Free passes for stuck MARC riders

MARC passengers who were stuck for two hours on a stalled train last month are eligible for free rides.

Maryland Transit Administration officials sent an e-mail this afternoon about the offer, which is limited to the approximately 900 people who were riding on Train 538 on June 21.

Eight minutes after leaving Union Station, the train broke down, its brakes jammed, and the air conditioning shut down, leaving passengers to swelter in temperatures that hovered around 90 degrees.

Passengers "are eligible to receive five complimentary MARC VIP Day Passes," the e-mail said, which are each good for one MARC round trip and are good through Dec. 31, 2013. Eligible people must submit a form to MARC by Aug. 13. The form is available on the MARC Web site by clicking here.

MARC, Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration are investigating the incident, which prompted apologies from rail and state officials.