The four state-managed Amtrak lines are seeing increases of as much as 65 percent in ridership.
Train ridership in Virginia has surpassed pre-pandemic numbers, reports Jakob Cordes for WRIC. Ridership on the four Amtrak lines in the state has been steadily rising, surpassing prior records. According to Cordes, “The strongest growth came from the Roanoke-bound Route 46, which saw ridership increase nearly 65% since 2019.”
A separate article by Ned Oliver in Axios notes that “Over 110,000 people boarded state-sponsored Amtrak routes in July, according to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority,” 20 percent higher than in 2019 and 30 percent higher than this June.
New routes could be contributing to the spike in demand. “In July, the state added two new daily round trips connecting D.C. to Norfolk and Roanoke.”
In a statement, DJ Stadtler, executive director of the state's passenger rail authority, said “These numbers make it very clear — Virginians want more passenger rail to be a part of their transportation network.”
FULL STORY: More people in Virginia are riding Amtrak trains now than before the pandemic
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