Amtrak 2002 ridership reaches record levels

WASHINGTON – A record 24 million passengers rode Amtrak last year, 2.7 percent more than in 2002, the railroad announced on Wednesday.

Amtrak said that the increase was due to lower fares, more trains and improved services such as new menus.

The number of passengers in the 12-month period ending Sept. 30 rose from 23.5 million in 2000-01 and 23.4 million in 2001-02.

The biggest increases were in the West, where ridership grew by 6.6 percent, and on such long-distance trains as the Philadelphia-Chicago Pennsylvanian, which was up 64 percent, and the Chicago-San-Antonio Texas Eagle, which was up 20 percent.

Some members of Congress and the White House want Amtrak to eliminate unprofitable long-distance routes as a way to cut its $1 billion annual losses, which are subsidized by taxpayers.

Critics say spending more federal money on Amtrak won’t fix its structural problems.

David Gunn, who took over as Amtrak’s president about a year ago, wants to continue the national passenger rail system. He said repairs have been put off for years, causing disruptions in service that further hurt revenue.

Gunn asked for $1.8 billion in federal subsidies in 2004.

President Bush proposed half that amount as a way to force the railroad to restructure itself.

The House agreed to give the railway $900 million next year. The Senate is proposing $1.3 billion.