Month: October 2011

ATLANTA — Amtrak could add bus routes to cities located near, but not along, its Crescent route, which the railroad believes will increase “ridership and revenue while expanding the reach of the intercity passenger rail network,” the railroad said in a recent report. Such bus routes would connect the Atlanta Amtrak station with Macon, Ga.; Columbus, Ga.; Dalton, Ga.; and Chattanooga, Tenn.; the railroad indicated. Amtrak estimates annual ridership on the routes would exceed 17,000 passengers and result in a net revenue of $600,000 per year. The bus service is just one of several upgrades the railroad is considering making

ATLANTA — Amtrak is considering running shorter versions of the Crescent passenger train between Atlanta and New Orleans to save money because of lower ridership numbers, according to a recent report from the passenger railroad. According to the report, Amtrak could “shorten the train south of Atlanta by switching off of the train two or three coaches, the lounge car, and one locomotive. These cars would be serviced at Atlanta during the day and added to the evening northbound train back to New York.” The Crescent runs daily between New York and New Orleans via Atlanta. Amtrak believes the “proposal