PORTLAND, Me. -- Preliminary figures from the first month and a half of operation suggest the Downeaster passenger train is on track to overtake Amtrak's ridership expectations for 2002, a rail supporter said Friday.

"As of today, I can say with increased confidence that we will meet or exceed the first-year ridership projections on the Downeaster," said Michael Murray, executive director of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority.

Murray is basing his optimism on strong ridership in January, typically the slowest month in the Northeast for train travel. More than 20,000 people climbed aboard last month, the Portland Press Herald reports.

That number should rise significantly between April and September, the peak months for tourism in Maine. Amtrak has estimated that 320,000 people will ride the train this year.

"If we can move 20,000 people in a low-ridership month," Murray said, "it leads us to have very positive expectations about what is to follow."

Numbers released by Murray provide the public with the first glimpse of how the long-awaited train service is doing in terms of ridership and revenue. They also show which runs are the most profitable and where commuters are buying passes.

In total, 34,306 passengers rode the train from Dec. 15, the day the service started, through January. The trips generated $550,854 in ticket revenue. Based on projections, Murray said he expects the Downeaster service to cover its operating costs.

Murray was also upbeat about February ridership. Reservations show that seats on the most popular runs this weekend and next week, during school vacation, are largely sold out.

Amtrak has been running the train with three passenger cars and a cafe car that seat 216. The service is planning to add another car or two during the period to accommodate more riders, especially those who show up without a reserved ticket.

"We'll keep the last car for people who just walk on," Murray said.

The Downeaster has four round trips daily between Portland and Boston, for a total of eight runs. Officials record each rider on a run, so round-trippers are counted each way.

The most popular run is train 685, which leaves Boston at 6:15 p.m. and arrives in Portland at 9 p.m. In January, 5,056 people rode that train, generating $75,696 in ticket sales. The next most popular run is train 682, which departs Portland at 8:45 a.m. and gets into Boston's North Station at 11:30 a.m. It had 3,557 riders and took in $56,123.

A key statistic missing from the data is how many people boarded at each station. Murray said he hopes to have more detailed numbers from Amtrak soon that will show how many riders got on in Portland, for instance, and where they got off.

In a related matter, Murray noted that the Downeaster will begin stopping Tuesday in Saco, where a new platform has just been built.

The new figures also show where passengers are buying the SmartPass commuter pass, which covers travel for 10 or 30 days. The most activity is between Boston and Exeter, N.H., where 78 passes were purchased in December and January for a total of $9,555. In Maine, 19 passes were sold during that period for travel between Wells and Boston.

Murray also observed that the majority of reservations were being made over the telephone through Amtrak's toll-free number, 1-800-USA-RAIL. To reduce costs, he encouraged passengers to book a seat at www.thedowneaster.com or www.amtrak.com on the Internet.

Either way, Murray suggested that riders make a reservation, rather than just show up at the station. "You may not get a seat," he warned.

Initial figures for the Downeaster have thrilled Wayne Davis, chairman of TrainRiders/Northeast. Davis has maintained for years that officials were underestimating the demand for renewed passenger service between Portland and Boston.

"The January figures are amazing," Davis said. "There doesn't seem to be a seasonal slowdown. It just shows the need was there."

Davis said he has taken the train seven times since service began. He has met businesspeople heading from Wells to Boston, and riders going between stations on the route. He has also overheard people saying they were trying the train as an alternative to driving.

"People are using it for transportation, not entertainment," he said.