What is the Amtrak Infrastructure Plan?

Over the next 15 years, Amtrak's vision for expansion will connect up to 160 communities throughout the United States by building new or improved rail corridors in over 25 states. Amtrak's plan will benefit all Americans and impact rural main street and urban city centers.



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Congress approved $66 billion for rail as part of the 2021 massive infrastructure bill, with Amtrak receiving $22 billion.

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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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Future cars In 2022, Amtrak announced that they would be replacing all of their current Superliner, Amfleet, and Viewliner I passenger cars by 2032. Amtrak issued a request for information from ten manufacturers in December 2022, with a request for proposals planned for 2023.

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According to the 2021 U.S. Department of Energy Data Book, Amtrak is 46% more energy efficient than traveling by car and 34% more energy efficient than domestic air travel. For more information on our sustainability initiatives, goals, and projects, read our latest annual report.

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Many of the lines don't make any money or are operated at a loss. To accommodate the money-losing routes, Amtrak uses profits from its popular lines, such as the Northeast Corridor. Since this is one of the most popular routes, Amtrak can charge higher prices and send those profits to other, less profitable lines.

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Amtrak's expansion plan, dubbed Amtrak Connects US, proposes service improvements to 25 existing routes and the addition of 39 entirely new routes. If the vision were to be fully realized, it would bring passenger rail to almost every major city in the US in 15 years.

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The new Acela will operate at top speeds of 160 mph vs. today's fleet, which operates at top speeds of 150 mph. Amtrak's new Acela fleet is scheduled to enter service on the NEC in 2024.

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Amtrak was founded to relieve American railroads of the financial burden of providing passenger service and to improve the quality of that service.

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Amtrak trains and accommodations tend to sell out during holidays and peak travel periods. Because fares vary based on the date and time you travel.

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Train travel is much simpler, as there is no TSA PreCheck® or CLEAR equivalent for Amtrak. Amtrak trains offer private rooms, more legroom, more space from your fellow passengers, more comfortable seats, and more food & beverage options.

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It was supposed to become self-supporting after a transition period, but it has never earned a profit and it consumed more than $50 billion in federal subsidies over five decades to 2020. In fiscal year 2021, Amtrak had revenues of $2.1 billion, expenses of $4.1 billion, and a loss of $2.0 billion.

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Amtrak is a federally chartered corporation, with the federal government as majority stockholder. The Amtrak Board of Directors is appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Amtrak is operated as a for-profit company, rather than a public authority.

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Amtrak operates passenger trains across a national system consisting of three service lines: Northeast Corridor (NEC), Long-Distance and State-Supported.

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For as long as there have been railroads, locomotive changes have been essential to the officials of the railroads, so that a locomotive could be exchanged for the rest of the trip to the next locomotive changing facility or the destination of the train.

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