Is train travel increasing?

Change in passenger activity in the High Rail Scenario relative to a base scenario, 2020-2050. Passenger rail activity increases in the High Rail Scenario to 15 trillion passenger-kilometres in 2050. Other public transport activities also increase, particularly travel by bus.



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Rail lines are expanding In the US, Amtrak shifted focus from business travel, always slow to recover after a crisis, to leisure travelers. It says that travel over July 4th weekend 2021 was busier than in 2019; it's adding around 300,000 new customers every month; and previous customers are returning2.

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Train travel is making a major comeback in the US, especially in LA.

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Pune, India., Sept. 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The North America rail infrastructure market size was valued at USD 114.31 billion in 2021. The market is expected to grow from USD 119.43 billion in 2022 to USD 162.72 billion by 2029, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.52% during the forecast period.

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But passenger trains are growing in popularity, and not just among the “Flight shame/Train brag” crowd. Congestion in US skies and on American roads, particularly in urban corridors, are already pulling people out of their cars and off shorter flights on to trains.

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While the US was a passenger train pioneer in the 19th century, after WWII, railways began to decline. The auto industry was booming, and Americans bought cars and houses in suburbs without rail connections. Highways (as well as aviation) became the focus of infrastructure spending, at the expense of rail.

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In the coming years, Amtrak will invest over $50 billion into modern trains, enhanced stations and facilities, new tunnels and bridges, and other critical infrastructure upgrades. These generational investments mean we're no longer only a passenger rail operator.

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In fiscal year 2022, Amtrak served 22.9 million passengers. That figure was down ten million from 2019 when 33 million people rode Amtrak, a 30% decline.

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Though they're not the most popular method of travel anymore, passenger trains are still used today across the US. There are 3 types of rail systems: intercity passenger, commuter, and freight networks.

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Levels of autonomous trains While full driverless autonomy is certainly technically possible, and is applied on various routes worldwide, it still accounts for only a tiny percentage of trains running today. New trains are still being designed and built with fully equipped driver cabins.

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Now, battery power is coming to trains, in place of the diesel-fueled generators that have powered locomotives for more than a century. Last week, Union Pacific Railroad agreed to buy 20 battery electric freight locomotives from Wabtec and Progress Rail.

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While trucking and shipping companies have begun to recover from these issues, the railroad industry has struggled more in 2022 than it did at the beginning of the pandemic.

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Between an 18-year span following the year after World War II, 1946, passenger traffic declined from 770 million to 298 million by 1964. By the 1950s total industry losses on passenger rail service was over $700 million. Commuter trains declined by 80% from over 2,500 in the mid-1950s to under 500 by the late 1960s.

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There are seven major railroads in the United States (Class I railroads) and over 500 shortline and regional railroads (Class II & Class III railroads). These lines are critical for shippers needing an economical solution to long-haul transportation. See our interactive maps below.

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