Amtrak for its fiscal year ending Sept. 30 set a new record by carrying 31.2 million passengers, up 3.5 percent from a year earlier.

Full-year ticket revenue also reached a new high, rising 6.8 percent to $2.02 billion. The rail operator cited "improved passenger services such as Wi-Fi and e-ticketing, high gasoline prices, continued growth in business travel on the Northeast Corridor, the increased appeal and popularity of rail travel, dissatisfaction with congested highways and air travel, and effective marketing campaigns." Specifically in the business-travel-oriented Northeast Corridor, Acela Express volume edged up 0.5 percent to 3.4 million passengers, "its second-best year ever," and the Northeast Regional service carried 8 percent more passengers to a "new record" of 8 million.