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[quote user="blue streak 1"] [quote user="Phoebe Vet"]In the past week, I rode the Crescent between Charlotte and DC twice, the Regional between DC & Baltimore once, and the Acela between Baltimore and DC once.  The Acela was the only one of the four that was not functionally sold out. It was pretty full, but it did have a few empty seats.  On the other three [/quote] Phoebe Vet: It constantly appears that the Cresent is always sold out Charlottelville - WASH.  Until the new WASH - Lynchburg train is started I believe that my idea of rotating the Carolinian equipment onto the Cresent for CLT - WASH may have merrit. Of course AMTRAK has to wait for some Amfleet I's to be overhauled. [/quote]   The Crescent probably sells out periodically between Charlottesville and Washington, but according to Amtrak's numbers it is not very often.  For the first five months of FY09 the train, which saw a one per cent increase in the number of riders over the same period in FY08, had an average load factor of 46.6 per cent.  This compares to an average load factor of 51.0 per cent during FY08.  This is well below functionally sold out.  The train lost 46.2 per cent more money per passenger mile during the first five months of FY09 than it did in FY08, although part of the increase was due to a change in Amtrak's accounting. During the same period the Acela's saw an 11.5 decrease in the number of riders and a 10.4 per cent decrease in revenues.  The average load factor declined from 61.9 per cent to 57.9 per cent, and the contribution per passenger mile declined 58.4 per cent, although the Acela's more than covered their operating expenses.  The regional trains experienced a ridership decrease of 7.4 per cent that drove a reduction in revenues of 6.2 per cent.  The contribution per passenger mile slipped into the red after having been in the black during FY08.  Amtrak attributes the decline in ridership to the slumping economy and the significant drop in the price of gasoline as well as jet fuel.
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