SEATTLE — Despite the slow economy and a sluggish travel industry, the Amtrak Cascades achieved ridership of over 577,000 passengers during 2002 — a three percent increase compared to last year.
The overall increase in ridership is largely attributable to the Amtrak Cascades stronger-than-usual ridership from January through May. “With increased traffic on the highways, taking Amtrak is easier than driving. People are discovering traveling by train is relaxing,” said Ken Uznanski, Manager, Washington State Department of Transportation Rail Office.
The Amtrak Cascades continues to rank near the top of Amtrak’s 42-route national system for customer satisfaction. Features such as onboard movies, plug-ins for laptop computers, beautiful scenery, and the space for passengers to get up and move around continue to get rave reviews.
Regular one-way adult fares between Seattle and Portland start as low as $23; upgrade to Business Class for $11 more each way and enjoy wider seats, more legroom, and priority boarding and deboarding.
