MARC in L'Enfant Plaza and Virginia

I have been writing lately about the need for Washington-area "commuter" railroad services to be reconceptualized along the lines of a "regional" railroad system, with a mission that goes beyond merely shuttling workers to and from Washington, DC (and Baltimore).

As we know, railroad commuting systems in Philadelphia, the NYC region, Boston, and New Jersey do cross state lines in some signficant ways.

MARC and VRE trains terminate at Union Station. VRE trains do stop at L'Enfant Plaza on their way in and out of the City of Washington, while MARC trains only stop at Union Station.

Many years ago, I read that MARC would like to continue service past Union Station, but I don't know what if anything has come of it. (Recently I also suggested that if Walter Reed Medical Center in upper NW DC is converted into a federal complex, that perhaps MARC could add a stop at the Takoma Park Metro Station, so that people could get even closer to the WRMC campus (it's about 1/2 mile) than from Silver Spring.

Anyway, I asked Steve Dunham, who is the chairman of the Virginia Association of Railway Patrons, and a producer of computer graphic simulations of passenger and freight trains (see Microsoft Train Simulator RF&P route pix) if he would be willing to produce some simulations of MARC trains in L'Enfant Plaza and points south. He agreed without hestitation, which I truly appreciate! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a simulation of a MARC train in the L'Enfant Plaza area.

This is a simulation of a MARC train in Crystal City.

As is this previously produced Steve Dunham simulation of an Amtrak train in Crystal City.

Four more simulations are viewable here.

Again, Steve, THANK YOU! These simulations can help us make this points at "1,000 words" per photo.
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Update: Steve writes:

the main obstacle to MARC through service is the lack of platforms at Crystal City and L'Enfant Plaza, making bidirectional rush hours service at those stations nearly impossible, and neither Virginia nor the federal govt. has seen fit to invest in that improvement.

In the fall VARP may sponsor a Saturday afternoon forum at the main Arlington library if the Metro Riders and Dulles citizens' groups are interested.

Index Keywords: transit; railroads