Thursday, August 14, 2008
News
Gas prices boost Amtrak ridership
By MICHAEL PETERSON, Argus-Press Staff Writer
DURAND - As gas prices in Michigan continue to hover near the $4 mark, many commuters are now turning to Amtrak as an alternative mode of long-distance transportation.
Travel on the Pontiac-Detroit-Ann Arbor and Jackson-Chicago lines increased 5.9 percent overall this year while climbing 6.5 percent on the Port Huron-East Lansing-Chicago route and 7.2 percent on the Grand Rapids- St. Joseph-Chicago line, according to Amtrak officials.
“We've seen increases in ridership that has correlated with the price of gas prices,” said Therese Cody, rail operating programs manager for the Michigan Department of Transportation. “(Gas prices) are not the only factor, but it is a big factorŠIt's hit the point where people are searching for alternative ways of transportation.”
Cody said public awareness is another key factor.
That's good news for the Durand Union Station, which is included as a stop on the Blue Water line (Port Huron to Chicago) - a passenger train service operated by Amtrak covering the 319 miles from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan.
A round-trip coach ticket from Durand to Chicago (leaving one day and returning the next) costs between $45 and $61, according to the Amtrak Web site. A round-trip coach ticket from Durand to Detroit, via Battle Creek, costs either $42 or $58.
For the 2007 to 2008 fiscal year, ticket revenue for the Blue Water line jumped 14.5 percent, said Durand Union Station Interim Building Coordinator Connie Cobley. Ridership for the Blue Water has also risen 6.5 percent.
Ridership on the Blue Water was about 105,000 in 2007 and climbed to 112,000 this year.
Cobley said, in her opinion, trains will become more and more popular means of transportation in the near future.
“This has been predicted a long time agoŠThis is just going to get worse,” Cobley said. “This is hard for Americans, but we are going to need to slowly give up the comfort of driving one person per car and going to work that way.”
Cobley suggested students attending Michigan State University could also use Amtrak to save money on driving expenses if they are commuting.
“If a student was doing 12 to 16 credit hours they could fit those in on a Monday-Wednesday or a Tuesday-Thursday program and they probably would be running $24 a week for transportation,” Cobley said. “Taking the train is a very feasible way of getting around in Michigan nowadays.”
During the early 1900s when the railroad industry was at its peak, 42 passenger trains, 22 mail trains and 78 freight trains passed through Durand daily.
Cody said even though increased revenue has helped keep costs at bay, the higher sales have added problems as well.
“One unfortunate thing we are facing now is that we are reaching our capacity...There are a lot of weekends where the trains are sold out,” Cody said. “Amtrak doesn't have enough (usable cars in the fleet), but we hope Amtrak will receive the necessary federal funds to allow them to add capacity to the existing train sets.”
But she is confident using Amtrak as an alternative mode of transportation will continue to grow.
“When the train becomes popular and it is full, that means it has a lot of supporters,” Cody said. “That support hopefully in the end will be what we need to increase service.”
- Contact Michael Peterson at 725-5136 extension 223 or mpetersonarguspress@gmail.com.
Travel on the Pontiac-Detroit-Ann Arbor and Jackson-Chicago lines increased 5.9 percent overall this year while climbing 6.5 percent on the Port Huron-East Lansing-Chicago route and 7.2 percent on the Grand Rapids- St. Joseph-Chicago line, according to Amtrak officials.
“We've seen increases in ridership that has correlated with the price of gas prices,” said Therese Cody, rail operating programs manager for the Michigan Department of Transportation. “(Gas prices) are not the only factor, but it is a big factorŠIt's hit the point where people are searching for alternative ways of transportation.”
Cody said public awareness is another key factor.
That's good news for the Durand Union Station, which is included as a stop on the Blue Water line (Port Huron to Chicago) - a passenger train service operated by Amtrak covering the 319 miles from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan.
A round-trip coach ticket from Durand to Chicago (leaving one day and returning the next) costs between $45 and $61, according to the Amtrak Web site. A round-trip coach ticket from Durand to Detroit, via Battle Creek, costs either $42 or $58.
For the 2007 to 2008 fiscal year, ticket revenue for the Blue Water line jumped 14.5 percent, said Durand Union Station Interim Building Coordinator Connie Cobley. Ridership for the Blue Water has also risen 6.5 percent.
Ridership on the Blue Water was about 105,000 in 2007 and climbed to 112,000 this year.
Cobley said, in her opinion, trains will become more and more popular means of transportation in the near future.
“This has been predicted a long time agoŠThis is just going to get worse,” Cobley said. “This is hard for Americans, but we are going to need to slowly give up the comfort of driving one person per car and going to work that way.”
Cobley suggested students attending Michigan State University could also use Amtrak to save money on driving expenses if they are commuting.
“If a student was doing 12 to 16 credit hours they could fit those in on a Monday-Wednesday or a Tuesday-Thursday program and they probably would be running $24 a week for transportation,” Cobley said. “Taking the train is a very feasible way of getting around in Michigan nowadays.”
During the early 1900s when the railroad industry was at its peak, 42 passenger trains, 22 mail trains and 78 freight trains passed through Durand daily.
Cody said even though increased revenue has helped keep costs at bay, the higher sales have added problems as well.
“One unfortunate thing we are facing now is that we are reaching our capacity...There are a lot of weekends where the trains are sold out,” Cody said. “Amtrak doesn't have enough (usable cars in the fleet), but we hope Amtrak will receive the necessary federal funds to allow them to add capacity to the existing train sets.”
But she is confident using Amtrak as an alternative mode of transportation will continue to grow.
“When the train becomes popular and it is full, that means it has a lot of supporters,” Cody said. “That support hopefully in the end will be what we need to increase service.”
- Contact Michael Peterson at 725-5136 extension 223 or mpetersonarguspress@gmail.com.