Amtrak record ridership 2025 marks new era for U.S. rail

Amtrak record ridership 2025 shows more Americans are choosing the train than ever before. The company reports 34.5 million passengers in Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25), just over 5 percent more than the previous year’s 32.8 million trips, which had already been a record.

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

Together, these back-to-back highs trace a clear upward curve for rail travel across the United States, as set out in its “Amtrak: A Year of Records” press release.

Amtrak record ridership 2025 and FY25 ridership and revenue results

As the country’s main provider of intercity passenger rail, Amtrak operates a 21,000-mile network that serves more than 500 station stops in 46 states. In FY25, that network carried 34.5 million riders — a 5.1 percent jump compared with FY24’s then-record 32.8 million trips, a result previously covered by Railway Supply. These FY25 Amtrak ridership and revenue results also include $2.7 billion in adjusted ticket sales and $3.9 billion in total operating revenue, showing how rising demand translates directly into stronger finances.

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Amtrak infrastructure investments 2025 support growth

The surge in passengers goes hand in hand with higher capital spending. In 2025, Amtrak allocated $5.5 billion to infrastructure projects, a 24 percent increase on the previous year. Of that total, $1.1 billion was directed toward track, catenary, signal systems and key structures, while also advancing major bridge, tunnel and station upgrades. In real terms, these Amtrak infrastructure investments 2025 support jobs, feed local economies and make the network more accessible.

Service quality, passenger miles and customer experience

Passengers collectively traveled 6.9 billion miles on Amtrak trains in 2025 — an all-time high for the company. At the same time, on-time performance and customer satisfaction reached historic levels. Riders gave particularly strong feedback on Wi-Fi coverage, food and beverage service, and how clearly staff communicated with them on board, echoing the “rave reviews” the company cited in its press release.

Long-distance and state-supported record gains

The record year was driven in part by long-distance trains, where added capacity met strong demand on flagship routes such as the California Zephyr and the Coast Starlight. State-supported corridors also turned in record results, with services like the Pacific Surfliner, Borealis and Empire Service posting record ridership gains. For anyone asking which Amtrak routes saw record ridership in 2025, these long-distance and corridor trains stand out as core contributors to Amtrak record ridership 2025 across the national network.

New routes: Mardi Gras Gulf Coast service and NextGen Acela launch

Amtrak is not only filling existing trains, but also adding and refreshing services. One of the most visible changes is the Mardi Gras route Gulf Coast service between Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans, which brings passenger rail back to the Gulf Coast for the first time in nearly two decades. On the Northeast Corridor, meanwhile, the railroad has introduced the NextGen Acela, and more than 60,000 people rode the new trainsets during their first month in service. This NextGen Acela launch on the Northeast Corridor is presented as a key piece of Amtrak’s modern, higher-quality intercity offer, a point also highlighted by Metro Magazine.

Leadership perspectives on the future of American rail

Against this backdrop, Amtrak President Roger Harris argues that the latest figures show what is possible when the railroad leads with a clear sense of purpose. By putting reliability and customer experience at the center of its strategy, Amtrak is, in his view, laying the groundwork for the next generation of passenger rail in the United States — not in theory, but through concrete investments and service changes already underway.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, quoted in the same Amtrak press release, treats the FY25 growth as an early preview of what coordinated investment can deliver. Faster trains, more affordable service and extended routes, he notes, are opening the door to a “new era” of American rail, backed by large-scale infrastructure projects designed to keep people and the economy moving.

Amtrak goal of operational profitability by FY28

Looking ahead, Amtrak plans to roll out additional NextGen Acela trainsets, introduce its new Airo fleets and achieve operational profitability by FY28.

The Amtrak goal of operational profitability by FY28 sits alongside continued spending on routes, rolling stock and customer experience. Taken together, record ridership, infrastructure investments and clearer financial targets point to a company trying to turn a moment of growth into a sustained, long-term strategy for U.S. passenger rail.

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