Vermont officials say the number of riders on Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express has increased.
The Vermont Agency of Transportation says ridership and revenue figures show a significant jump in riders traveling north of Albany last month.
Ethan Allen Express runs daily between New York City and Rutland, through Albany.
The transportation agency says Amtrak’s most recent report to the state shows that ridership in May 2011 exceeded the number of riders during the same month in 2010 by 24 percent.
The number of riders traveling south of Albany was up 9 percent.
Deputy Transportation Secretary Sue Mintner says the numbers strengthen the Shumlin administration’s focus on extending the Ethan Allen Express service to Middlebury and Burlington and the state’s exploration of additional service options between Albany and Bennington.