Amtrak Eagle carries 340,000 riders through Longview

LONGVIEW – The Amtrak route that runs through Longview posted its fifth annual ridership record. The route carried 340,081 passengers in fiscal year 2012-13 ending September 30, said Griff Hubbard, revenue manager for Amtrak’s Texas Eagle route.

The volume was a 0.6 percent increase in ridership and led to a 5.1 percent increase in revenue for the route. In July, the Texas Eagle posted a 39-year monthly record of 35,655 passengers.

In fiscal year 2013, the Longview station was the boarding or deboarding station for 41,305 passengers, making it the 182nd busiest of Amtrak’s 532 U.S. stations. That number equates to about 110 passengers using the station each day.

Longview beat Austin which is 191st. It is the fourth-most patronized station in the state, according to Hubbard.

The record numbers for the Texas Eagle in fiscal year 2012-13 corresponded with national records.

In 2012-13, the nation’s passenger railroad network carried 31.6 million riders.