MARC Holiday Schedule 2026: Halethorpe and BWI Riders

If you ride the MARC Penn Line from Halethorpe or BWI, the holidays change your train schedule. There is full service on Veterans Day, no MARC trains at all on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day or New Year's Day, and a Saturday schedule on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Here is the full list so you can plan ahead.

What is the MARC holiday schedule for 2026?

The Maryland Transit Administration posts MARC holiday service on its MARC holiday service page. Here is what it lists for the Penn Line, the line that stops in Halethorpe and at BWI.

MTA notes that it may change these dates and will post advance notice on its website, so it is worth a quick check the week before you travel.

Are Penn Line trains still running a few minutes off schedule?

Yes, through Friday, November 13. Because of Amtrak track work in New Jersey, MARC has been running an interim weekday Penn Line schedule since October 12, with several trains leaving about 5 to 7 minutes earlier or later than usual. Weekend trains did not change. According to the MTA Penn Line schedule change notice, most trains go back to their regular times on Monday, November 16, but not all of them, and MTA said it would share the details in the first week of November.

What should Halethorpe riders do before a holiday trip?

A few simple habits make holiday travel easier:

• Check the MTA holiday page and service alerts the week before you go.
• On Friday, November 27, use the weekend timetable, not the weekday one.
• On Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, expect a reduced schedule and leave a little extra time.
• If you are heading to BWI for a flight on Thanksgiving Day, plan another way to get to the airport, since there is no MARC service that day.

For questions, MTA's Transit Information Contact Center is at 410-539-5000 on weekdays.

What does this mean for people buying or living near Arbutus?

Being close to the Halethorpe MARC station is one of the things I hear buyers love most about this area. You can get to Baltimore, BWI and Washington without driving, and on a normal weekday it is an easy commute. Holiday schedules are a good reminder to have a backup plan, like a park and ride, a ride share or a friend with a car. If you want the bigger picture on getting around, my guide to commuting from Arbutus covers MARC, I-95, I-695 and BWI, and the Work and Commute page has more. Flying out for the holidays? Here is what is new with BWI's runway and airlines.

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