Amtrak ridership hits record high

The high price of gas has increased ridership on Amtrak to record levels, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Ridership on Amtrak Cascades increased 12 percent this year over 2007, and in July alone, ridership hit an all-time record of nearly 80,000 passengers.

Amtrak Cascades consists of four daily round-trips between Portland and Seattle, with service between Bellingham and Portland via Seattle; between Eugene and Seattle via Portland; and between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. Amtrak Cascades is operated by Amtrak under contracts with the Washington and Oregon departments of Transportation.

Compared to 2007, Amtrak Cascades ridership has seen double-digit growth on average each month this year. May had the second-highest monthly total in the history of Amtrak Cascades service, at 71,366 — an increase of 10.7 percent. Total ridership for the second quarter was 203,359 for all Amtrak Cascades trains — an increase of 9.9 percent, and nearly one-third of the total ridership in 2007.

Ridership on the trains to and from Seattle to Portland has increased an average of 26 percent over 2007.

"These dramatic increases in ridership show that people are looking for alternatives to traditional highway travel," said Paula Hammond, state transportation secretary.