HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After gaining some traction in March, ridership aboard Amtrak's Southwest Chief fell in April from the previous month.
The Chief totaled 14,300 riders compared with 15,600 in March. That’s still a large improvement over the 9,400 riders that used the Chief in February. The numbers still reflect the passenger carrier's limited schedule of five days per week. Since then, the Chief has been restored to daily service, although spokesperson Marc Magliari noted that Amtrak is still struggling to get enough train service personnel rehired to restore all of the carrier’s long-distance routes.
One thing Amtrak could take advantage of is the extremely high gas prices. The last time gas was so expensive, Amtrak broke ridership records across the board. As of now, the Chief is using a limited number of coaches. Magliari says that is because of maintenance crew shortages preventing mothballed coaches from getting back on the tracks.
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