# Long-Distance Train Ridership



## CSXfoamer1997 (Feb 11, 2016)

I've been reading and hearing that Amtrak ridership in general is increasing, BUT long-distance train ridership is rapidly decreasing.

Why are people slowly being drawn away from long-distance trains?

What can Amtrak do in order to improve its Long-Distance trains and attract more riders?


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## Philly Amtrak Fan (Feb 11, 2016)

LD ridership is NOT rapidly decreasing.

LD ridership did drop from 2013 to 2014 but it had increased every year since 2008. The increase from 2008 to 2014 was almost 9%.

http://www.narprail.org/site/assets/files/1038/ld_2014.pdf

How do they improve ridership? The easy answer is more trains but requires more money.


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## amtkstn (Feb 12, 2016)

It takes more then just money to run more trains on each route. Amtrak needs more cars, locomotives, crews and track slots from the host railroads. Most of the host railroad will want Amtrak to pay for the track improvements to make space for more one train per day.


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## A Voice (Feb 12, 2016)

CSXfoamer1997 said:


> I've been reading and hearing that Amtrak ridership in general is increasing, BUT long-distance train ridership is rapidly decreasing.


Which immediately begs the question, just where have you been reading this, if I may ask?



amtkstn said:


> It takes more then just money to run more trains on each route. Amtrak needs more cars, locomotives, crews and track slots from the host railroads. Most of the host railroad will want Amtrak to pay for the track improvements to make space for more one train per day.


All of which really just comes down to money. Specifically, a budget to purchase more cars and locomotives, make track improvements, pay operating losses, and do all the other things necessary to expand the Amtrak network.


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## KmH (Feb 12, 2016)

CSXfoamer1997 said:


> Why are people slowly being drawn away from long-distance trains?


Low gasoline prices.


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## neroden (Feb 13, 2016)

CSXfoamer1997 said:


> I've been reading and hearing that Amtrak ridership in general is increasing, BUT long-distance train ridership is rapidly decreasing.


Completely backwards. Actually, long-distance ridership is up up up up up. Acela ridership and Midwestern corridor ridership is rapidly decreasing. Acela due to the recession cutting business travel, most likely. Midwestern corridors seem to be due to gas prices.


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## MARC Rider (Mar 1, 2016)

neroden said:


> CSXfoamer1997 said:
> 
> 
> > I've been reading and hearing that Amtrak ridership in general is increasing, BUT long-distance train ridership is rapidly decreasing.
> ...



Aren't they also doing a lot of construction on the mid-western corridors that is slowing schedules and causing delays on top of that?


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## Hytec (Mar 2, 2016)

Reliability to schedule would help greatly. Unfortunately this requires freight rail companies to acknowledge Amtrak as a top priority customer as stated in the original 1971 legislation, which is unlikely to occur any time soon.


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## cirdan (Mar 2, 2016)

MARC Rider said:


> neroden said:
> 
> 
> > CSXfoamer1997 said:
> ...


that maybe, and also Amtrak has hiked prices to improve income. This has probably driven away some ridership.

It's always difficult to find the sweet spot between not losing too many riders and recovering a sufficient portion of costs.


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