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New Jersey Transit posted all-time-high ridership during fiscal year 2008's first quarter. System-wide ridership totaled 64.4 million trips, a 3.2 percent increase compared with the same period in FY2007. The agency attributes the increase to service improvements, strong regional employment trends and higher gas prices.

During the three-month period ending Sept. 30, commuter-rail ridership totaled 18.9 million, up 5.4 percent, with average weekday trips totaling 275,850. Trips into and out of New York's Penn Station increased 7.1 percent.

NJ Transit's Main/Bergen County Line posted the largest gain. Overall ridership increased 8.7 percent and weekend ridership skyrocketed 23.5 percent compared with the same period in FY07. In addition, Northeast Corridor ridership grew 7.4 percent; North Jersey Coast Line, 3.9 percent; Raritan Valley Line, 3.5 percent; and Morris & Essex Lines, 3.2 percent.

Meanwhile, NJ Transit recorded 5 million trips on its three light-rail lines, a 13.5 percent increase compared with FY07's first quarter. Average weekday ridership totaled 65,150 and average weekend ridership, 61,500.

Recent system expansion fueled ridership growth on the Hudson-Bergen and Newark light-rail lines, which posted increases of 18.4 percent and 9.1 percent, respectively, NJ Transit said. River LINE ridership rose about 3 percent.