Passenger Trains > Va.: full rail service likely to return on Sept. 1

VDRPT reports year-to-date ridership is down 85% compared to 2019, but is slowly recovering. April's numbers were in the range of 95% lower than April 2019.

Also, the state anticipates returning to full service September 1, albeit at 50% capacity to promote social distancing.

https://godanriver.com/news/state-and-regional/ridership-on-area-amtrak-in-decline-during-covid-19-pandemic/article_995f67e5-964f-5e6a-9418-f69fd269b658.html

There are some state subsidy details in the story.

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Route 46, with round-trip service from Washington D.C. to Roanoke, including a Lynchburg stop, is the only Amtrak Virginia-sponsored route operating at full service during the pandemic. It continues to run one northbound and one southbound train daily. Full service is anticipated to resume Sept. 1 with Amtrak maintaining 50% capacity on trains to ensure social distancing.

“We only have actual ridership numbers through the end of April, but year-to-date ridership is down 15% on Route 46 compared to 2019 data,” [DRPT spokesperson] Glynn said. “Prior to the pandemic, Amtrak ridership in Virginia was growing steadily. Since the pandemic began, ridership for March, April, and May compared to 2019 has been down in the 90 percentiles; however, a slow recovery has already begun.”

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It costs approximately $9.6 million a year to run the Route 46 train, Glynn said, but much of that cost to Virginia is offset by ticket revenue.

In 2019, ticket revenues on the Route 46 train were about $10 million. Glynn said much of the state’s funding concerns will be offset by the CARES Act, which capped state payment to Amtrak at no more than 80% of fiscal year 2019 operating costs.

She said DRPT is still working through some of the details but is expecting to pay less in fiscal year 2020 than in fiscal year 2019.

"While COVID has certainly had an impact on revenue and ridership, the strong winter ridership and a return to normal travel patterns in Phase 3, we are hopeful that the Roanoke train's popularity, plus the CARES Act supplement, means the Roanoke train will once again operate in the black this year," Glynn said.

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA

Actually, they are behind on some of the numbers.  The Silver Service trains and the Carolinian have been selling above capacity (the 50% limit Amtrak makes available on the train).

KV1guy Wrote:
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> Actually, they are behind on some of the
> numbers.  The Silver Service trains and the
> Carolinian have been selling above capacity (the
> 50% limit Amtrak makes available on the train).

Makes you wonder why Silver Service is being cut in a few days.

sums007 Wrote:
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> KV1guy Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Actually, they are behind on some of the
> > numbers.  The Silver Service trains and the
> > Carolinian have been selling above capacity
> (the
> > 50% limit Amtrak makes available on the train).
>
> Makes you wonder why Silver Service is being cut
> in a few days.

Why? Because Amtrak is running itself into the ground on purpose.....