Amtrak is booming: Why more Americans are taking its trains than ever before

"After countless cross-country flights over the years, I recently decided to take the scenic route from Los Angeles to Chicago on Amtrak's Southwest Chief. The multi-day train ride cost nearly four times as much as flying and took about 38 hours longer - but it also came with stunning desert views, communal meals with strangers, and games of chess with my husband. Afterward, I was already scheming our next long train trip."

"Turns out I'm not the only American rediscovering the delights of train travel. Amtrak had a record year in 2025, reporting more riders and higher revenue than ever before in its 54-year history. For its fiscal year, which ended in September, the quasi-public national rail service recorded 34.5 million customer trips and $2.7 billion in adjusted ticket revenue, representing a 10% year-over-year increase - even as the company relies on federal funding as it strives to become operationally profitable by 2028."

"Amtrak has benefited from significant investments Though set up as a for-profit corporation, Amtrak is majority-owned by the US government and operates as a federally chartered corporation. Congress created Amtrak in 1970 because private railroads were losing money on their passenger operations, but train service was considered an important public good. Today, Amtrak has three main types of service: the Northeast corridor, which runs from Boston to Washington, DC, with many stops in between; the long-distance routes that travel cross-country; and shorter distance state-supported routes."

A multi-day Amtrak Southwest Chief trip from Los Angeles to Chicago cost nearly four times as much as flying and took about 38 hours longer, yet provided stunning desert views, communal meals, and onboard leisure activities. Amtrak reported a record fiscal year in 2025 with 34.5 million customer trips and $2.7 billion in adjusted ticket revenue, a 10% year-over-year increase. Growing investments, rising demand, and traveler frustration with crowded roads and airline fees are driving renewed interest in train travel. Amtrak operates Northeast Corridor, long-distance, and state-supported routes, and relies on federal funding while aiming for operational profitability by 2028.

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