More on Amtrak ridership

I posted yesterday about crowded trains on Amtrak and I wanted to follow up –- now that I’ve actually talked to Amtrak.

Ridership in California is up 4.9% since October (the beginning of Amtrak’s fiscal year) and went up 5.8% in May on the Surfliner –- the line that runs from San Luis Obispo to San Diego through Los Angeles and Orange counties, said Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham.

She said the rail carrier is particularly looking forward to seeing ridership numbers from June, since gas prices have been high, so far, the whole month. An unreserved seat between L.A. and San Diego currently costs $34 each way -- or about the cost of seven gallons of regular gasoline. By my estimation, that makes an Amtrak ticket cost about the same as driving between L.A. and San Diego in a vehicle that gets 20 to 25 mpg.

A few other items of interest:

• Graham said that some standing will likely continue on trains because of Amtrak's limited ability to move equipment from region to region. Graham said that the heaviest crowds are during the morning and afternoon commutes and on weekends. Another factor is that unreserved seats are sold on the Surfliner trains, although customers can ensure a seat by bumping up to business class –- a difference of $14 according to Amtrak’s website.

• The Del Mar horse racing season also begins next month, bringing extra crowds. Graham said that Amtrak has some old equipment that it dusts off to accommodate the extra passengers.

• Ridership on the Surfliner trains has risen in each of the last five years, from 2,179,427 in fiscal year 2003 to 2,707,188 in fiscal year 2007. It's on track to be higher this year.

Ultimately, the level of Amtrak service comes down to funding, Graham said. In California, most of the  money for Amtrak comes from the state with the rest from the federal government. A record $14-billion bill that reauthorizes federal spending on Amtrak recently passed the House of Representatives and is awaiting a vetting by the Senate –- usually a very long process.

But is $14 billion enough in these trying times? The Baltimore Sun editorial page doesn't think so.

-- Steve Hymon

Comments

[Casey Jones]

Don't forget that it costs 20 cents a mile in wear and tear/depreciation to actually drive an automobile. Woooo.......wooooooooo.....ch..ch..ch...ch

[Andy Sze]

Amtrak prices are going up and up. I used to ride the Surfliner up and down the coast biweekly from Fullerton to San Diego. A 10 trip ticket helped cut the cost. but the prices today have gone up even more now.

Moreover, since then I've been riding metrolink. When a round trip ticket from Union Station to San Juan capistrano cost $18.75 ($14 weekend) on metrolink, vs. $17 ONE way on Amtrak ($34 round trip). It's easy for me to not choose not to ride Amtrak.

[Peter Laws]

Actually, the Senate's Amtrak Reauthorization passed the Senate a week or three ago; what remains is the House-Senate Conference Committee meeting to reconcile the differences. Even though both versions passed with "veto proof" majorities, it's doubtful the R's will actually vote to override Bush's expected veto.

Assuming the authorization is passed, then there still needs to be an appropriations bill that actually funds passenger trains to the levels authorized. I'm not sure the authorized amounts have *ever* been appropriated for passenger trains!

My guess? No authorization this session and Amtrak is funded through Yet Another Continuing Resolution at about the same level as last year, i.e. they limp along another year.

[Tony Fernandez]

Even if they get enough funding, there's no way they can get the cars that they need in time to solve the problem right away. Hopefully people aren't expecting relief any time soon.

I just hope that the money is used to upgrade corridors. I'd like to be able to get to the Bay Area via Amtrak in less than a day.

[Matthew]

Unfortunately, $14-billion isn't enough. I am so irked that it's now $34 each way, suddenly springing up from $29. If the Federal Government really wanted train travel to compete with driving, they would subsidize the system even further and drive down its costs. It's ridiculous that taking the train to San Diego from LA and back costs more than the amount you'd spend on gas. I take the train anyway, but most people that still need to be convinced don't follow my line of thinking.