(The Associated Press circulated the following article on November 27.)
DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowans are riding Amtrak trains more than ever as gasoline prices have forced some to seek cheaper transportation.
More than 61,000 passengers used Amtrak in Iowa this fiscal year — a 13 percent increase from 2004 and the highest mark in Iowa since Congress created the rail system in 1971, Amtrak officials said.
Nationwide, Amtrak had 25.4 million passengers this year, the third consecutive year of record increases.
But statistics show it’s not a profitable venture.
Amtrak runs two daily trains in Iowa that travel between Chicago and the West Coast. Southwest Chief, which stops in Fort Madison, lost an average of $420 per passenger last year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The California Zephyr lost an average of $267 per passenger. The train serves Burlington, Mount Pleasant, Ottumwa, Osceola and Creston.
A strong marketing effort combined with higher gasoline prices can help Amtrak draw more passengers, Amtrak officials said.
“We have been working on a couple of things,” said Marc Magliari, an Amtrak spokesman in Chicago. “Certainly, we have been working on equipment maintenance, and I think the word is out that the train is more reliable than it has been in the past.”
Amtrak officials acknowledge that travel delays have been an issue, mostly because both trains share lines used by freight railroads. Preliminary figures show the Southwest Chief arrived on schedule 71 percent of the time this year. The California Zephyr was on-time in 25 percent of its trips.
Still, travel agents have noted that more people are inquiring about train tickets, and many Amtrak passengers said they’re happy with the service.
“Our whole family likes to take the train,” said Betty Schneider, 80, who has ridden Amtrak since its creation.
This year, Schneider has used the train to visit Colorado and Illinois. She said her son in Oregon also used Amtrak to visit the Midwest.
“Amtrak has had tough times through the years,” she said, “but we have stuck with it and we really enjoy it.”