BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- Traci Thompson couldn't wait to board the noon train with her five friends today.
“It's very comfortable. The scenery is really nice. We can talk to each other without one of us having to worry about driving or looking at a map,” Thompson said.
That's not even the best part.
The group often drives to the beach for Memorial Day weekend, but the high gas prices brought that idea to a halt.
“The one way ticket was only $32. It takes more than $50 to fill up my tank, so we thought this was a good deal,” Thompson added.
In fact there were several groups riding Amtrak for the same reason.
Eliza Stanley usually drives her grandchildren to Gatlinburg in her S.U.V. for Memorial Day, but altered that annual itinerary months ago.
“I made that decision when they upped the gas prices. I really did. I just really could not afford to go in my truck,” Stanley explained.
For many at the Birmingham Amtrak station Friday, climbing aboard a train car was a first.
A moment some had looked forward to for a long, long time.
“Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to ride a train and this is kind of like a little dream come true for me and now is the best time to do it,” Stanley stated.
It would be a time to watch the scenery go by and leave their gas guzzling worries behind them.
Amtrak says ticket sales for the Crescent train which passes through Birmingham are up 11% since last year.
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