on the track towards growth,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld. “This plan serves as a roadmap for how MTA can advance MARC into the future and elevate the commuter rail system into a train for everyday life.”
The MARC Growth and Transportation Plan “evaluated current service operations, identified opportunities for expanded service, and gathered extensive public input to shape recommendations for improving mobility, connectivity and economic development.” The Plan proposes more accessible, frequent, all-day service, including on weekends. It envisions expanded weekday peak service hours, improved weekday off-peak and weekend service and service to new areas. Once fully implemented, the Plan, MDOT MTA says, “will better meet the growing needs of commuters, residents, visitors and businesses by offering competitive travel times, a wide range of trip purposes and a seamless network to other local transit services. The Plan will balance service levels with market demand as well as spur transit-oriented development and economic growth.”
“Our riders have asked for more frequent and convenient service across the state,” said Maryland Transit Administrator Holly Arnold. “The MARC Growth and Transformation Plan represents an important step forward in a vision for a more connected and sustainable transportation network.”
The MARC Growth and Transformation Plan, the agency says, “recommends a phased implementation to allow for attainment of key stakeholder agreements and the essential effort of assembling a funding plan. It provides a strategy to transform the commuter-focused system into a market-oriented service that meets the needs of all riders, while maximizing opportunities in a shared-ownership railroad environment.”
As a result of Governor Moore’s investment in transportation, the agency says it is able to advance early enabling projects identified in the Plan in addition to state of good repair investments in MARC train service. These projects include $3 million towards the planning and design of a new station track at Silver Spring to support service increases at one of the busiest stops on the MARC Brunswick Line, and $13.7 million for the continued planning and design of the Penn-Camden Connector in Baltimore.
