>> Amtrak ridership continues to expand on the NEC, demonstrating Americans' changing travel preferences and strengthening the case for continued investment in rail infrastructure.
Last week, Amtrak announced that for the first time its total system ridership is projected to break 30 million passengers in a single year.
Amtraks fiscal year does not end until September, but its projections are based on the strength of results through the month of June. According to Amtrak, June 2011 marked the 20th consecutive month of ridership growth year-over-year. So far this year, total Amtrak ridership is up 6% over last year. On the NEC ridership is up 5.6%.
Amtrak's positive news comes just as the organization is facing increased criticism of its role as the national passenger rail corporation. In June, Rep. John Mica (R-FL), Chairman of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, introduced a bill that would privatize the Northeast Corridor and strip Amtrak of its ownership of the line and its rolling stock. In February, Mica argued that "Amtrak's Soviet-style system is not the way to provide modern and efficient passenger rail service."
Amtrak's recent success, however, points to a consistently strong record on the NEC. The results this year will continue a period of remarkable growth in the Northeast. Between Fiscal Year 2000 (the last year before the Acela service was launched) and Fiscal Year 2010, ridership on the NEC increased from approximately 8.4 million to 10.4 million passengers, an increase of 24% in just ten years. If this year's trend continues, Amtrak's NEC ridership will reach just under 11 million riders.
The growing demand on the NEC makes the need for investment ever more important, a point was not lost on the leadership at Amtrak. In a press statement released last Tuesday, Amtrak CEO and President Joe Boardman asserted, "We are having a very strong year because people around the country are choosing the convenience, efficiency and hassle-free environment of Amtrak to meet their travel needs. .... Amtrak has wisely invested the federal funding we have received to improve infrastructure and equipment. Continued investment in Amtrak and passenger rail will support the further growth of this increasingly vital transportation option."
Amtrak's growth provides further evidence that Americans' travel patterns are continuing to evolve, if slowly, away from private automobile use. In its press statement, Amtrak argues that riders are choosing the train as higher gas prices make driving more expensive. Amtrak may also be benefiting from an increased desire among travelers to stay "connected." The recent introduction of free Wi-Fi access on the Acela trains enables professionals, students, and other riders to remain productive and entertained while traveling. In contrast, the automobile is the only place where drivers cannot access the Internet, at least not while keeping their eyes on the road.
Amtrak's growing ridership also pours cold water on those who pit passenger rail against intercity bus service. The growing popularity of low-cost carriers like Megabus and Bolbus has not come at the expense of Amtrak's ridership. As passengers opt out of the car, both bus and rail each have a role to play in a balanced, multi-modal transportation system for the Northeast.
Yet, even as Americans' travel patterns continue to change, Amtrak's ridership will inevitably be constrained by tracks that are largely at 100% capacity along the entire NEC. Our current system is straining under current demand and, with this kind of growth, will be woefully inadequate for our future travel needs. Continued investment is essential to meet the growing demand for passenger rail.
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