{"id":67979,"date":"2024-06-18T16:55:47","date_gmt":"2024-06-18T06:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=67979"},"modified":"2024-06-18T16:55:55","modified_gmt":"2024-06-18T06:55:55","slug":"amtrak-set-to-break-ridership-record-in-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=67979","title":{"rendered":"Amtrak set to break ridership record in 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Amtrak has announced it expects ridership to top 2019 \u2014 pre-COVID \u2014 levels this year and reach a new all-time record high even though it currently has less capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Amtrak<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Ridership is reported 20% higher in the first 8 months of Amtrak\u2019s budget year that began Oct. 1, 2023. Ticket revenue is showing a 10% increase versus the same period in 2023, according to written testimony by Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner<\/a>presented at a hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials on June 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are on target to set a new all-time ridership record by exceeding the 32.3 million passengers,\u201d says Gardner. This would exceed the previous record set in 2019. From 2003 to the 2019 record, Amtrak saw a 45% passenger growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lasting effects of the COVID pandemic still hamper Amtrak, according to Gardner. While the railroad\u2019s year-to-date revenue is higher than in 2019, it \u201chas been impacted by the reduced business travel since the pandemic as virtual meetings have replaced many short-duration business trips,\u201d Gardner says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The increases come despite capacity challenges in a number of critical areas, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n