Amtrak Outlines Vision To Expand, Enhance Rail Service by 2035

Amtrak released its Amtrak Corridor Vision on Thursday, promising more trains, more cities and better service by the year 2035.

The railroad service has set goals of providing more frequent, reliable and sustainable intercity passenger rail service to over 160 more communities and 20 million more passengers annually with the help of states, local communities, the administration and other stakeholders over the next 15 years.

Amtrak’s vision to expand and enhance service across the country includes 39 potential new routes and more trips or other enhancements on 25 existing routes. It aims to improve service in major cities that are currently underserved by rail, such as Houston, Atlanta and Cincinnati, and bring new intercity passenger rail service to cities like Las Vegas, Nashville, Columbus, Phoenix and Wichita while at the same time increasing access for numerous towns and cities in between.

“Now is the time to invest in our country’s infrastructure and future,” Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn said in a statement. “New and improved rail service has the ability to change how our country moves and provides cleaner air, less traffic and a more connected country.”

Amtrak’s Corridor Vision is expected to produce an economic benefit of $8 billion annually by 2035 and generate an additional $195 billion in economic activity through additional capital investment over the next 15 years. The initiative also supports more than 26,000 ongoing permanent jobs as well as 616,000 person-years of employment.

The expansion is also designed to reduce emissions as travel on Amtrak trains outside the Northeast Corridor emits up to 55 percent fewer greenhouse gases compared to driving and up to 30 percent fewer than flying.

“The American people have waited long enough for a sustainable, world-class intercity passenger rail network,” Flynn added. “Congress could pass legislation today to start making Amtrak’s vision a reality: create a Corridor Development Program, pass the Intercity Passenger Rail Trust Fund Act and Rail Passenger Fairness Act, and clarify the law to ensure fair access to host railroads for Amtrak growth.”