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PHOTO: Clifton Forge Amtrak station sees drops in ridership (March 20, 2013) |
The Lynchburg Amtrak station gets almost all the attention. Ridership is booming, and there's talk of expanding service into Roanoke.
But are other, smaller stations in our area paying a price?
At the Smartway bus stop at the Roanoke Civic Center you can hop a quick bus to Lynchburg, get on the Amtrak, and be on your way.
That convenience may be the reason fewer people are riding from other, smaller stations in the area.
New York-bound Harrison O'Marde sits alone in this old Train Station in Clifton Forge.
“I've taken this train once, I thought I was lost because it didn't look like much of a station,” WDBJ7 Reporter David Kaplan said.
“The first time I came here, same thing! I went next door asking ‘where's the station?’” passenger Harrison O’Marde said.
The hour drive from Roanoke is a small price to pay for comfort and $140 round-trip.
“You're more relaxed on the train,” O’Marde said.
But O'Marde is one of just two people getting on this train.
Since 2011 when the Smartway bus began, the number of riders getting on and off here dropped nearly 6 percent.
Seems like everyone is going to Lynchburg, where ridership had jumped nearly 14 percent since the Smartway bus, including O'Marde's granddaughter when he needed to be picked up here.
“She went to Lynchburg one time, she went to Lynchburg and I had to wait,” O’Marde said.
Some riders even think Amtrak is ignoring the smaller stations like Clifton Forge.
“I'm looking at my watch right now, it's 12:29. This train was supposed to get here at 12:23. Passengers say this is a huge issue because there are no agents inside to tell them why the train is late,” Kaplan said.
“We need to upgrade, we need someone inside, an agent who can provide information to us,” traveler Nahum Clark said.
Because no one was inside to help, Nahum Clarke had to call Amtrak's automated line every few minutes to get the latest updates.
When Clarke called, they said that the train was running an hour behind schedule.
In all, two got on and three got off the 12:23 train in Clifton Forge.
Small potatoes compared to Lynchburg's numbers, but for some, potatoes nonetheless.
Danville is the other smaller station in our viewing area. The drop in ridership there is almost 9 percent.
All these drops in ridership could be more drastic if the Governor’s transportation bill stays the same and passenger rail extends into Roanoke.
