Amtrak Fiscal Year 2022: The Beginning of a New Era of Rail

Company focused on service restoration, ridership growth, building a new workforce and infrastructure improvement

WASHINGTON – Amtrak continued rebuilding its business and began a new era of intercity passenger rail investment in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 by growing ridership by 89%, restoring and expanding service across the nation and launching major infrastructure projects. From hiring a record level of employees to building a new Capital Delivery organization focused on modernizing infrastructure, major stations and trains, Amtrak is creating the capacity and talent to bring sustainable investments and improvements to intercity passenger rail communities across the nation.

“We worked hard to restore service and grow ridership in the face of lingering impacts from the pandemic, all while modernizing our assets to make train travel a better experience for customers,” said Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner. “Thanks to the hard work and dedication of every employee and the bipartisan support and collaboration from the Biden Administration, Congress and our state partners, Amtrak brought more trains back to more places and expanded our network to connect more people across America.”

Demand for Amtrak service returned strongly in the second half of FY22 following last winter’s Omicron wave, with overall ridership reaching about 85% of pre-COVID levels. Northeast Corridor (NEC), State Supported and Long Distance ridership grew 110%, 85% and 56% respectively compared to FY21 ridership. Based on current forecasts, Amtrak expects ridership and revenue to improve above 90% of pre-COVID levels by the end of FY23, bucking the trend of continued lower ridership seen on most commuter railroads and public transit systems. The increase in ridership and revenue helped Amtrak reduce operating losses by $145 million compared to anticipated FY22 levels, setting the stage for improving financial performance for train operations over the years ahead.

“Ridership exceeding our expectations shows that travelers are flocking back to Amtrak for intercity trips and that the United States is ready for more and better passenger rail service,” said Amtrak Board Chair Tony Coscia. “We are doing our part to help deliver a new era of passenger rail improvements and low-carbon mobility. As we begin the new year, Amtrak will prioritize service improvements for customers, expand our network and advance our infrastructure and fleet modernization programs.”

Preliminary results for FY22 (Oct. 2021 – Sept. 2022) include:

• Ridership: Provided 22.9 million customer trips, including 7 million first trips by new customers.
• Service Updates: Added, restored or expanded 11 services in collaboration with state and federal partners, returning some service to nearly every route compared to pre-pandemic operations and helping to meet growing customer demand.
• Jobs Created: Fueling Amtrak’s recovery, Amtrak hired more than 3,700 people to support service restoration and capacity expansion and strengthened its position as a great place to work. This hiring surge includes nearly 3,000 skilled union employees and more than 700 management employees.
• Major Projects: Advanced 10 major capital projects that will use Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to modernize Amtrak’s fleet and railroad infrastructure, including track, bridges and tunnels used by Amtrak trains and the company’s commuter railroad partners.
• Total Capital Spend: Invested $2.3 billion in capital projects, including advancing new fleets of trains to operate in the Northeast and other areas of the U.S.; major infrastructure programs like the Portal North Bridge in Kearny, N.J. and the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program in Baltimore, Md.; accessibility projects supporting Amtrak’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) across the nation; and other station and facility improvements.
• Total Operating Revenue¹: $2.8 billion, increased 47.8% over FY21, and only 15% below Amtrak’s FY19 pre-pandemic revenue levels.
• Adjusted Operating Earnings²: ($884.9 million), an 18.2% improvement over FY21, and $145 million ahead of Amtrak’s FY22 plan due to strong ticket-revenue growth.
• Safety: Continued advancement of industry-leading Safety Management System (SMS) and enhanced our safety culture. Throughout the year, Amtrak prioritized customer safety, advanced infrastructure improvements, deployed technology to build redundancy into operations and made progress on several key safety metrics.

FY22 Accomplishments

New, Expanded and Restored Service:

• State-Supported
  • Amtrak, in conjunction with the New York and Massachusetts Departments of Transportation (NYSDOT) and (MassDOT), debuted its newest train service, the Berkshire Flyer, a seasonal pilot service for summer travel between New York City and Pittsfield, Mass.
  • Extended service in conjunction with the Vermont Agency of Transportation and NYSDOT for the Ethan Allen Express to new stops in Burlington, Vergennes, and Middlebury, Vt.
  • In conjunction with VIA Rail Canada and NYSDOT, resumed service to Toronto, Ontario via the Maple Leaf train and with the Oregon and Washington State Departments of Transportation, returned service to Vancouver, British Columbia via the Amtrak Cascades route for the first time since 2020.
  • Amtrak and NYSDOT resumed direct service to and from the Empire State’s largest annual event – the Great New York State Fair this past summer.
  • Amtrak, in partnership with the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA), began a second daily Northeast Regional departure from Roanoke, Va., a third daily departure from Norfolk, Va. and restored a second daily roundtrip to and from Newport News, Va.
• NEC
  • In partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Amtrak restored Keystone Service trains, fully restoring all pre-pandemic service between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pa.
  • In partnership with the Connecticut Department of Transportation and MassDOT, Amtrak restored service of Amtrak Hartford Line
  • Amtrak unveiled a summer 2022 schedule featuring the most Acela frequencies since the onset of the pandemic and Northeast Regional departures nearing 80% of pre-pandemic service levels.
  • In partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) and SeaStreak, began offering travelers connecting service from Providence Station to Newport, R.I. via convenient shuttle connections to and from the SeaStreak Ferry Terminal.
• Long Distance
  • Restored pre-pandemic service frequency to all Long Distance trains across Amtrak’s National Network.
• Other
  • Introduced a new Amtrak Thruway Connection Service bus stop in North Carolina at the Jacksonville Station to the Amtrak Station in Wilson, N.C. and initiated two daily round trips connecting Reading and Pottstown, Pa. to William H. Gray III 30^th Street Station in Philadelphia, providing access to the NEC and other services in the Amtrak network.
  • Restored the Amtrak Winter Park Express service between Denver Union Station and the Winter Park Resort.

Amtrak Connects US and Network Expansion:

• Continued to advance plans to expand Amtrak service across the country in partnership with states, local communities and host railroads. This includes planning and development activities to support:
  • A new state-supported service between the Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago, anticipated to begin in FY23, in partnership with the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation.
  • The launch of a fourth Piedmont daily roundtrip train between Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C. in partnership with the N.C. Department of Transportation.
  • Reestablishing new Gulf Coast Service via two daily Amtrak trains between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., in partnership with the Southern Rail Commission.

Equipment:

• New Acela Trains
  • Amtrak unveiled interiors of the new Acela fleet. Set to elevate the travel experience, the new Acela is built in New York by Alstom and will offer enhancements in comfort, technology, innovation and safety on Amtrak’s most environmentally sustainable fleet of trains to date.
• Northeast Regional, Long Distance and State Supported Fleet
  • Amtrak began a program to replace other Amtrak-owned locomotives and railcars throughout the country with a new, state-of-the-art fleet:
    • Ordered another 50 locomotives as a major investment in Amtrak’s Long Distance services. This now brings the order with Siemens Mobility in California to a total of 125 cleaner and faster diesel-electric units, all of which will be in service by the end of the decade.
    • Continued to introduce new state-owned railcars on Amtrak Midwest (and soon California) routes, offering more amenities and improved accessibility.
    • Advanced planning for the purchase of a new fleet of Long Distance passenger cars with new amenities, improved accessibility and greater comfort, which will replace cars that were delivered to Amtrak between the 1970s and 1990s.
    • Put plans in motion for new trains that will operate throughout the country that will replace Amtrak’s existing fleet of Amfleet regional passenger cars. The new trains will focus on comfort and efficiency, providing even more advantages to traveling by rail.

Stations:

• New York City
  • In partnership with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and NJ TRANSIT, began preliminary design work for New York Penn Station Reconstruction – a generational effort to modernize and improve the busiest station in the Amtrak network.
  • Introduced a new bar menu at the Metropolitan Lounge in Moynihan Train Hall in New York City offering beer, wine, cocktails and hot food.
  • Debuted Art at Amtrak, a year-round public art initiative that will bring a variety of visual works to New York Penn Station and provide an unparalleled creative platform for New York and New Jersey artists.
• Baltimore
  • Broke ground and began construction on the Baltimore Penn Station redevelopment project with Penn Station Partners as part of a $150 million investment.
• Philadelphia
  • Continued to advance improvements at William H. Gray 30^th Street Station:
    • Reached 60% design for the majority of the station’s design elements.
    • Began construction on the temporary off-site office to support the renovation of the current station’s office space.
  • Chicago
    • Improved the customer experience at Chicago Union Station by replacing the furniture in the Metropolitan Lounge, refreshing four public restrooms, refinishing historic benches and entry doors, refurbishing vacant retail spaces for new vendors and making improvements to the floor, wall finishes and HVAC, lighting and electrical systems through the building.
  • Other
    • Added new elevators and escalators at stations in Pittsburgh, Pa. and New Carrollton, Md.
    • Completed a $15 million station improvement project in Homewood, Ill.
    • With the resumption of service on the Point Defiance Bypass, moved into the new Tacoma Dome Station for Cascades and Coast Starlight In addition to the benefits of the new station, resumption of operations over this route will improve reliability, reduce travel time and provide an opportunity for additional train frequencies.

Infrastructure:

• NEC
  • Continued making necessary infrastructure improvements between Washington D.C., and New York City via a $130 million investment for rail improvements and the hiring of 500 new employees.
• New York City
  • Advanced the North River Tunnel stabilization program by remediating damage to the benchwall system and cleaning clogged drains in the south tube of the North River Tunnel.
• Baltimore
  • Kicked off procurement for the Southern Approach construction package, which is the first of three major construction contracts for the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program in Baltimore.
• New Jersey
  • Completed infrastructure improvements along a 16-mile segment of track between New Brunswick and South Brunswick, N.J., so current Acela trains can travel at speeds of up to 150 mph and the new Acela trains can travel at 160 mph.

Gateway:

• Entered into a contract with global engineering, consulting and design firm Arup to begin designing the expansion of New York Penn Station, including the first new tracks, platforms and concourses connected to the station in more than a century.
• Advanced the Hudson Tunnel Project in coordination with partners, including receiving an improved project rating from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) that qualifies the project for federal funding.
• In partnership with NJ TRANSIT, broke ground on the Portal North Bridge project to replace a century-old, moveable span with a fixed bridge over the Hackensack River in New Jersey.
• Awarded contracts for the preliminary design of Sawtooth Bridges Replacement and Dock Bridge Rehabilitation projects and for the final design of the Harrison Fourth Track project.

Product Upgrades:

• Introduced new Café menus, featuring fresher and higher-quality products and reduced prices, for select items on NEC and Long Distance trains.
• Amtrak and the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency introduced a pet program on Amtrak Pacific Surfliner
• Unveiled a new paint scheme on the new and more environmentally-friendly Amtrak ALC-42 locomotives.
• Added new soft goods to all private rooms on Long Distance trains to improve comfort.
• Continued to refresh the interiors of Long Distance Superliner

Sustainability and Climate Resilience:

• Pledged to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across all operations and the Amtrak network by 2045. This net zero emissions target focuses on expanding efforts across Amtrak’s entire carbon footprint to reduce environmental impacts from operations while safely moving people.
• Issued the annual FY21 Sustainability Report that measures progress against annual and long-term sustainability goals.
• Developed the first regional Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Climate Resilience Strategic Plan to mitigate the impacts of climate change on operations and formally established a climate resilience program.

Safety:

• Unveiled a specially-painted Amtrak P-42 diesel locomotive, emblazoned on both sides with the message, “See Tracks? Think Train!” to raise awareness for grade crossing and trespassing safety efforts and commemorate the 50^th anniversary of Operation Lifesaver.
• The Amtrak Police Department and Operation Lifesaver mobilized “Operation Clear Track” to reduce deaths and injuries surrounding railroad tracks and crossings.
• Improved safety and security of the NEC right-of-way by deploying approximately 200 solar-powered, secured vehicular gates to better restrict entry.

Accessibility:

• Dedicated more than $158 million to Amtrak’s ADA Stations Program, which has now brought 104 stations to full compliance and another 69 stations to full compliance, excluding platforms. This includes:
  • Started work on the 7^th Avenue and 32^nd Street entrance at New York Penn Station, which will add an elevator, widen the entrance, and replace the stairs and the two existing escalators with three transit-grade escalators.
  • Investment of more than $16 million planned for the Johnstown Station in Pennsylvania as part of the ADA Stations Program and State of Good Repair Funding.
  • Completed construction projects valued at $4.5 million to improve accessibility and safety in Ashland, Va., with the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), a $5.4 million project in Greenwood, Miss. and a $9 million investment in Westerly, R.I. with RIDOT.
• Implemented a new capability to allow reservations for multiple passengers with disabilities and the ability for passengers both with and without a disability to request assistance, while making a reservation on Amtrak.com or the Amtrak App.

Technology:

• Introduced 175 new ticketing kiosks in 150 stations across the country for an improved customer experience.
• Implemented self-service functionality for customers to modify or cancel their reservation during service disruptions or to self-modify from a cancelation.
• Upgraded Wi-Fi equipment to improve the customer experience across existing fleets, including the Auto Train, Long Distance, Midwest, Cascades, and Amfleet, as well as the first 40 Siemens Venture cars supporting the Illinois Department of Transportation and Amtrak Midwest passengers.
• Deployed new Passenger Information Display Systems (PIDS) at nine Amtrak stations, including Harrisburg, Pa. Battle Creek, MI and South Bend, Ind.
• Upgraded Washington Union Terminal to AMTEC control system and migrated dispatchers from the legacy K-Tower structure to a new control center in the REA building.

Diversity & Inclusion:

• Scored a 90 out of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which measures corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.
• Received the highest score possible on the 2022 Disability Equality Index (DEI®), which measures tangible actions companies take to achieve disability inclusion and equality in the workplace.
• Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™, the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Talent & People:

• Amtrak and North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) signed a landmark national agreement to promote a strong workforce pipeline of U.S. union construction workers to build Amtrak’s critical infrastructure assets.
• Received an FRA $8 million grant that enables Amtrak to advance its new apprenticeship program to attract and retain talent and train over 600 employees in the next three to five years.
• Earned a spot on Forbes magazine’s America’s Best Employers and America’s Best Employers for New Graduates 2022 lists.

Leadership:

• Appointed Stephen Gardner as CEO, following the retirement of Bill Flynn in January.
• Announced the promotions of Roger Harris to President and Gerhard (Gery) Williams to Executive Vice President, Service Delivery & Operations in June.

Marketing Partnerships:

• Produced and promoted its newest marketing and advertising campaign with teams in the MLB, NHL, WNBA, and college athletes playing in the NEC to reach new audiences and attract new riders.
• Partnered with NYC & Company, the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitor’s bureau for the five boroughs of New York City to promote travel to Manhattan by train.
• Was named the official transportation partner for:
  • The 2022 CIAA Men’s & Women’s Basketball Tournament in coordination with Visit Baltimore.
  • Harry Potter: The Exhibition, at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.
  • “Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience,” the new exhibition produced in partnership with the National Geographic Society.
• Launched a new interactive train exhibit in partnership with the VPRA at the Children’s Museum of Richmond.

Purpose:

• Partnered with Delivering Good to donate 119,596 individual items, including bedding, towels, and linens to local organizations in Seattle, Oakland, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City and Miami that help those in need.
• Launched the Office of Community Engagement in June for outreach and engagement with local communities to support Amtrak’s role as both a transportation provider and community partner.

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