Amtrak chugs along nicely to record ridership

[phantom power]

In the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, Amtrak served more than 28.7 million riders, an increase of 5.7% from 2009, according to a company statement. Ticket revenue grew 9%, to $1.7 billion. Ridership on the Acela, Amtrak's higher-speed train, was up 6.6%. Manieri says the ability to stay connected by phone and Internet while traveling is just one reason she prefers the train over flying or driving.

"You can make phone calls, and you don't have to turn your laptop on and off," says Manieri, adding she also avoids the airport's long security lines and the highway's congestion.

Amtrak has benefited from the "remarkable lifestyle shift" caused by smartphones, laptops and iPads that let travelers work and communicate almost everywhere, says Joseph Schwieterman, a transportation professor at DePaul University in Chicago. "It's kind of a have-iPhone-will-travel kind of thing."

Young adults especially view trains and intercity buses as extensions of the public transportation system, he says. They can hop on without ever disconnecting from the rest of the world, he says.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2010-10-19-amtrak19_ST_N.htm

[ixion]

1. Remember when BushCo was considering dismantling AmTrak and selling it off?

just wanted to keep that on the radar. ;)

[monmouth]

2. Our VP was a great ad man for Amtrak. He sold a lot of people

on the convenience and relaxation of commuting by train...

[Tikki]

3. We Amtrak at least 3 times a year, big trips...

mostly up and down the west coast.

Our grandson loves it and asks when and where often....


Tikki

[Frustratedlady]

4. My granddaughter and her husband use it to come back home.

They live in Chicago and find it cheaper and quicker to use Amtrak. They can catch up on each other's week and relax while someone else does the driving without worrying about traffic and detours. They are kind of today's yuppies.

[lib2DaBone]

5. We also can thank Bushco for the creation of theTSA Gestapo..which makes aIr travel unbearable..

[Old and In the Way]

6. On my infrequent trips to Boston, we love the Downeaster!

The hassle of getting around Boston for a person used to driving in a one-stop light town leads to a rather bad driving condition, commonly known as 'sensory overload'. Factor the costs of parking and gas and stress, the option to take a train is a no-brainer. Sure, the bus might be a little cheaper, but having a few beers in the club car, meeting old/making new friends is a definite plus...

[kristopher]

7. Sigh...

Sometimes I miss Tokyo so damned much...

[littlewolf]

8. +1000

I like the buses .... hated the trains ... too jammed up .....
they had people who's job it was to push to fill the cars up ...
the buses were nice ...

[kristopher]

9. Crush hour we called it...

In addition to the attendants to ensure the doors were closed, once the train started getting full the train operators would start applying the brakes with enough energy to crowd everyone (not violently) towards the front of the car, thus opening up space for more people.

I only had about a year of that, and then managed to adjust my schedule so that my commute was during offpeak times.

I loved it from then on. Another benefit was that I got more reading done than I'd been able to in years; including at least 2 newspapers every day. I think that is one reason the Japanese are generally far better informed on current events than we are.

[Kennah]

10. A Great Read I Recommend

"$20 Per Gallon: How the Inevitable Rise in the Price of Gasoline Will Change Our Lives for the Better" by Christopher Steiner

The chapters are organized in price order. $4 Prologue, $6, $8, etc.

Chapter $18 was "Renaissance of the Rails".

[Terry in Austin]

11. Amtrak is the greatest!

We take it almost every year to visit family in California.

Blessedly airplane-free since 2005!

[stuntcat]

12. the greatest I tell ya!

we take it to New York or Philadelphia once or twice a year.

[peopleb4money]

13. I rhode Amtrak from Flagstaff AZ to Crawfordsville Indiana back in July