Most Passengers Ever, Despite Service Disruptions
WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Amtrak ridership increased in FY 2005
to 25,374,998, marking the third straight year of passenger gains for the
national intercity passenger railroad, despite service disruptions that
included major hurricanes in the south and five months without full Acela
Express service in the northeast.
This total, for the period Oct. 2004-Sept. 2005, topped the 25,053,564 for
the previous 12 months.
"This is a respectable achievement given the suspension of Acela Express
in April and through most of the summer," said David L. Gunn, Amtrak President
& CEO. "Hurricanes Katrina and Rita also meant a loss of ridership for us.
"We have recovered well from the Acela troubles (its on-time performance
for September was 89 percent), the hurricanes that suspended our service to
the Gulf Coast and many other challenges," Gunn wrote in a letter to Amtrak
co-workers.
Long-Distance highlights:
Following the August re-launch of new, enhanced service aboard the
Chicago-Seattle/Portland Empire Builder to improve the train's financial
performance, ridership jumped 14 percent in September against September a year
ago (40,269 v. 35,391). The Empire Builder upgrades -- including refurbished
rail equipment and a higher level of customer service -- will serve as a model
for improving the financial performance of other trains in the national
network. For the year, the Empire Builder carried 476,531 passengers, the most
of any of Amtrak's 15 long-distance trains.
The daily Auto Train, which operates between the Washington, D.C. and
Orlando areas, posted a 3.7 percent increase in ridership and received new
auto carriers during the fiscal year, boosting the train's capacity to carry
passengers and their personal vehicles.
Other long-distance trains with notable hikes in ridership include the New
York-Chicago Lake Shore Limited (up 11.8 percent), the Washington-Chicago
Capitol Limited (up 7.9 percent) and the Chicago-Oakland California Zephyr (up
3.6 percent).
East highlights:
Ridership on all trains in the Northeast Corridor was 8 percent higher in
September 2005 than it was in September 2004, excluding Clocker service, which
is reverting to operation by New Jersey Transit this month. While Acela
Express service began to return in the last few months of the fiscal year,
Regional ridership continued to rise, with double-digit increases in the last
three months of the fiscal year. More than 7 million passengers rode Regional
trains in FY 2005, an increase of 9.7 percent.
For FY2005, the combination of the major Northeast Corridor services --
Acela Express, Metroliner and Regional -- serving Boston, New York, Washington
and other destinations carried 9,476,923 passengers, showing an increase of
one percent over the 9,371,630 passengers in FY2004.
Among state-supported services in the Northeast, the New York-Harrisburg,
Penn., Keystone Service topped one million passengers (up 18.6 percent) and
the Boston-Portland, Maine, Downeaster Service was up 10 percent.
Midwest highlights:
The Chicago-Milwaukee Hiawatha Service trains topped the half-million mark
by carrying 525,239, an increase of 14.1 percent in ridership on the trains
supported by the states of Wisconsin and Illinois.
Elsewhere in the Midwest, all three routes in Michigan showed strong
increases, including the Chicago-Detroit/Pontiac Wolverines (up 11 percent)
and the state-supported Chicago-East Lansing/Port Huron Blue Water (up 18.3
percent) in its first full year of service and the Chicago-Grand Rapids Pere
Marquette (up 9.9 percent) in its 21st year of service.
Other state-supported trains in the Midwest showing double-digit increases
are the Oklahoma City-Fort Worth Heartland Flyer (up 23.1 percent) and the
Chicago-Carbondale Illini in Illinois (up 10.3 percent).
West highlights:
In the California Corridors, the San Diego-Santa Barbara Pacific Surfliner
service carried more than 2.5 million passengers, an increase of 7.5 percent.
The Oakland/San Jose Capitol Corridor service had more than 1.2 million
passengers, a gain of 8.1 percent, while the San Joaquins service had more
than three-quarter-million passengers, a 2.3 percent increase.
The states of Washington and Oregon support the Cascades service, which
was up 4.4 percent.
About Amtrak
Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail services to more than 500
destinations in 46 states on a 22,000-mile route system. For schedules, fares
and information, passengers call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com.
Amtrak Ridership
Short-Distance Routes FY 2005 FY 2004 % change
Acela Express Service* 1,772,868 2,568,935 - 31.0
Metroliner Service 680,034 397,608 +71.0
Regional Service 7,024,021 6,405,087 +9.7
NEC subtotal Acela/Metroliner/Regional 9,476,923 9,371,630 +1.0
Ethan Allen 111,621 108,192 +3.2
Vermonter 264,082 252,238 +4.7
Downeaster Service 274,966 250,028 +10.0
Clocker Service** 1,560,856 1,945,553 -19.8
Keystone Service 1,068,572 901,170 +18.6
Empire Service 1,088,052 1,093,965 -0.5
Three Rivers/ 213,413 324,325 -34.2
Pennsylvanian***
Chicago-St. Louis 242,144 212,999 +13.7
service
Hiawatha Service 525,239 460,430 +14.1
Wolverine Service 406,499 366,291 +11.0
Short Distance Routes FY 2005 FY 2004 % change
Illini 127,808 113,281 +12.8
Illinois Zephyr 118,493 108,856 +8.9
Heartland Flyer 66,968 54,403 +23.1
Pacific Surfliner 2,520,444 2,344,665 +7.5
service
Cascades service 623,255 597,161 +4.4
Capitol Corridor 1,260,249 1,165,334 +8.1
service
San Joaquins service 755,851 738,540 +2.3
Adirondack 125,165 132,700 -5.7
Blue Water/International 111,630 94,378 +18.3
Hoosier State 20,191 17,934 +12.6
Kansas City- 136,701 128,084 +6.7
St. Louis service
Pere Marquette 96,471 87,767 +9.9
Carolinian 275,057 305,016 -9.8
Piedmont 45,851 44,828 +2.3
Special Trains 77,445 92,475 -16.3
Short Distance Total 21,593,946 21,312,243 +1.3
Long-Distance Routes FY 2005 FY 2004 % change
Silver Star 295,709 293,865 +0.6
Silver Meteor 288,457 212,768 +35.6
Cardinal 90,542 88,930 +1.8
Empire Builder 476,531 437,191 +9.0
Capitol Limited 195,051 180,810 +7.9
California Zephyr 347,856 335,764 +3.6
Southwest Chief 295,515 290,003 +1.9
City of New Orleans 183,237 190,017 -3.6
Texas Eagle 239,276 234,619 +2.0
Sunset Limited 81,348 96,426 -15.6
Coast Starlight 372,304 415,598 -10.4
Lake Shore Limited 312,779 279,662 +11.8
Palmetto**** 134,669 231,608 -41.9
Crescent 263,080 256,577 +2.5
Auto Train 204,698 197,483 +3.7
Long Distance Total 3,781,052 3,741,321 +1.1
Amtrak Total 25,374,998 25,053,564 +1.3
* Boston-New York-Washington Acela Express service suspended 4/15/05, with
restoration beginning 7/11/05 and full restoration 9/26/05.
** New York-Philadelphia Clocker service being phased out by Amtrak, as
passengers transition to commuter rail service provided by New Jersey Transit
between New York and Trenton.
*** New York-Chicago Three Rivers discontinued 11/1/04, replaced by New
York-Chicago Pennsylvanian through 3/5/05, New York-Pittsburgh Pennsylvanian
route established 3/5/05.
**** New York-Savannah Palmetto route established 11/1/04, with service
previously provided New York-Savannah-Miami.
SOURCE Amtrak
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