Factors that Amtrak officials cite as appearing to contribute to the railroad's success include a moderately improved economic environment allowing some recovery of business travel along the Northeast Corridor, sustained high gasoline prices, the increased appeal and popularity of rail travel, effective marketing campaigns, and the introduction of wireless Internet access on the high-speed Acela Express between Washington and Boston.

"The ridership increase shows the continued popularity of rail travel and the need for continued investment in passenger rail service," Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman said in a statement. "We anticipate demand for rail travel will increase with the rise of gasoline prices, and Amtrak is prepared to be there for passengers who want to leave the car behind."

Among Amtrak's long-distance lines, the biggest gains from February 2010 to February 2011 were the Palmetto (New York to Savannah, Georgia) with a 40% increase, the Capitol Limited (Washington to Chicago) with a 32% increase, and the Cardinal (New York to Chicago) with a 24% increase. Acela Express also saw strong ridership growth with a 12% increase.

Amtrak has set annual ridership records in seven of the last eight fiscal years, providing more evidence of a long-term trend toward more people taking trains to their destinations, according to the railroad. Amtrak carried nearly 29 million passengers in FY 2010.

State-supported passenger rail corridors also saw big increases during February. The Blue Water line from Port Huron, Michigan, to Chicago was up 20%. The Piedmont line from Charlotte to Raleigh, North Carolina, also saw gains with ridership increasing 68% from a year ago due to an additional roundtrip added last summer.

Virginia's Newport News line to Washington grew 43% year over year, while the Lynchburg-to-Washington route was up 40%.

"Virginia is very proud of the success of this train," Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation Director Thelma Drake said in a statement. "This success shows that there is demand for intercity passenger rail service in Virginia, and by serving major population centers, we are able to remove thousands of cars from the highways."

Drake attributes some of the Lynchburg-to-Washington ridership increase to better reliability of service.

"Because this service originates in Lynchburg, it has more reliable departure times, and by extension, better on-time performance," she said. "Reliable departure and arrival times are keys to encouraging riders to travel by rail instead of car."

In California, all major routes experienced gains including the Pacific Surfliner service (San Luis Obispo to San Diego), which carried 200,000 passengers in February (an increase of 11% over February 2010); and the Capitol Corridor line from Auburn to San Jose, which carried 125,000 (an increase of 14%).

Ridership on Missouri's River Runner (St. Louis to Kansas City) has grown 16% since June.

"We are pleased that the Missouri River Runner service has grown in reliability, especially for Missourians who depend on alternative transportation options to connect them to their families, businesses, and jobs," Rod Massman, rail administrator for the Missouri Department of Transportation, said in a statement. "People like the convenience of riding the train and are finding it's a very economical way to travel."