Friday, October 10, 2008

Amtrak reports record annual ridership

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Amtrak has set another ridership record, with 28.7 million people taking its trains last year.
That's an 11% increase over the 25.8 million passengers that the national passenger railroad carried in fiscal year 2007.

Total ticket revenue for the year that ended Sept. 30 reached $1.7 billion, a 14% increase over the $1.5 billion taken in the previous year.

Amtrak, long criticized for its reliance on government subsidies, has been enjoying a resurgence. The railroad has posted six years of ridership and revenue growth and recently has benefited from high gas and airline prices.

Earlier this month, Congress passed a bill authorizing $13 billion in funding for Amtrak over five years. President Bush is expected to sign the legislation.


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