Laurel looking for more commuter rail service

Howard, Laurel leaders ask CSX for more commuter rail service
...
Kittleman and Ricks signed a letter to Brian Hammock, CSX resident vice president for state government affairs, on Monday morning, calling for an expansion of passenger rail service that would make it possible for commuter trains to stop at both the downtown Laurel MARC train station and at Laurel Park Station, 2,500 feet to the north.

Currently, the MARC train, which carries passengers between Baltimore and Washington, makes several stops a day at the station in downtown Laurel, which is in Prince George's County. Laurel Park Station, in Howard County, is a flag stop, used only when there is a passenger waiting on the platform.
...
The letter follows months of concern from Laurel residents and officials that a plan to turn the Laurel Park station into a full-service stop will mean elimination of the train station in downtown Laurel, right off of Main Street.

The Stronach Group, which owns the adjacent Laurel Park race track, has submitted plans to Howard County for a development next to the Laurel Park train station. The development, to be called Laurel Park Station, is heavily focused on the convenience of a train station steps away from the 1,000 residential units and 700,000 square feet of retail, commercial and office space planned for the site....

• They put in two sidings and build a high-level platform pair, like in Greenbelt.
• They expand the parking lot to contain both the new folk and the old lots.
• BTW, the new lots better not flood.