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Amtrak Sees Boom in Riders as Fuel Costs Soar

But shrunken rail service is nearing capacity

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 21, 2008 10:10 AM CDT

(Newser) – With fuel prices soaring, travelers are increasingly turning to Amtrak, which posted a record for passengers in May—not usually a big travel month, reports the New York Times. But the struggling rail service has shrunk so drastically since it was created in the '70s that it won't be able to respond to the passenger surge very quickly. “We’re starting to bump up against our own capacity constraints,” says an Amtrak rep.

Some routes are already sold out for popular dates in the summer, good news for the money-losing service. But Amtrack's suppliers have shrunk along with "passenger miles," and its challenges are complicated, financially and politically, the Times notes. And though Amtrak uses 17% less fuel than a car, and 33% less than an airplane, it's not immune to rising costs either.

Amtrak's Acela Express high-speed rail runs through the borough of Queens in New York City in this Nov. 16, 2000, file photo. (AP Photo/Ed Betz)

A skycap stands next to an Amtrak train waiting for passengers on a platform in New York's Penn Station, in this file photo from Nov. 17, 2005. (AP Photo)

Demetrius Stroud stands near a Northbound Amtrak train Tuesday, June 17, 2008. Because of high gasoline prices, Stroud is purchasing a home near an Amtrak station. (AP Photo)

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Amtrak Sees Boom in Riders as Fuel Costs Soar

But shrunken rail service is nearing capacity

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But shrunken rail service is nearing capacity

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Travel • Amtrak • railroad • fuel costs

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Angry Over Regulation, Spirit Institutes Snarky Fee

'Unintended Consequence' fee intended to chide transportation department

15 Priciest Cities for Tourists

Oslo tops the list while crisis-proof Switzerland lands spots #2 and #3

For Your Next Trip, a $123 Towel

Or you could just buy a microfiber one for $10...

TSA: We Were Right to Take That Cupcake

...because it was a cupcake in a jar

Titanic Anniversary Cruise Sells Out

1,350 passengers, 500 crew to set sail from Southampton, UK

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

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What is Newser?