Amtrak sets another ridership record

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Per Trains News Wire:



WASHINGTON — Despite a year that saw widespread service disruptions as a result of Hurricane Sandy and periodic disruptions in Connecticut since, Amtrak was able to set its 10th nationwide ridership record in 11 fiscal years. Overall patronage rose by 319,380, or 1 percent, to 31,559,945. Ticket revenue set a new all-time high as well, rising 4.2 percent to $2.1 billion.

The gains came primarily in the regional and short distance category, up 2.2 percent in ridership and 4.4 percent in revenue. Significantly, the biggest jump was notched by the Illinois-sponsored Chicago-St. Louis Lincoln Service, which benefitted from the extra capacity provided by two refurbished, Wi-Fi equipped Amfleet I train sets. Passenger counts on the route rose almost 10 per cent and revenue climbed 22.7 percent with the expanded equipment consists and well-publicized higher speeds, even though actual running times were not adjusted significantly. The most-improved long-distance train was the Coast Starlight, rising 5.5 percent.

On a Monday morning conference call announcing the new record, Amtrak President Joe Boardman acknowledged that capacity constraints have nevertheless limited growth on all services.

"Acela Express trains are usually sold out after noon Wednesday through Friday and again on Sunday, and we are severely restricted in the number of trains that can use New York's Penn Station," Boardman said. He said that following the November Amtrak board of directors meeting, the company intends to issue a request for proposal for the next generation of high-speed, multiple-unit electric train sets for the Northeast Corridor, but there are no plans to order any more coaches for long-distance trains or Northeast Regionals.

"We've rebuilt everything we have, but as some of the new cars ordered by the states are delivered, we will have the ability to move seats (in the displaced Amtrak equipment) where we have demand." An order for 130 sleeper, dormitory-baggage, diner, and baggage cars now under construction by CAF in Elmira, N.Y., will add some first-class, high revenue capacity next year, but will largely replace existing, expensive-to-maintain rolling stock that is more than 50 years old.

Responding to reporters questions, Boardman also revealed some additional details on a variety of issues:
•   If the government shutdown continues, Amtrak will have no trouble getting through the Thanksgiving holidays without any service reductions.
•   Negotiations are continuing between Indiana and Amtrak to keep the quad-weekly, Chicago-Indianapolis Hoosier State running.
•   Amtrak recently supplied an engineer to BNSF Railway because the freight railroad lacked sufficient qualified crews to operate a train over the route normally used only by the Chicago-Los Angeles passenger train. "We expect to continue operating the Chief on its present route and are in discussions with the states to keep it running there rather than moving it to the Transcon (in 2016)," Boardman said. "There is a new mine opening in the region and we're hopeful that BNSF will be running more trains on the line, but we're not expecting their needs will change."
In concluding the conference call, Boardman reiterated his contention that greater Northeast Corridor revenues have helped offset long-distance train operating support losses. With a new Amtrak reauthorization and surface transportation legislation soon to be debated, "there has to be a contract in Congress for the national mobility that the long-distance train (network) provides."