OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - The number of people riding Amtrak trains in Oregon and Washington has increased by 12 percent so far this year.

The Washington Department of Transportation says that the Amtrak Cascades service - which operates four daily roundtrips between Portland and Seattle and also provides links to Bellingham, Eugene and Vancouver, British Columbia, - served nearly 80,000 passengers in July alone. The Transportation Department says that's up 12.4 percent over the previous July.

Ridership between Seattle and Portland has increased by about 26 percent, compared to 2007.

Washington state Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond says that shows people are looking for alternatives to traditional highway travel.

The Amtrak Cascades service is operated by Amtrak under contract to the transportation departments of Washington and Oregon.