Shutdown hurts Amtrak numbers after setting ridership record

Amtrak is celebrating another record year, nationwide and locally.   Spokesman Craig Schulz says for the fiscal year that ended September 30th ridership has increased about 1 percent.

“We’ve set another ridership record, carried 31.6 million passengers in fiscal year 2013,” Schulz said. “That is our 10th ridership record in the past 11 years and we think it’s a great example of the value that Amtrak brings to the community and the convenience and value that passengers assign to passenger rail. ” However Schulz says fewer people are taking the train since the partial government shutdown began. “We’ve seen a bit of a hit to ridership, in the Northeast Corridor particularly ridership is down about 10 percent.  We carry a lot of government workers, a lot of business to Washington, but as far as service goes we continue to run and we’ll continue to do so.” Ridership is also up on the two state supported runs connecting Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh.