Questions Remain about W.Va. MARC Train Service

The MARC Train, or Maryland Area Regional Commuter, serves about 250 West Virginians who live in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties. The train has been serving the area for more than 30 years, but Maryland has always paid the bills. West Virginia was only responsible for upkeep of its three West Virginia stations.

That changed recently.

For two years in a row, Maryland has requested funding to the tune of more than $3 million dollars – otherwise, they’d end the service into West Virginia. In 2018, the West Virginia Legislature secured $1-and-a-half million, and Maryland accepted it…and then this year, lawmakers successfully put $1.1 million in the budget, but it’s unclear if Maryland will accept the offer this time.

Liz McCormick sat down with Delegate Paul Espinosa, House majority whip and member of the House Finance Committee, to discuss the future of MARC in West Virginia.

Also on today’s show, maple syrup has been produced in the Ohio Valley for centuries. But now a new generation of farmers is tapping into that long tradition to grow a new kind of small business. The Ohio Valley ReSource’s Sydney Boles has more.

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