(The following appeared on the Progressive Railroading website on March 31, 2009.)
CHICAGO — Beginning April 2, Amtrak will restore sleeping car service on the Lake Shore Limited line between Chicago and Boston.
The route is one of six lines that are “getting an intense focus” to improve ridership and revenue, and drive customer service improvements throughout the system, Amtrak said.
“Our Lake Shore Limited service continues to post ridership gains and these changes are aimed to better serve our passengers’ needs by further improving their travel experience to and from Boston,” said Director of Product Management Carol Gambrel in a prepared statement.
During the first five months of fiscal-year 2009, Lake Shore Limited ridership has increased 1.9 percent compared with the same FY2008 period. Overall, ridership on Amtrak overnight trains is up 7 percent during the fiscal year’s first five months.