(The following story by Ted Jackovics appeared on the Tampa Bay Online website on November 22.)
TAMPA, Fla. — Amtrak ridership continues to increase nationwide and on the Silver Star through Tampa as travelers seek alternatives to paying costly gasoline prices.
Amtrak reported a record 28.7 million passengers nationwide in the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, about 11 percent more than the previous year.
Ridership on the Silver Star, the daily northbound and southbound train between New York and Miami that serves Tampa, was at 367,139 passengers for all destinations, 11.5 percent higher than a year ago.
About 75,000 passengers used Amtrak at Tampa in 2007. More recent figures are not available.
The sample one-way coach fare for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is $154 from Tampa to New York, including taxes. The fare from Tampa to Miami for Dec. 24 is $36. However, fares do change based on availability.
Amtrak also has fared uncharacteristically well in Congress and at the White House as more travelers take the trains.
Congress approved a five-year, $13 billion authorization for Amtrak on Oct. 1, which longtime Amtrak critic President Bush signed into law Oct. 16. The measure could nearly double Amtrak’s direct annual subsidy, but will require annual appropriation votes by Congress.
President-elect Barack Obama was co-sponsor of the Amtrak funding bill, while his opponent for president, Sen. John McCain, opposed it.