Is there a source that gives MARC ridership stats by station?
I'm curious mostly to see how West Virginia service "pays for itself"--it is one of a handful of unusual rail services that "free ride" on another service (or, more charitably, "work synergistically and without subsidy"). The other being how New Hampshire towns "free ride" on Maine's Amtrak Downeaster with Maine and the MBTA supporting the service, and New Hampshire state not contributing any operating help, but that enough fare-income is available by stopping in NH such that they "can't afford not to" stop.
My understanding is that MARC extends into West Virginia in a similar way...they can't afford not to go to Martinsburg because the money is good enough that they might as well...without subsidy from WV, but with enough riders from WV paying high enough fares that it still "works" to go there for Maryland (is it break even? slightly revenue-positive?)
I'm curious mostly to see how West Virginia service "pays for itself"--it is one of a handful of unusual rail services that "free ride" on another service (or, more charitably, "work synergistically and without subsidy"). The other being how New Hampshire towns "free ride" on Maine's Amtrak Downeaster with Maine and the MBTA supporting the service, and New Hampshire state not contributing any operating help, but that enough fare-income is available by stopping in NH such that they "can't afford not to" stop.
My understanding is that MARC extends into West Virginia in a similar way...they can't afford not to go to Martinsburg because the money is good enough that they might as well...without subsidy from WV, but with enough riders from WV paying high enough fares that it still "works" to go there for Maryland (is it break even? slightly revenue-positive?)
"Trying to solve congestion by making roadways wider is like trying to solve obesity by buying bigger pants."--Charles Marohn