![]() Second, railroads operating in the United States have a much higher share of the U.S. First, America’s freight rail network is one of the most efficient and cost-effective transportation networks in the world. Infrastructure, train characteristics, overall operating procedures and regulations vary widely between European and American rail systems. These partnerships have led to significant growth in commuter rail, increasing from six commuter rail systems 40 years ago to 27 today. Before operating on freight-owned property, the freight and commuter railroads reach voluntary agreements governing the relationship including hours of operation, access and number of trains. Half of commuter systems operate at least partially on freight-owned track, and approximately 25% of the miles on which commuter railroads operate are owned by freight railroads or, in the case of the NEC, Amtrak. ![]() On average, pre-pandemic, commuter railroads made over 500 million passenger trips each year. Some major commuter railroads include the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Metro-North in New York and Connecticut the Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Metra in Chicagoland and Metrolink in the Los Angeles region. ![]() Some operate their own trains, while others contract out for the service. Ownership & FundingĪccording to the American Public Transportation Association, there are 32 agencies throughout the nation that operate commuter railroads. Amtrak and host freight railroads each have designated staff that work together to manage the operations on these lines. These operating agreements can include key terms such as train schedules, standard of performance and related incentives and penalties. 70% of the train-miles operated by Amtrak are on tracks owned by these host railroads.Īmtrak’s relationship with host railroads is governed by federal statute and by negotiated bilateral operating agreements. Some of the remaining miles are owned by states or regional transportation authorities, but the vast majority are owned by freight railroads. Of the more than 21,000 miles on which it operates, Amtrak owns approximately 655 miles, primarily in the Northeast and Michigan. These routes are under 750 miles in length between endpoints. In FY19, state-supported routes carried 15.4 million riders, which was 47% of Amtrak’s total ridership. State-Supported Routes: Amtrak operates 28 state-supported routes on behalf of 17 states that are funded in partnership with 20 entities, including state departments of transportation and authorities specifically chartered to administer individual corridors.Nearly 4.5 million riders took a long-distance train in FY19. These are routes of more than 750 miles between endpoints. Long-Distance Routes: Amtrak currently operates 15 long-distance routes through 39 states.Ridership reached 12.5 million in FY19, an increase of 3.3% from FY18. The NEC also hosts extensive commuter rail operations and freight rail service. Amtrak operates the Northeast Regional, Acela service, and portions of other long-distance and state-supported routes on the NEC. This is the most heavily traveled portion of the intercity passenger rail system. NEC Services: The NEC stretches 457 miles from Washington, D.C., to Boston, MA, of which Amtrak owns 363 miles.In fiscal year (FY)19, 32.5 million customers traveled on Amtrak. Amtrak operates passenger trains across a national system consisting of three service lines: Northeast Corridor (NEC), Long-Distance and State-Supported.
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