CSX: Verizon phone line issue caused VRE, MARC train delays

Delays early Thursday morning on Virginia Railway Express and MARC trains are being attributed to a Verizon phone line issue.

“Verizon experienced a broader telecommunications issue that affected our phones lines for about 30 minutes yesterday evening. This issue has since been resolved,” said Cindy Schild, spokeswoman for CSX Corp., which owns the tracks where several VRE and MARC lines operate.

Schild said in an email that there were “no impacts” to CSX rail operations. CSX operates freight trains.

The delays began in the 5 a.m. hour, when VRE and MARC trains begin running. Both said CSX was having trouble communicating with its train crews.

In early tweets, VRE said: “Delays (are) likely this morning due to a system wide CSX outage affecting train orders getting to crews.”

Some VRE trains on the Fredericksburg line ran 20 minutes late.

MARC said multiple trains ran late on the Brunswick Line, some delayed up to 25 minutes.



MARC and VRE carry more than 56,000 riders every day.

Colleen Kelleher

Colleen Kelleher is an award-winning journalist who has been with WTOP since 1996. Kelleher joined WTOP as the afternoon radio writer and night and weekend editor and made the move to WTOP.com in 2001. Now she works early mornings as the site's Senior Digital Editor.

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