Amtrak recently reported that ridership exceeded expectations during its 2023 fiscal year that ended in September as 28.6 million people rode Amtrak nationwide, a 24.6 percent increase from the previous fiscal year.
“Amtrak ridership continues to set post-pandemic records thanks to our customers who were anxious to travel again and attracted to the many benefits of train travel,” Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said on Nov. 30. “This resurgence was made possible by our dedicated employees, our many state and host railroad partners, and ongoing support from the Biden Administration and Congress. We’re inspired by the soaring demand for intercity passenger rail and are eager to continue connecting more people and places.”
September saw ridership match pre-pandemic levels.
Northeast Regional ridership grew more than 29 percent and served nearly 9.2 million customer trips. Fourth-quarter ridership levels were 8 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Acela ridership grew 38 percent, making nearly 3 million customer trips.
State supported ridership grew nearly 23 percent, making more than 12.5 million customer trips, while long-distance ridership grew more than 12 percent after nearly 3.9 million customers booked trips.
Amtrak also said it made its largest annual capital investment ever during the fiscal year. It invested nearly $3 billion into modern trains and infrastructure upgrades.
Total operating revenue was $3.4 billion, a 20 percent increase over FY22, due to the increased ridership and higher ticket revenue.