(The following story by Sandra Cason appeared on the Marshall News Messenger website on January 5.)
MARSHALL, Texas — In what may be a sign of the economic times, more and more people are opting to travel by train, according to figures released recently by Amtrak.
A total of 35.4 percent more passengers boarded at the Marshall Depot last year than did the previous year, said J.G. “Griff” Hubbard, product line revenue agent for Amtrak, operators of the Texas Eagle.
Statistics indicate that 7,406 passengers caught the train at the former Texas & Pacific Railway station during Amtrak’s fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2007, and ending Sept. 30, 2008.
That translates to an average of 21 passengers daily.
And Hubbard said he expects the trend to continue.
“I surely anticipate that,” he said, noting train travel began its upward spiral when gasoline spiked at $4 per gallon.
However, “now that the cost of gas is at historically low levels, we have not seen a corresponding drop off in passenger numbers,” Hubbard said. “I’m not sure I understand it, but it certainly is a good thing.”
Not only have Marshall numbers picked up, but Eagle ridership nation wide recorded a 15.2 percent increase last fiscal year over the previous year.
The route was also a success in terms or revenue raised, with these numbers increasing by 18.8 percent.
Texas Eagle ranked first of all 15 Amtrak long distance trains in ridership and second in terms of revenue.
November 2008 statistics show a 16.9 percent rise in Texas Eagle ridership over the previous month and an 18.4 percent increase in revenue for the same period.
One of the reasons why the Eagle is financially fit may be due to the fact that it is the only long distance Amtrak train that is locally revenue managed, Hubbard said.
That means it is managed “along the route and not from some corporate office,” he explained, adding the plan allows for certain “hands-on things that can be done to keep the trend in place.”
While Hubbard said he did not have the authority to disclose details, he said “good things are proposed” for the local station this year.
“There are several ideas under discussion,” Hubbard said, noting objectives will be realized through Amtrak’s partnership with the city of Marshall and Harrison County.
Hubbard, who is headquartered in Longview, serves the Eagle’s East Texas territory, which includes Mineola, Longview, Marshall, Texarkana, Nacogdoches and Shreveport and Bossier City, La.
Texas Eagle provides east/west passenger service from Los Angeles to San Antonio, at which point the route continue in a north/south direction to Fort Worth and Dallas and on to Marshall, Shreveport, La., Texarkana, Little Rock, St. Louis and Chicago.
It is Amtrak’s Midwest route.
The Texas Eagle’s local station is situated at the north end of Washington Avenue, six blocks from the historic courthouse.
“This ornate two-story brick station, once a major interchange point and division office for the Texas & Pacific Railway, has been restored to its former grandeur,” says an Amtrak Web site.
“Marshall’s impressive train station, constructed in 1912, was once scheduled for demolition, but a determined effort by the city of Marshall preserved the building for future generations.
Texas Eagle No. 21 is scheduled to arrive in Marshall at 8:05 a.m. and departs 15 minutes later, the Web site says. Texas Eagle No. 22 has an arrival time of 7:01 p.m. and leaves 10 minutes later each week day.
The Amtrak station office at Suite 2, 800 N. Washington Ave., opens at 7:15 a.m. and closes at 9:15 a.m., opening again from 2:30 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is closed on Saturday and Sunday.
The ticket office is open from 2:30 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. Monday through Friday, when a ticket agent is on duty.