Published: October 12, 2008 08:10 pm         

All aboard!

These are heady days for Amtrak.

The rail service’s readership has set another record, with 28.7 million passengers taking its trains last year. That is an 11 percent increase.

Until recent years, Amtrak was nearly given up for dead. Many politicians criticized its reliance on government subsidies and threatened to ax its budget.

But soaring gas-oline prices have changed the landscape and many people are opting to ride the rails instead of the highways.

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

“After another record-breaking year, in which the railroad achieved double-digit growth, Amtrak has solidified its role as a leader in the nation’s transportation network and proven intercity passenger rail’s reliance on today’s world,” Alex Kummant, president and CEO of Amtrak, said. “Highway and air congestion, volatile fuel prices and increasing environmental awareness all contributed to Amtrak’s successful year....” he added.

Earlier this year, Congress passed a reauthorization bill for the rail service. The program includes state and federal capital matching grants and expansion of state partnerships to provide more rail service throughout the nation.

With commuter air service and Greyhound bus service having left this area in recent years, Amtrak has a good chance to see its growth continue in our region.