Accessibility of Amtrak's Long Distance Network

Keywords: Amtrak, rail, passenger rail, transportation, public transportation, accessibility
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

On May 1, 1971, Amtrak took over intercity passenger train service from 20 railroads. Over the 53 years Amtrak has existed, the types and availability of services they offer has changed. Today, Amtrak's services are classified into three different categories: Northeast Corridor (NEC) between Boston, MA and Washington D.C. (funded through Amtrak), long distance routes (funded through Amtrak), and state-supported routes (funded through state subsidies). Nearly all of Amtrak's expansion over the last 20 years has been in NEC service and state-supported routes; no new long distance routes have been added* nor have any been removed since 2005.

Amtrak purports that these long distance routes are vital connections for smaller communities along each route by providing an alternative to driving. The accessibility of many routes, however, is highly variable. All long distance routes have one trip daily in each direction (i.e., one train northbound and one train southbound each day). This means that routes are heavily affected by delays, some stations only see trains departing in the middle of the night, and other issues that affect network accessibility. This research seeks to better communicate accessibility problems with Amtrak's long distance network to better equip people to advocate for long distance passenger rail expansion in their communities.



*The Capitol Limited and Silver Star combined in November 2024 to form the Floridian as a temporary route due to equipment shortages and track construction, but this is neither permanent or significant expansion/contraction.