(The following story by Jim Carroll appeared at GoErie.com on October 27.)
ERIE. Pa. — Erie’s Union Station hasn’t been this busy in years.
The number of people getting on or off passenger trains in Erie jumped 16.4 percent over the past year.
That beat Amtrak’s systemwide increase of 11.1 percent. It also beat the 10.6 percent ridership increase recorded on the Lake Shore Limited, the New York City-to-Chicago Amtrak train that stops in Erie.
“We’re averaging about 1,000 people a month. That’s not too bad,” said Steve Reguth, Erie stationmaster.
Amtrak officials reported 11,855 people got on and off trains in Erie during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. He said it was a good year for the passenger rail service overall.
Alex Kummant, president and chief executive of Amtrak, said there were plenty of reasons for the rail service chalking up another record year. “Highway and airway congestion, volatile fuel prices, and increasing environmental awareness all contributed to Amtrak’s successful year, as did our continually improving service and on-time performance,” Kummant said.
Reguth said he had assumed $4-a-gallon gas was the reason more train riders were showing up at his station, but said he now suspects more people are also riding the train to avoid high airfares and packed planes.
“Now you see a lot of the airlines cutting down, and I think we’re getting some people who are taking the train instead,” Reguth said. “We seem to be getting a lot of people who come in and say this is the first time they have ever been on a train.”
Travel agent manager Ellise Peake of the Travel Team travel agency, 2660 W. Eighth St., said New York City is a popular holiday destination, and the train is an option for travelers — if they have the time.
The eastbound train that is scheduled to leave Erie at 7:54 a.m. is due to arrive in New York City at 7:40 p.m. The westbound train, scheduled to leave Erie at 1:36 a.m., would arrive in Chicago at 9:45 a.m.
Peake said for some people, that is a good deal. “If you drive, it’s an eight- to 10-hour trip into Manhattan. Parking ranges from $25 to $50 a day,” she said. “It is an option, if you have the time,” she said.
But to put the comparison with air travel in perspective, the number of passengers who rode trains to and from Erie over the past year was little more than half of the number of airline passengers that came in or out of Erie International Airport during the month of September.
But a train ticket to New York City or Chicago probably beats airfare. Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said train fare from Erie to New York ranges from $62 to $122 each way. Erie to Chicago can cost between $54 and $104 each way. “It depends on how far in advance you buy your ticket, what day of the week you travel and whether it is the peak season,” he said.
Amtrak has sales and discounts listed on its Web site, www.amtrak.com.
Reguth said Erie’s station attracts people within a 100-mile radius. Students coming to the Erie region’s colleges and others leaving Erie for New York state colleges are a steady business, he said, and quite a few Amish people ride the train. But the number of trains and train seats have not kept pace with their popularity.
Trains, particularly long-distance trains like the Lake Shore Limited, are frequently sold out, and tickets are often harder to get at midpoint stops such as Erie because of the demand for seats at terminus points in New York and Chicago.
“Ultimately, we need more frequency on the New York and Chicago routes,” said Matthew Melzer, director of communications for the National Association of Railroad Passengers, a Washington, D.C.-based passenger rail advocacy group.
Melzer said overnight trains such as the Lake Shore Limited sometimes sell out months in advance, and Amtrak does not have the resources to expand capacity to meet demand.
“There is a desperate need for Amtrak to order more equipment as soon as possible,” Melzer said.
Amtrak’s Kummant hopes help will come with Congress’ recent passage of the Amtrak reauthorization bill, which includes state and federal matching grant programs. “We also look forward to expanding state partnerships to provide more rail service in growing corridors nationwide,” he said.
But until Amtrak can get more trains and cars, Reguth has some advice for people who want a seat on one of the Lake Shore Limited’s three coach cars and two sleeping cars. “You better book ahead, because we are packed,” he said.