"Many pick Amtrak over plane, automobile"

An article in the Southwest Iowa News about The Zephyr, Amtrak's only route that chugs through Omaha.

Some points from the article broadly applicable to Amtrak and NEC commuters:

• Nationwide, Amtrak has seen about a 10 percent increase for the same time period, or 1.8 million more riders.
• The millions choosing Amtrak still represent only about 0.1 percent of all travel in the United States, according to federal statistics.
• As ridership has increased, both houses of Congress have passed similar bills for $14.9 billion in additional Amtrak funding.
• Rider surveys have shown that the majority of people choosing Amtrak do so to avoid paying high gasoline prices.