Amtrak facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)

Geographic map of the Amtrak system
The Southwest Chief, one of Amtrak's long-distance trains in the Western United States, in Laguna, New Mexico
Overview
Headquarters	1 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, D.C.
Reporting mark	AMTK and AMTZ IATA code: 2V
Locale	Contiguous United States (except South Dakota and Wyoming) British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec in Canada
Dates of operation	May 1, 1971–present
Predecessors	20 privately operated intercity passenger rail systems
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	12 kV, 25 Hz AC: Northeast Corridor (Washington–New York) and Keystone Corridor 12.5 kV, 60 Hz AC: Northeast Corridor (New York–New Haven) 25 kV, 60 Hz AC: Northeast Corridor (New Haven–Boston)
Length	Routes: 21,400 mi (34,400 km) Track owned: 623 mi (1,003 km)

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, also known as Amtrak, is the main passenger train company in the United States. It runs trains between cities in 46 of the 48 states in the U.S. and in three Canadian provinces. The name Amtrak is a mix of the words America and track.

Amtrak started in 1971. It was created to take over many U.S. passenger train routes. Amtrak gets money from both state and federal governments. However, it is managed like a business that aims to make a profit. Amtrak's main office is in Washington, D.C. It is led by a Board of Directors.

Amtrak's network has over 500 stations. It covers about 21,400 miles (34,400 km) of track. Amtrak owns about 623 miles (1,003 km) of this track. The rest of the tracks are owned by other train companies. Some parts of the track allow trains to go as fast as 150 miles per hour (240 km/h).

In 2022, Amtrak carried 22.9 million passengers. It made $2.1 billion in money. More than 17,100 people worked for Amtrak in 2021. About 87,000 passengers ride Amtrak trains every day. Most passengers travel on routes shorter than 400 miles (640 km).

How Amtrak Started

Early Train Travel

The Pennsylvania Railroad's Congressional in the 1960s

In 1916, almost all people traveling between cities in the U.S. used trains. Private companies owned and ran these passenger trains. Over time, fewer people used trains. This was because of new ways to travel, like buses, airplanes, and cars. By 1940, train travel had dropped a lot.

During World War II, train travel became very busy again. Many troops moved by train. Also, gasoline was limited for cars. After the war, train companies made their trains new and fancy. But this did not stop the number of passengers from falling. By 1957, train companies were losing a lot of money on passenger service. This made it hard for them to stay in business.

Many things caused this decline. The government built new highways and airports. These competed directly with trains. Cars also became very popular after the war. Train companies also faced old rules and problems with worker groups. For example, workers were paid a full day's wage for short trips.

By the 1960s, the situation was serious. Many train routes were stopped. In 1967, the U.S. Post Office stopped sending most mail by passenger trains. This took away a lot of money from the train companies. The trains themselves were also getting old and needed to be replaced.

Creating Amtrak

Penn Central Railroad's employee publication announcing the start of Amtrak on May 1, 1971.

People started to suggest ways to save passenger train service. In 1970, a large train company, Penn Central, was close to going out of business. It wanted to stop 34 of its passenger trains. This made the U.S. Congress act quickly.

In October 1970, Congress passed a law called the Rail Passenger Service Act. President Richard Nixon signed it. This law created the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (NRPC). This new company would be managed like a business. But it would get money from taxpayers. Its job was to take over running passenger trains between cities.

Here are some main points of the new law:

• Any private train company could join the NRPC.
• The U.S. government would own all of NRPC's special shares.
• Train companies that joined would give money or trains to NRPC. In return, they would get NRPC shares.
• After May 1, 1971, joining companies would not have to run passenger trains anymore. NRPC would run the main routes.
• Companies that did not join had to keep running their passenger trains until 1975.

Out of 26 train companies, only six chose not to join NRPC. The first name for NRPC was Railpax. But just before trains started running, the name was changed to Amtrak. This name combined "America" and "track."

Many people thought Amtrak would not last long. They believed it was a way for the government to show they tried to save trains, but that it would soon disappear. But Amtrak became popular and kept running. It also became clear that private companies could not easily run passenger trains on their own.

Amtrak's Journey Through Time

The Rainbow Era (1970s)

The North Coast Hiawatha near Yakima, Washington, in July 1971. Early Amtrak trains often had cars painted in different colors from their old owners.

Amtrak started running trains on May 1, 1971. Amtrak did not own any tracks at first. All its routes were ones that private companies used to run. Amtrak cut about half of the old passenger train routes. This sometimes made things confusing for staff. At some stations, Amtrak trains only came late at night or early in the morning.

Amtrak leased about 1,200 of the best passenger cars from the private companies. These cars were air-conditioned and easy to keep clean. At first, Amtrak trains had cars and engines with different colors and logos from their old owners. This was called the "Rainbow Era." By 1975, most Amtrak trains were painted in Amtrak's own colors.

Classic Amtrak logo displayed at the Oakland – Jack London Square station, California

Amtrak also had problems with train stations. Many were old and needed repairs. In some cities, like Chicago, there were too many stations. Amtrak tried to use fewer stations. For example, in Chicago, Amtrak moved trains to Chicago Union Station. In New York City, Amtrak had to use two stations for a while. This was because tracks did not connect properly. Later, in 1991, a new connection was built.

An Amtrak EMD SDP40F with the San Francisco Zephyr in 1975. By the mid-1970s, Amtrak equipment was acquiring its own identity.

In 1976, Amtrak bought most of the Northeast Corridor (NEC) tracks. This is the busy route between Washington, D.C., and Boston. This became a very important part of Amtrak's business. But keeping the NEC running well was very expensive. So, Amtrak needed more money from the government.

In its first ten years, Amtrak did not become financially independent. But it did get more people to ride trains. Things like fuel shortages made car and plane travel more expensive. This helped Amtrak. Amtrak also invested in its tracks and trains. The number of passengers grew from 16.6 million in 1972 to 21 million in 1981.

Building and Growing (1980s and 1990s)

An EMD AEM-7 with a Metroliner in Seabrook, Maryland in 1987. This engine was used for over 30 years. An EMD F40PH leads the California Zephyr in 1995.

In 1982, William Graham Claytor Jr. became the head of Amtrak. He had a lot of experience with trains. Even though he had less money from the government, he worked to improve things. High-speed trains on the Washington–New York route became faster. Travel time was cut to under 3 hours. This helped Amtrak get more passengers on this route.

Amtrak also added new trains. In 1983, the California Zephyr started running between Oakland and Chicago. The Auto Train was also brought back. This special train carries both people and their cars. It helps people avoid traffic on the I-95 highway between Virginia and Florida.

In the 1980s and 1990s, many train stations were fixed up. The Empire Connection tunnel opened in New York City in 1991. This allowed all New York trains to use Penn Station. Despite these improvements, the number of Amtrak passengers stayed around 20 million per year.

In the early 1990s, Amtrak tested fast trains from Europe. This helped them plan for new high-speed trains. In 1999, Amtrak announced the Acela Express. This would be a high-speed train on the Northeast Corridor. Changes were made to the tracks to allow for faster electric trains.

New Century, New Growth (2000s and Beyond)

GE Genesis diesel engines lead the Cardinal in 2006. These replaced older engines.

In the early 2000s, more people started riding Amtrak. This was partly because of improvements to the Northeast Corridor. Also, the cost of car fuel went up. The new Acela high-speed train, launched in 2000, brought a lot of attention and new riders.

Amtrak realized it could not become fully self-sufficient. The government continued to provide money. David L. Gunn, who became president in 2002, said that no form of passenger transportation in the U.S. is fully self-sufficient. Highways and airports also need a lot of government money. Gunn focused on fixing old equipment and tracks.

GE Genesis diesel pulls the California Zephyr Train in front of the Rocky Mountains

By 2007, Amtrak had 20,000 employees. It served 25 million passengers a year. This was the highest number since it started. A big challenge for Amtrak is that it often runs out of money. Congress usually gives enough money to keep it going. But it is often not enough to fix all the problems.

In 2011, Amtrak announced a big plan called the Gateway Program. This project aims to build new tunnels under the Hudson River in New York City. It will also add more tracks. This will help more Amtrak and commuter trains run in this very busy area.

Amtrak celebrated its 40th anniversary from 2011 to 2012. They had events across the country. Six train engines were painted in Amtrak's old colors. An Exhibit Train traveled to many communities.

In 2021, President Joe Biden announced a big plan for infrastructure. This plan included a lot of money for trains. Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn shared a plan called Amtrak Connects US. This plan would expand train service to many new cities across the country. Many long-distance routes also returned to daily service in 2021.

How Amtrak Operates

New York City's Penn Station, Amtrak's busiest station

Chicago Union Station, Amtrak's main hub for long-distance trains

Train Routes

Amtrak must operate a national train system by law. Amtrak serves 46 of the 48 states. It also serves Washington, D.C. (Wyoming and South Dakota do not have Amtrak trains). Amtrak services are divided into three main types:

• Short trips on the Northeast Corridor (NEC).
• State-supported short trips outside the NEC.
• Medium and long trips, called the National Network.

Amtrak gets money from the federal government for most of its operations. This includes the NEC and National Network routes. Amtrak also works with states to run other short and medium trips. Besides its own trains, Amtrak also runs commuter trains for other agencies.

Trains on the NEC and between Philadelphia and Harrisburg use overhead electric lines. For the rest of the system, trains use diesel engines. Some routes have trains many times an hour. Others, like the Sunset Limited, run only three days a week. If an area does not have a train station, Amtrak offers bus connections. These are called Amtrak Thruway routes.

The busiest routes are on the NEC. These include the Acela and Northeast Regional trains. In 2021, NEC services carried 4.4 million passengers. Outside the NEC, popular routes are in California. These include the Pacific Surfliner and Capitol Corridor. These California trains carried 2.35 million passengers in 2021.

The busiest stations are:

• New York Penn Station (first)
• Washington Union Station (second)
• Philadelphia 30th Street Station (third)
• Chicago Union Station (fourth)
• Boston South Station (fifth)
• Los Angeles Union Station (sixth)

On-Time Performance

Amtrak measures if trains are on time differently than airlines. A train is on time if it arrives within a certain number of minutes of its schedule. For short trips (under 250 miles), it's 10 minutes. For very long trips (over 551 miles), it's 30 minutes.

Most Amtrak trains run on tracks owned by private freight train companies. Federal law says that freight companies must let Amtrak trains go first. But Amtrak has said that freight companies sometimes do not follow these rules. This can make passenger trains wait for freight trains.

In 2008, rules about train priority became stricter. After this, Amtrak's on-time performance got much better. For example, the Missouri River Runner went from 11% on-time to 95% on-time. This improvement also happened when there was less freight train traffic.

Amtrak started giving "report cards" to the freight companies in 2018. These grades show how well the freight companies help Amtrak trains stay on time. In 2020, Canadian Pacific and Canadian National got an A. Norfolk Southern got a D−.

How Many People Ride Amtrak

Annual ridership by fiscal year 1971–2023

Amtrak carried 15.8 million passengers in 1972. This was its first full year. Since then, ridership has grown. In 2019, a record 32 million passengers rode Amtrak. This was more than double the number in 1972.

In 2020, ridership dropped to 16.8 million. This was because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, it dropped even more to 12.2 million. But in 2022, ridership went up to 22.9 million. In 2023, it increased again to 28.6 million. This is still less than the record in 2019.

Guest Rewards Program

Amtrak has a loyalty program called Guest Rewards. It is like airline frequent-flyer programs. Members earn points by riding Amtrak trains. They can use these points to get free tickets and other rewards.

Rail Passes

Amtrak offers special rail passes. The USA rail pass lets you take 10 rides in 30 days. The California rail pass lets you travel for 7 days within a 21-day period.

Tracks and Stations Owned by Amtrak

Amtrak owns about 730 miles (1,170 km) of track. This includes 17 tunnels and 1,186 bridges. Most of this is on the Northeast Corridor. Amtrak also leases tracks in some places.

Amtrak owns many stations and train yards. These are in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Amtrak owns New York Penn Station, Philadelphia 30th Street Station, and Baltimore Penn Station. It also owns Chicago Union Station.

What's Inside Amtrak Trains

Types of Service

The inside of an Amtrak sleeping car bedroom. The inside of a long-distance Amtrak coach car.

Amtrak offers four types of service: First Class, Sleeper Service, Business Class, and Coach Class.

• First Class: This is only on the Acela train. Seats are larger. Passengers get a free meal and drinks. They can also use special lounges at bigger stations.
• Sleeper Service: These are private rooms on long-distance trains. They include small rooms (roomettes) and larger bedrooms. The price includes a helper and hot meals on most routes. At night, the rooms turn into sleeping areas with beds. Showers are available. Passengers can use special lounges at some stations.
• Business Class: This is offered on Acela and many other trains. Seats often have extra legroom. Passengers may get free non-alcoholic drinks. Seats recline and have tray tables and power outlets.
• Coach Class: This is the standard service on most Amtrak trains. Seats recline and have tray tables, footrests, and power outlets. On long-distance trains, coach seats have more legroom and leg rests. Some trains have a "quiet car" where people should not talk loudly or make phone calls.

Wi-Fi and Electronic Services

Amtrak started offering free Wi-Fi on some trains in 2008. By 2014, most Amtrak passengers had Wi-Fi access. However, the Wi-Fi can sometimes be slow or unreliable. This is because it uses a cell phone network connection. Some routes, especially in the western U.S., do not have Wi-Fi because there are no cell towers.

Amtrak also launched an e-ticketing system in 2012. This allows passengers to use electronic tickets. It helps Amtrak know who is on the train. This makes travel safer and more secure.

Baggage and Cargo Services

A Viewliner II baggage car at New London in 2016

Passengers can bring carry-on bags on all Amtrak routes. Some routes also have baggage cars for checked luggage. Since 2010, passengers can check unloaded firearms in their baggage.

Amtrak also has a cargo service called Amtrak Express. It ships small packages between many Amtrak stations. Cargo travels in the baggage cars.

Amtrak is popular for people who travel with bicycles. Unlike airlines, most Amtrak trains have bike racks. You usually need to reserve a spot for your bike.

Amtrak's Impact on the Environment

How Amtrak Affects the Environment

Train travel is generally better for the environment than flying or driving. For each passenger mile, Amtrak uses 30–40 percent less energy than planes and cars. Electric trains on the Northeast Corridor are even more efficient. They can even send energy back to the power grid when they brake.

In 2005, Amtrak's carbon dioxide emissions were about 0.411 pounds per mile (0.116 kg per km) per passenger. This is similar to a car with two people. It is less than a long-distance domestic flight. Diesel trains produce more greenhouse gases than electric trains.

Amtrak's diesel trains can cause air pollution in the areas they operate. More stops along a route can also lead to higher emissions. Some Amtrak facilities have also been linked to pollution in rivers.

How the Environment Affects Amtrak

Amtrak's tracks and other structures can be damaged by natural causes. More rain from climate change can cause water damage. Hotter weather can cause tracks to bend or "buckle."

In September 2021, a hurricane caused flooding on the Northeast Corridor. This shut down the tracks for a whole day. Heavy snow can also cause delays and cancellations.

Rising summer temperatures are causing more track buckles. When tracks get too hot, the metal expands and can bend. This means trains have to go slower. This causes delays and fewer trains can run each day.

How Amtrak Gets Money

Amtrak gets money every year from the U.S. federal and state governments. This money helps pay for running the trains and for big projects.

Funding History

Amtrak started in 1971 with some money from the government and loans. People thought it would make enough money by 1974. But this did not happen. By 1981, it was getting $1.25 billion a year from the government.

In the 1980s, the government gave Amtrak less money. Amtrak had to borrow money to keep running. By 1995, Amtrak was almost out of cash. In 1997, Congress gave Amtrak $5.2 billion. This was to help with big projects like the Acela. But it came with a condition: Amtrak had to become self-sufficient by 2003 or close down. Amtrak improved, but it did not become fully self-sufficient.

Amtrak's Piedmont near Charlotte, North Carolina, with a state-owned engine in 2003.

In the 2000s, the government continued to give money to Amtrak. Some states also started to help pay for train services. States like California, Pennsylvania, and Michigan partnered with Amtrak.

When gas prices went up in 2007–08, more people rode Amtrak. In 2008, a new law was passed. It gave Amtrak $2.6 billion a year until 2013.

Amtrak says that in 2010, it covered 79% of its costs with ticket sales. This is called "farebox recovery." By 2018, this went up to 94.9%.

Amtrak needs money to replace old trains. It also needs to fix old tracks and bridges. Many bridges on the Northeast Corridor are from the 1800s. Tunnels under Baltimore are from the Civil War era. These repairs would cost billions of dollars. Amtrak's budget is decided year by year. This makes it hard to plan big projects that take many years.

In 2021, a new law called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was passed. This law gave a lot of money to trains. Amtrak received $22 billion to help expand passenger train service to new areas.

Amtrak's Leaders

Amtrak's Board of Directors has eight members chosen by the President. They serve for five years. No more than five members can be from the same political party. Some members must live near the Northeast Corridor. Others must live in states with long-distance or state-supported Amtrak routes.

Current Board Members

Train Accidents

View from above of the 1987 Maryland train collision

Here are some major accidents that have involved Amtrak trains:

Images for kids

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  Amtrak Cascades service with tilting Talgo trainsets in Seattle, Washington, 2006