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During fiscal-year 2007’s first four months, Amtrak’s three Michigan routes posted ridership gains.

For the period ending Jan. 30, 142,185 passengers rode Amtrak’s Wolverine service between Pontiac/Detroit and Chicago, a 6 percent increase compared with the same 2005 period. Ticket revenue rose more than 7 percent to $4.8 million.

Amtrak’s Port Huron/East Lansing-to-Chicago Blue Water route carried 40,361 passengers, up 5 percent. Ticket revenue of $1.1 million increased 7 percent compared with the same 2005 period.

Finally, the Grand Rapids-to-Chicago Pere Marquette service carried 33,306 passengers, up 9 percent, and posted ticket revenue of $860,000, up 7 percent.

Amtrak operates Blue Water and Pere Marquette trains under a contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Overall, Amtrak ridership between October and January rose more than 4 percent to 8.2 million.