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New marketing initiatives and national promotions recently have helped increase ridership on Amtrak’s long-distance routes. Last month, the New Orleans-to-New York City Crescent route recorded its largest ridership increase this year.



In April, 24,021 passengers rode the Crescent, an increase of 10.8 percent compared with the same 2002 period. Crescent ridership has increased steadily the past four months. In March, ridership rose to 23,026, up 8.9 percent; February, 18,025, up 1.1 percent; and January, 18,722, up 9.6 percent, compared with the same 2002 periods.



Passengers requesting sleeping accommodations on the Crescent also rose last month — 3,426 passengers traveled in sleeping cars, up 20.4 percent compared with April 2002.



Nationally, April ridership reached 2,098,901 compared with 2,048,398 in April 2002.