After a 'near death' experience, Amtrak prepares for rapid growth

[brooklynite]

Politico

Two years ago, Amtrak was facing a “near-death” experience, Stephen Gardner, CEO of the national passenger rail service, said at a briefing last week with the Association for a Better New York. Both business and travel leisure rapidly grinded to a halt, causing ticket sales to drop 97 percent in a matter of weeks.

Now, the agency is seeing an unprecedented demand for Amtrak seats and rapidly moving to add service to new cities across the nation. Ridership on the Northeast Corridor is only down 15 percent from 2019 levels, with some routes surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

“It’s really very positive that even though the world has changed so much in Covid, we see really strong interest in passenger rail and a whole new generation of riders coming into the network,” Gardner said.

The new demand is reflective of different travel needs, Gardner said. Amtrak’s Empire service that runs to Albany has seen “tremendous growth” driven by the number of people who moved to the Hudson Valley during the pandemic. Leisure trips and new customers are behind most of the new sales, influencing Amtrak to add routes to more getaway destinations. The quasi-public authority recently added service to the Berkshires and Burlington, Vermont.

[Siwsan]

1. I much prefer traveling by rail than by airline

Even when I was still working I would take a 3 week break and ride Amtrak from Flint to Los Angeles. And it's the best way to travel to Chicago from Flint.

[Wounded Bear]

2. We desperately need high speed rail...

It makes so much sense in a nation our size.

[Peacetrain]

3. My 34 year old millennial son is a rail guy all the way

and we live in the Midwest!!

[Initech]

4. Man I would love expanded Surfliner service all the way through Seattle.

Last edited Mon Aug 8, 2022, 07:49 PM - Edit history (1)

Especially because my brother lives in Nor Cal and having rail service all the way through Sacramento to where he lives would be amazing. Better than driving and flying!

[Trailrider1951]

5. Amtrak has a daily long distance train that goes from Seattle to LA

and stops at Sacramento. It's the Coast Starlight and it arrives at Sacramento station at about 6:30 am going southbound, and around 11 pm going northbound. You can find more info about California Amtrak trains here:

https://www.amtrak.com/regions/california.html

I've taken this train from Tacoma many times and it's a great trip. I usually go either to Portland, or all the way to LA, or get off at Sacramento to catch the eastbound California Zephyr that goes to Chicago. Sacramento station has been restored, and it is just beautiful. They just opened a sandwich shop there last time I was there, about a year ago.

I hope Amtrak really benefits from this new money. It can sure use it. But most of all, it needs new management. Secretary Pete, are you listening?

[Initech]

6. Yeah I know about the Coast Starlight.

I want to take the train to Sacramento, but getting there from LA you have to stop in Bakersfield because there's no rail from Bakersfield to like Modesto so you have to get off and take a bus somewhere on that route. It's weird. Hopefully Amtrak will use that money to get that line completed. It would be nice to have a third option!