AMTRAK RIDERSHIP ON RECORD-BREAKING PACE 13.6 million passengers ride during first six months of FY 2010
WASHINGTON – Amtrak is on pace to break its annual ridership record carrying a best ever 13,619,770 passengers during the first six months of fiscal year 2010 with the historically busier summer travel season still ahead.
The 13.6 million passengers who rode on Amtrak trains during the first two quarters of FY 2010 (October 2009 - March 2010) contributed to a 4.3 percent increase over the same period the prior year. It also is about 100,000 more riders than the 13.5 million posted in FY 2008, which turned out to be Amtrak’s best ridership year in company history when America’s passenger railroad carried 28.7 million passengers.
“Americans are beginning to travel again and are choosing Amtrak as an affordable and efficient way to move around the country,” said President and CEO Joseph Boardman, noting a slowly improving economy and continued high fuel prices as factors in Amtrak ridership growth.
Ridership Highlights
Comparing March 2010 to March 2009, ridership increased by 13.5 percent to a record 2.47 million passengers for the month. In addition, every single Amtrak route carried more passengers with several experiencing double-digit growth.
The Northeast Corridor experienced strong ridership growth in March with Amtrak’s high-speed train, Acela Express, seeing a 14.3 percent increase and Northeast Regional trains up 12.9 percent. For the first six months of FY 2010, Acela service increased 2.9 percent and Northeast Regional service grew by 4.7 percent.
Ridership on long-distance trains increased by 16 percent in March and is up 5.2 percent for the first two quarters of FY 2010. Long-distance trains posting strong six-month numbers include City of New Orleans (Chicago – New Orleans ) up 16.4 percent, Sunset Limited (New Orleans – Los Angeles) up 15.1 percent, Silver Star (New York – Raleigh – Tampa - Miami) up 8.3 percent and Coast Starlight (Los Angeles – Seattle) up 7 percent.
In the Chicago hub, ridership on Lincoln Service (Chicago – St. Louis) showed significant growth with an 18 percent jump in March and 11.6 percent for the six month period. Hiawatha Service (Chicago – Milwaukee) continues to grow with a 14.3 percent increase in March and up 4.8 percent fiscal year to date. Elsewhere in the Midwest, the Missouri River Runner (Kansas City - St. Louis) is up 24.2 percent for March and 15.8 percent for the first half of the Amtrak fiscal year, while the Blue Water (Chicago - Port Huron) increased by 21.7 percent in March and 5.2 percent for fiscal year to date.
In the West, ridership on San Joaquin (Bakersfield – Oakland) is up 13.2 percent for March and 5.4 percent for the year. Pacific Surfliner (Los Angeles – San Diego) increased 7.5 percent in March and its six-month figures are about even with the same period a year ago. Amtrak Cascades (Eugene, Oregon - Vancouver, B.C.) increased by 11.4 percent in March and saw a 16.7 percent increase for the first six months of the fiscal year.
Amtrak’s popular Auto Train saw significant growth in the month of March, increasing 25.1 percent over March 2009, and carrying nearly 25,000 passengers and their cars, motorcycles and other personal vehicles between Lorton, Va., and Sanford, Fla. For fiscal year to date, Auto Train ridership has increased by 8.6 percent.
The FY 2010 Amtrak ridership figures are consistent with the annual growth seen during the last several years that saw a 32 percent increase in passengers from FY 2002 to FY 2008. In order for Amtrak to continue to accommodate increasing demand for intercity passenger rail service it must replace, expand and modernize its fleet of aging locomotives and passenger rail cars. Mr. Boardman describes this as the railroad’s “most urgent unfunded need” and recently requested $446 million from Congress to fund its Fleet Acquisition Program.
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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Henry, Thanks for this. All good numbers, but can we draw any conclusions? I don't put much stock in the March '09 to March '10 comparisons, but the 6 month figures are more significant; they do include the holidays which might add traffic. Any significance to the LD trains that they chose to highlight? I mean CONO? I thought that was a poor step-child, apparently a bunch of travellers disagree with me. Gilbert, you're good with numbers; got any thoughts?
Tom Black
Posts: 518 | From: Maynard, MA, USA | Registered: Sep 2000
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I think it's time for adding new (and rebuilt) rolling-stock.
The Crescent could easily support a fifth coach and a third sleeper.....at least as far as Atlanta..... if Amtrak had the rolling stock available to lengthen consists.
I imagine that the Florida trains would likewise carry more passengers if the space were available.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Anyone who has ridden the Pacific Surfliners on the weekend, particularly Sunday afternoons northbound, would agree ridership is way up. "Cattle car" would be kind.
-------------------- Ham Radio Orange County, California Posts: 46 | From: Orange County, CA | Registered: Dec 2007
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I agree with the hardheaded realists like GBN that it is highly unlikely Amtrak will add new long-distance routes, but what about lengthening trains, especially during high seasons? Another sleeper and another coach on Nos. 5/6, for example, during July and August, probably could easily be filled.
Apart from a shortage of rolling stock, what about other logistical considerations? Would extra locomotives be required to haul a couple more cars over the Rockie and Sierras? What about platform lengths and multiple stops? Would Amtrak have to hire more OBS crew?
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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Amtrak needs a new capital purchase appropriation.
BTW, I agree with you, and that was the operating advantage of trains "in the day" ... you could contact Pullman or your own coach yard and add equipment ... even up to whole sections of the train ... as you needed to.
Posts: 1404 | Registered: Oct 2001
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Sorry, PullmanCo, I was referring obliquely to Boardman's recent public plea for appropriations to allow new rolling stock and locomotives to replace the old ones. It's to be hoped that the next round of appropriations will allow Amtrak to roster enough sleepers and coaches to extend consists when warranted.
The question is what else would be needed to successfully run longer trains.
GBN, any wisdom to impart?
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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Two more limitations to longer trains that occur to me are platform lengths and the number of cars that can be supplied with HEP by a single engine.
Posts: 41 | From: South Dakota | Registered: Sep 2008
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Perhaps in most cases two stops, one for sleepers and one for coaches, would solve the platform length problem, as it does today. Stub-track terminals might be a different thing. But that may be solved simply by backing in the train, splitting the train, pulling out the front half and backing it in on an adjacent track. VIA does this with the long, long consists of the Canadian at Vancouver.
Good point about HEP capacity. Anyone know how many cars a P42 can handle?
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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quote:Originally posted by Henry Kisor: Good point about HEP capacity. Anyone know how many cars a P42 can handle?
8-10 Superliner cars on a flat route seems well within the capabilities of a single P42. Of course, the demands on HEP will vary according to the type of car (eg diner vs coach). Add hills and perhaps the 1:8 ratio will change.
The Auto Train is reported to be around 16 passenger cars and two (sometimes three) engines, plus the auto carriers which presumably do not need HEP - so still a 1:8 ratio.
-------------------- Geoff M. Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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From Marriott Downtown Salt Lake City (and from a "pay to post" computer)
I'll look into this encouraging report from Amtrak when I get home Wednesday as well as file a trip report on my Frontrunner joyride yesterday.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Hope you were able to hear the MTC sing there in the Tabernacle, if you were there on a Sunday, Gil! Oops, sorry for cross-talk. Back to the glowing Amtrak ridership figures discussion...
Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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From Marriott Courtyard Downtown Denver CO--
Went to the Utah Symphony Sat night for a performance of Verdi's Requiem (that Marriott at which I stayed was right accross the street from Abravenel Hall). The Mormon Tabernacle broadcast starts at 930A and by then I was near Helper on US 6.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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