Sunset Limited Ridership Plunges
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Ridership on Amtrak’s Sunset Limited, which goes from Los Angeles to Florida, dropped by 23% in November, it was reported last week, prompting concern that the train may be eliminated.
The route of the Sunset Limited, Amtrak’s only transcontinental train, was changed Nov. 10 to terminate at Sanford, 20 miles north of Orlando, instead of Miami.
The train boarded 9,001 passengers in November compared with 11,735 a year ago, said Marc Magliari in Amtrak’s Chicago office.
A passenger advocacy group, which is lobbying for restoration of the old route, said it is concerned about the train’s future. “They are either anticipating or planning for this train to be knocked out altogether,” said Tallahassee lawyer John Hedrick, president of People’s Transit Organization.
But Magliari said it’s premature to blame the route change for the drop-off and that Amtrak’s route changes for the next year haven’t been planned.
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