As the peak season for travel nears, more and more people are deciding to keep their cars at home and ride the rails to their destinations.
High gasoline prices have fueled an increase in the number of people taking Amtrak trains in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Pat Simmions, rail director for NCDOT, said over the last year there was a 31 percent increase in the number of passengers buying tickets for Amtrak trains in Wilson.
The number of passengers has increased from 2,753 in 2007 to 3,606 this year, Simmions said.
The state-sponsored Amtrak Service is also seeing consistent increases in the numbers of passengers riding intercity trains, with ridership up more than 20 percent over this time last year.
Simmions said he thinks the increased ridership is a combination of things, including high fuel prices, but also better facilities and timely service.
"We've got a decent service we are providing," Simmions said. "A lot of effort has been put into improving a lot of things."
Eric Rich, who was sitting at Wilson's Amtrak station on Wednesday, said he takes the train because he doesn't have a drivers license, but he said he could see why people would take the train to avoid paying the high gas prices.
Todd Salter, a ticket agent with Wilson's Amtrak station, agrees. "Nobody wants to pay $3.50 for a gallon of gas," he said. Salter said he has seen an increase in new ridership.
Although the passenger numbers are not out for April, it looks like there will be increases, Simmions said.
N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett said more travelers are finding that trains provide a timely, safe and environmentally friendly alternative means of transportation.
"We have seen double-digit growth in ridership and passenger revenues over the past six months alone," Tippett said in a press release.
More than 31,000 travelers rode either the Piedmont or Carolinian in March, a 20 percent increase over the 23,036 passengers who chose to ride the train last March. Ridership is strongest on the weekends.
On the Piedmont (trains 73 and 74), which runs daily between Raleigh and Charlotte, ridership was up almost 28 percent over last March from 4,619 to 5,901. Ridership on the Carolinian, (trains 79 and 80), which runs daily between Charlotte and New York City and stops in Wilson, increased 41 percent from 18,417 to 25,989, according to NCDOT figures.
From October 2007 through March 2008, ridership on the Piedmont was up nearly 28 percent and the Carolinian was up more than 20 percent. Passenger revenues increased by almost 23 percent for the Piedmont and by almost 24 percent for the Carolinian, according to NCDOT.
Continued infrastructure improvements on the Raleigh to Charlotte route have reduced the scheduled travel time to 3 hours and 9 minutes, including station stops. NCDOT has also partnered with local communities to build new or restore existing historic train stations along the corridor.
Simmons said NCDOT continues to improve on-time performance and upgrade equipment.
"Travelers are finding that our trains offer an affordable, comfortable and relaxing way to travel," he said.
The Piedmont and Carolinian trains are sponsored by NCDOT and paid for through state funding, Amtrak and passenger fares. North Carolina's Amtrak fleet of two trains provides daily service to Wilson, Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte and eight other North Carolina cities, and to the Northeast.
Complete schedule and train information is available at bytrain.org. Reservations are required. Travelers should book early for best fares. Tickets can be purchased at Amtrak.com or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL.
Staff Writer Hilary Hellens contributed to this article.
eddie@wilsontimes.com | 265-7820