Empire Service continues to be one of the most popular Amtrak lines
Amtrak says it carried 31.2 million passengers during the fiscal year that ended with September -- a new record for the train org (Amtrak started in 1971). That's up 3.5 percent compared to the year before.
Ridership on Amtrak's Empire Service -- the line between Albany and New York City -- was up 3.8 percent in fiscal year 2012 compared to the previous year. There were 1.06 million riders on the line.
If you count the Northeast Regional service (Boston to DC) and Acela Express (Boston to DC) with the other short distance corridors, the Empire Service was the 7th most popular short distance corridor in the nation in fiscal year 2012.
Amtrak says the Northeast Corridor service (Northeast Regional and Acela combined) -- which runs between Boston and DC -- had its best year ever, with 11.4 million passengers.
A table with the figures for all the short distance corridor totals is after the jump -- we've highlighted all the routes that include a stop at Albany-Rensselaer.
Earlier on AOA: An updated vision for high-speed rail
Short distance Amtrak corridors FY2012
Numbers via Amtrak press release below.
Press release
Includes numbers for long distance routes.
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Comments
I've had to use that Amtrak service to NYC for conferences and it really is a simple, quick process. Traveling with a family can get pricey, but to know that NYC is only a 2.5 hour trip away, it's worth it.
... said Untypical on Oct 11, 2012 at 5:28 PM | link
Amtrak is for suckers! Megabus all the way!
... said Rebecca on Oct 13, 2012 at 12:42 PM | link