(The Associated Press circulated the following article on October 16.)
WASHINGTON — Amtrak reported record ridership in the 2005 budget year, which ended last month at the federal level, said Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont.
Nationally, Amtrak served more than 25.3 million passengers in fiscal year 2005. In Montana, ridership increased from 129,044 last fiscal year to 140,475 this year, Burns said.
“I don’t think it’s possible to overstate the important role of Amtrak to our country’s transportation infrastructure, and the ridership numbers make that point all the more clear,” he said.
Burns, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, helped secure more than $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2006 Amtrak funding.
Amtrak’s Empire Builder route spans eight states between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest. In Montana, it stops in Wolf Point, Glasgow, Malta, Havre, Shelby, Cut Bank, Browning, East Glacier, Essex, West Glacier, Whitefish and Libby.