Traveling by rail has made its comeback this year. Amtrak saw a record number of riders this year, and Charlottesville's station earned itself a spot on the top of Virginia's ridership list.
The number of people who don't have access to intercity transportation has tripled over the last five years. Those numbers have caused people to turn to one of the oldest forms of transportation - trains.
The demand to travel by train continues to grow as Amtrak serviced more than 31 million passengers this year. Charlottesville's station ranked fifth in ridership in Virginia, with about 128,000 passenger boardings and departures.
The increase in passengers doesn't just benefit Amtrak. The local economies also prosper from the high demand of rail riders. According to Amtrak, the spike in passengers will support job growth, promote tourism and will help foster the Charlottesville economy.
The number of boardings and departures for Virginia totaled nearly 1.5 million. Leading the way in Virginia was the Staples Mill Road station in Richmond with nearly 346,000 boardings and departures. It was followed by the Amtrak Auto station in Lorton with 265,000. The Alexandria station was third at 170,000, followed by the Newport News station at 136,000.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Reported by Marcella Robertson
