Amtrak marks continued ridership growth
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefAmtrak said Wednesday its February ridership rose 7.6% to 2,099,010 riders, up more than 147,000 passengers, from levels of February 2010, making the gain the 16th consecutive month of ridership growth.
“The ridership increase shows the continued popularity of rail travel and the need for continued investment in passenger rail service,” said Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman (pictured at left). “We anticipate demand for rail travel will increase with the rise of gasoline prices, and Amtrak is prepared to be there for passengers who want to leave the car behind.”
Amtrak notes it has set ridership records in seven of the past eight years, with 2009 being the exception due to recession. Ridership totaled more than 28.7 million passengers in fiscal year 2010, which ended Sept. 30, 2010.
The railroad attributed ridership growth to “a moderately improved economic environment allowing some recovery of business travel along the Northeast Corridor, sustained high gasoline prices, the increased appeal and popularity of rail travel, effective marketing campaigns, and the introduction of Wi-Fi on the high-speed Acela Express trains.”
