Amtrak Continues Positive Gains in Revenue, Ridership

"Amtrak saw record ridership and revenue in 2019, the railroad said Friday, marking its third straight year of improvements as the railroad attempts to break even for the first time in its five-decade history next year," reports Graham Rapier.

Amtrak only lost $29.8 million in the fiscal year ending September 30, according to Rapier, after bringing in $3.3 billion in revenue. The railroad lost 83 percent less than it did in 2018.

As for ridership: "In the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak's busiest and most important route from Washington DC, to Boston, ridership increased about 3%, with the premium "Acela" high-speed service seeing a 4.3% jump. Long-distance routes, which have drawn the ire of lawmakers for their cash burn, saw ridership climb just under 1%."

The article includes explanation for how Amtrak has achieved its recent run of ridership and revenue success.