Amtrak: Ridership increased in first half of 2013 fiscal year

[marmar]

Amtrak ridership increased in the first six months of the 2013 fiscal year, the company said Tuesday.

Ridership on the company’s trains increased by one percent from the record 31.2 million passengers that were carried in 2012, according to Amtrak.

Amtrak said 26 of its 45 routes saw ridership increases in the period between the beginning of October and the end of March.

Amtrak CEO Joe Boardman said the early 2013 ridership numbers showed the need for more rail funding from Congress. .................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://thehill.com/blogs/transportation-report/railroads/292567-amtrak-ridership-increased-in-first-half-of-2013-fiscal-year

[graham4anything]

1. Now rebuild the system nationwide

It is insane one can't go in a direct line from NYC to say, Nashville Tn to Los Angeles

[ljm2002]

8. Hey, you and I are in complete agreement...

...how about that! Really, though: yes, please rebuild and wherever possible, put in high speed rail, especially between highly populated cities and for long distances. It seems like a no-brainer to me, as airplanes are becoming less and less convenient and have a large carbon footprint; cars have a large carbon footprint and are more dangerous than either air or rail; and it's less stressful than driving or flying.

[riqster]

2. I love Amtrak!

I use it whenever possible.

[xchrom]

3. Du rec. Nt

[Populist_Prole]

4. Rec. That ought to piss republicans off

The conservatives I know have a pathological dislike for passenger rail, almost as much as they hate labor unions.

[WillyT]

5. K & R !!!

[OnionPatch]

6. I contributed to that!

I recently took the Southwest Chief from Southern California to Chicago and back. It was a blast and very different from flying. The staff were friendly and accommodating and the scenery was awesome. From now on I take the train instead of flying whenever possible. I'd love to see them expand their routes and services.

[Populist_Prole]

7. SW Chief is a great train

It's generally the best performer too, schedule-wise. It runs mostly on the "hot" ex- Santa Fe transcon main, where even the freight trains roll along at a brisk pace.

I've ridden its entire route several times, and I concur about the good onboard ( and offboard ) staff. I sprung for the room/roomette and it was an utterly civilized way of travel and had very diverse scenery. Food was good too.

[OnionPatch]

9. I'll be doing it again this summer.

The roomettes are pricey but I count the ride as part of the vacation so I don't mind too much. And meals are included with the room. The other passengers are super friendly, too. It's so much more relaxed than the airlines. I actually enjoy traveling again! I'm looking forward to trying some of their other long distance routes one of these days. I hope the Republicans don't screw it up!

[Populist_Prole]

10. I agree 100 percent

Especially about the ride as part of the vacation part.