While the majority of the 31 commuter rail systems in the United Sates were running at close to pre-pandemic levels as of December, most systems continued to face lower ridership and higher operating costs, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found.
Commuter rail is an alternative to driving between suburbs and city centers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, ridership dropped 81 percent, according to the Federal Transit Administration. Congress provided the transit industry more than $69 billion in relief funding that expired in 2023.
The Senate Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure asked the GAO to update a 2021 report on the status of commuter rail systems’ operations and funding. The update focuses on how commuter rail service and ridership, and funding sources and operating costs, have changed since the pandemic.
GAO analyzed U.S. Department of Transportation service and ridership data from January 2019 through December 2024 for the 31 commuter rail systems, and collected and analyzed funding and cost data for the systems for fiscal year 2023 using a web survey. Survey results were
compared to fiscal year 2019 data.
In addition, the GAO also reviewed federal statutes and guidance and interviewed transportation officials, industry association representatives, and a sample of 10 transit agencies operating commuter rail systems that were selected based on ridership levels, among other things.
The GAO found that 19 of 31 rail systems were operating near or above pre-pandemic service levels, seven systems were between 8.5 and 23.7 percent below pre-pandemic levels, and five systems was more than 25 percent below pre-pandemic levels.
The pandemic is still affecting how residents use and prioritize public transit in their daily activities, transit agencies report, but increases in federal funding since 2019 helped offset lower fare revenue.
“Transit agency officials from one system operating below 2019 levels told us that they are waiting to assess demand for commuter rail service before considering any increase in service,” the GAO said. “As such, these officials said they are planning for it to take longer to return to their previous service levels.”
Some commuter rail systems have adapted by extending service hours, strategically expanding and adapting service based on community needs and feedback, offering free fares and flexible passes for certain passengers, and seeking other revenue sources.
In addition to lower ridership, the majority of systems saw operating costs increase compared to 2019. All systems report a 28 percent increase in nominal operating costs. Inflation, labor costs and material have contributed the increase and are affecting systems’ ability to plan and implement projects.