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I understand that MARC seeks to operate economically, and even as oil prices fluctuate downward, the recent price spiral has had a profound impact on MARC ("Upcounty residents fight proposed MARC service cuts," Nov. 5 article).

Even more the reason for concern when people who depend on mass transit that MARC is seeking to cut service.

While I sympathize with circumstances for limited cuts, I am troubled that a democratically lead legislator and governor's office is seeking to impose cuts on train service.

Eliminating the 10-trip ticket is decidedly not a customer service oriented decision. It proves to me that MARC cares less for people who ride the trains than it does for its own convenience.

I realize that these are complicated issues and I, too, would prefer not view the process as black or white, but do we want to cut public services while taxes remain higher than ever in Maryland? Is that the real message that MARC and the legislative leaders want to convey?

I'd like to go on and mention that while fuel costs are a factor MARC has not to my knowledge explored the alternative of using bio-diesel. Certainly, there are concerns to make certain that lower temperature fuels will not congeal, but I know that MARC passengers want alternative fuels and that many MARC trains, to my knowledge, use largely foreign supplies of diesel fuel.

Finally, ending service for trains after holidays such as the day after Christmas or Thanksgiving is yet another statement that MARC is not committed to commuters. If you commute, maybe you need to consider other alternatives than MARC.

CSX funnels money into automating signals that it does not seem able to maintain. MARC service is sometimes less than punctual, leaving commuters late arriving to work too often.

Fred Petok, Gaithersburg