(The following story by Chris Springsteen appeared on the Lansing State Journal website on October 27.)
LANSING, Mich. — Michigan ridership has increased for the second consecutive year, officials with Amtrak.
They attribute a 16.6 percent ridership increase in fiscal year 2004 to high gas prices and improved marketing.
“We set an all-time record for ridership nationally with 25 million people this year,” said Ray Lang, Amtrak’s director of government affairs.
“That breaks our record of 24 million set in 2003.”
Lang also cited highway congestion as a reason for increased ridership.
In Michigan, 604,721 people rode the train in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, compared with 518,461 the previous year.
Every Amtrak station in Michigan, except for the border crossing into Canada, had increased ridership levels.
The 45.6 percent decrease at the border can be attributed to Amtrak discontinuing international service earlier this year.
John Herald could have driven from Ann Arbor to Battle Creek on Tuesday.
Instead, he and his daughter Emily boarded an Amtrak train for a day trip as part of Emily’s birthday celebration.
“It’s pretty much door to door convenience,” Herald said.
“It saves a drive and it’s a little easier with a 4-year-old because you can get up and move around in the train.”
The trip Emily was most looking forward to, however, was the train ride back.
“I have presents at home,” she said.