Amtrak FY25 record performance: ridership, revenue, growth

Amtrak FY25 record performance capped Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25): the railroad set new highs for ridership and revenue while continuing to improve the travel experience across its national network.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Taken together, these results underline growing demand for passenger rail in the United States and show how Amtrak’s focus on reliability and service quality is shaping the foundation for future growth.

Amtrak President Roger Harris stressed that operational success is measured not only by moving more people, but by moving them better. In his view, putting dependable operations and the customer experience first is what lays the groundwork for the next era of passenger rail in America. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy added that Amtrak’s growth is a preview of what becomes possible when everyone works together to help people get where they need to go, with faster trains, more affordable service, extended routes and new infrastructure opening a new chapter for American rail.

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Amtrak FY25 record performance in numbers

From October 2024 through September 2025, Amtrak carried 34.5 million customer trips in FY25, setting all-time records for both ridership and revenue for the second consecutive year. Careful planning and execution allowed the company to boost network capacity by 4.3% despite the constraints of an aging fleet, and strong demand for quality service pushed revenue growth ahead of ridership gains. For readers wondering how many passengers Amtrak carried in FY25, that figure — 34.5 million customer trips — gives a sense of the scale of activity across the network.

According to Amtrak’s official press release “Amtrak: A Year of Records”, preliminary FY25 figures for Amtrak’s 2025 financial results and investments include:

• Ridership: 34.5 million customer trips, a 5.1% increase over FY24 and an all-time record.
• Adjusted Ticket Revenue: $2.7 billion – a first in Amtrak’s history and 10.4% higher year-over-year.
• Total Operating Revenue¹: $3.9 billion, a 9.1% increase over FY24.
• Customer On-time Performance: Northeast Regional trains reached their highest on-time performance in recent years this September.
• Customer Service: Systemwide customer service goals were surpassed, with historical bests in Wi-Fi, food and beverage, train status communications, and station signage.
• Miles Traveled: Amtrak passengers logged 6.9 billion miles in FY25, a new all-time high.
• New Services and New Trains: AmtrakMardi Gras Service along the Gulf Coast and NextGen Acela on the Northeast Corridor made history, while Borealis service in the Midwest drew over a quarter million riders since its FY24 debut.
• Capital Investments: Record $5.5 billion in Amtrak capital investments – up nearly 25% year-over-year – in major projects and state-of-good-repair initiatives.
• Adjusted Operating Earnings²: Improved by 15.1% over FY24 to ($598.4 million), keeping Amtrak on track to achieve train operational profitability by FY28.

Delivering reliable, quality service

Throughout FY25, Amtrak concentrated on “running a great railroad” by delivering reliable, high-quality service that earns customers’ trust. On-time performance ended the year on a strong note, with September bringing the largest gains as the company focused on operational performance, infrastructure reliability and more precise scheduling. New car wash facilities in Seattle, Boston, New Orleans and Chicago improved train cleanliness, while faster terminal turn times and better communications helped smooth the end-to-end travel experience. In combination, these steps show how record ridership and revenue rest on a steady stream of practical improvements that respond directly to customer feedback.

Record ridership and revenue across the network

Amtrak experienced unprecedented demand across its system, serving more riders than ever before. The convenience and frequency of the Northeast Corridor continued to drive financial performance and sit at the core of Amtrak FY25 ridership and revenue records. State Supported services such as the Pacific Surfliner, Amtrak Cascades, Borealis and Empire Service posted record gains, while Long Distance routes saw increased capacity and strong ridership on iconic trains like the California Zephyr, Sunset Limited and Coast Starlight. Amtrak Guest Rewards also passed the 20-million-member mark, and those members now account for more than half of all riders. As previously highlighted by Railway Supply, this FY25 ridership record builds on earlier gains and signals a new phase for U.S. intercity passenger rail.

Expanding the network with new routes

To meet rising demand and broaden options for travelers, Amtrak expanded its network with new service and additional options across the country. AmtrakMardi Gras Service began operating between Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans, carrying more than 18,000 riders in its first month and restoring Gulf Coast service for the first time in nearly 20 years. In the Midwest, Borealis service between the Twin Cities and Chicago carried nearly a quarter million riders in its first full year of operation, fueling a 227% year-over-year surge in corridor ridership since its FY24 launch and underscoring the appeal of these new corridor routes.

Modernizing the fleet with NextGen Acela high-speed trains

Fleet modernization moved forward quickly with the launch of NextGen Acela high-speed trains, America’s newest high-speed trainsets, which welcomed more than 60,000 riders in their first month in service. This step is part of a broader transformation that also includes shipment of the first Airo trainset from Siemens’ Sacramento facility to Pueblo, Colo., for testing, the rollout of new Long Distance locomotives and interior upgrades across the Superliner fleet. Together, these investments respond to what riders expect from new Amtrak trains: more comfort, improved onboard amenities and better efficiency on key routes.

Investing in infrastructure and state of good repair

In FY25, Amtrak invested a record $5.5 billion in capital projects – a 24% increase over the previous year – reflecting the scale of its capital projects and infrastructure upgrades. Within that total, $1.1 billion went to track, catenary, signal and structural maintenance to ensure the backbone of the network keeps pace with growing use. Major bridge, tunnel and station projects advanced, including the Portal North Bridge, Connecticut River Bridge, East River Tunnel and the William H. Gray III 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. Rail yard upgrades to support the new Airo fleet progressed in Seattle and along the East Coast. At the same time, station modernization and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance work continued nationwide, with more than $182 million invested in FY25 alone to make rail travel more accessible to millions of passengers.

Looking ahead to operational profitability by FY28

Building on strong Amtrak FY25 record performance, the company plans to keep rolling out NextGen Acela, debut Airo trains and maintain a clear focus on reliable, customer-focused service.

The combination of improved Adjusted Operating Earnings and a record capital program, also noted by Reuters, keeps Amtrak’s passenger trains firmly on track to achieve operational profitability by FY28 while sustaining a commitment to better service, modern equipment and upgraded infrastructure across the network.

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