Amtrak set ridership record in FY2013

Amtrak carried a record 31.6 million passengers in fiscal-year 2013, which marked the railroad's 10th ridership record in the past 11 fiscal years.

During FY2013, which ended Sept. 30, Amtrak's state-supported corridor services logged a new record of 15.4 million riders. In addition, the national intercity passenger railroad's long distance routes combined for the best ridership in 20 years at 4.8 million passengers, Amtrak officials announced today.

Northeast Corridor ridership reached 11.4 million passengers, down about 0.2 compared with FY2012 but still the second best year in Amtrak's history, they said. And, as evidence of a strong ridership rebound following Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, the Northeast Regional service set a new record at 8,044,216 passengers, up 0.4 percent compared with the previous fiscal year, Amtrak officials said.

"Amtrak moves people, the economy and the nation forward everywhere the trains go," said President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Boardman. "This year's record ridership was achieved station by station in the more than 500 communities across America that Amtrak services."

Also in FY2013: eight individual monthly ridership records were set, as well as new records on 20 routes. In addition, ticket revenue rose to a record $2.1 billion.