Amtrak ridership up dramatically, thanks to high gas prices

The Sacramento Bee reports on the significantly higher levels of people traveling by train between California cities this year.

Amtrak says their nationwide ridership is up 11 percent since last year as more people are traveling by their service now that gas prices have gone up.

"'It's been quite surreal in some cases,' said Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham, citing instances of as many as 200 standees on Pacific Surfliner trains traveling between San Diego and Los Angeles. "

Graham also says that the largest increases in ridership are for distances under 500 miles.

Popular routes in California between the Bay Area and Sacramento have seen a 19 percent increase.

Article author Janet Fullwood writes that her Bakersfield to Stockton train was completely full to Fresno.

Read the full story: Train travel hopping with new riders