Amtrak Seeks to Expand Network Significantly by 2035, Riding on Federal Infrastructure Bill Momentum

Columbus is the capital of Ohio, with a population of nearly 900,000, located at the center of a 15-county region. According to William Murdock, executive director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), the region is the fastest-growing in the Midwest. Columbus is also "the largest city in the United States not connected to the Amtrak national network." Columbus is one of many cities and rural areas hoping to benefit from the largest federal investment in passenger rail in Amtrak's 50-year history.

Earlier this year, amid the optimism of the early Biden administration, Amtrak CEO William Flynn unveiled an ambitious national route map, planning new or expanded passenger rail service for many parts of the country. Currently, Amtrak's expansion fate rests with Congress. If House Democrats agree to pass the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, the national passenger rail company could receive more than $100 billion over the next five years. The bill guarantees $66 billion for freight and passenger rail, with another $36 billion subject to future congressional appropriations.

Transportation planners in the Midwest, Southeast, and West are focusing on the bill's "Corridor Identification and Development Program," designed to help states establish new intercity trains, expand existing routes, or restore former service. Possible expansions of existing routes include Chicago-Milwaukee, Washington-Roanoke (Virginia), and Vancouver-Seattle-Portland (Oregon). Future new service could include Atlanta-Charlotte (North Carolina), Cleveland-Detroit, and Atlanta-Nashville.

"This creates a better framework for states and Amtrak to work together to expand service," said Mark Weitenbeck, treasurer of the Wisconsin Association of Railroad Passengers. Under the new bill, the U.S. Department of Transportation could provide multi-year support for projects through phased funding agreements before states or multi-state compacts take over.

If the plan is fully implemented by 2035, Amtrak expects to add 30 or more new routes and increase service frequency on at least 20 existing routes. Up to 160 communities would see new Amtrak service, and 15 states would gain multiple daily trains.

When Amtrak took over most of the nation's intercity passenger rail service in 1971, it served 43 states with 184 daily trains. Although Amtrak currently operates 300 daily trains in 46 states, parts of Canada, and the District of Columbia, its route map has changed little compared to 1971. Despite rapid population growth in Sun Belt cities such as Atlanta, Phoenix, and Austin, and shifting employment patterns across multiple regions. In 2019, Amtrak carried 32 million passengers; the proposed intercity corridor expansion is expected to add 20 million more passengers.

Robert Poole, director of transportation policy at the free-market think tank Reason Foundation, disagrees with this forecast. "My biggest problem with this plan is that it assumes there is a huge unmet demand for this type of train travel," he said. "I don't think we have evidence to support that, and the cost of trying to stimulate that demand is enormous."

Positioning rail as a driver of equitable development

In Ohio, Amtrak plans to launch a new Cincinnati-Columbus-Cleveland route, connecting to the national rail network at both ends. MORPC is also advocating for a new east-west line connecting Columbus with Chicago and Pittsburgh.

Columbus needs a new train station, Murdock said, and developers are eyeing sites near the downtown convention center and hotels. Murdock called it a "prosperous area," but acknowledged that housing is scarce in the Short North and Arena District near the proposed station. "We don't have enough housing to support population growth at all income levels, so that's a real concern for us," he said.

Alon Levy, a fellow at New York University's Marron Institute of Urban Management, focuses on public transit research. He believes office buildings "could fill in residential development near downtown stations," but he said that in Columbus, Cleveland, and other Midwestern cities, single-family homes begin just a few blocks from downtown, limiting commercial development opportunities.

Amtrak CEO Flynn said in a statement that the proposed federal investment would create jobs and improve equity nationwide. A study commissioned by Amtrak supports this claim, concluding that the corridor plan would drive $195 billion in additional economic activity through capital investment between 2021 and 2035, and support more than 26,000 permanent jobs.

According to Amtrak's 2021 Corridor Vision plan, "geographic expansion into areas with significant Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities" would also help reduce racial and economic inequality. In Ohio, Murdock said the planning commission is studying new stations in underserved areas, reinforced by bus rapid transit and transit-oriented housing.

Connecting urban and rural populations

Murdock added that rural communities in Ohio are often the most excited about gaining train service. "They see the economic possibilities that stations bring, making towns more attractive," he said.

Jim Mathews, president of the Rail Passengers Association (RPA), a pro-rail organization older than Amtrak itself, cited the city of Meridian, Mississippi—a city of 36,000—as an example of rail's economic value to small communities. In 1997, it built the Union Station multimodal center on the site of its historic 1906 train station. According to Amtrak, the nearly $7 million initial construction cost helped generate $135 million in public and private investment in the warehouse district.

Jarod Pearson, president of the Tennessee Rail Passenger Association advocacy group, lives in Cowan, Tennessee—a community of just over 1,600 people. Although a freight rail line runs through his hometown, the nearest Amtrak station is in Atlanta, a three-hour drive away. Amtrak's expansion plan could change that, with proposed new train service from Atlanta to Chattanooga and Nashville on existing rail lines. He hopes Cowan could become a stop on the route. "I would go to Chattanooga more often," he said. "If I could avoid traffic congestion, I would not hesitate to spend more time in the area—that's one of the appeals of passenger rail."

Pearson added that train service would help the region's economy and improve access to healthcare and jobs. "It makes rural areas more livable."

Obstacles for rail

Despite calls from urban planners and passenger rail advocates for more and better trains, obstacles remain even if the infrastructure bill passes.

Amtrak operates over 21,400 miles of service but owns only 623 miles of it. It operates, maintains, and dispatches another 229 miles, but most of the rest is owned by other railroads or government agencies. Freight railroads are notorious for causing severe delays to passenger trains. In 2020, only one of Amtrak's 15 long-distance trains had an on-time performance above 80%, and six were below 60%. The Sunset Limited, running between Los Angeles and New Orleans, was on time only one-third of the time in 2020.

Freight railroads may resist adding more passenger trains or require Amtrak to make expensive upgrades to freight lines. In Maine, on tracks owned by Pan Am Railways, a passing siding needs to be extended by six miles to allow Amtrak to add a sixth round trip between Brunswick, Maine, and Boston. Construction is currently underway. On Amtrak's Chicago-Milwaukee line, Canadian Pacific said it would not agree to increased train service after opponents in Glenview, Illinois, objected to two passing sidings the railroad required.

Poole noted, "There are policy implications that haven't been discussed in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint." He explained that U.S. freight railroads have been optimized for efficiency. "If we deliberately add more passenger trains on those freight lines through policy, it will reduce the efficiency and economics of rail freight, rather than moving it by truck."

Amtrak spokesperson Beth Toll said in an email that Amtrak has worked closely with host railroads and has had "multi-year discussions" on many proposed new routes. RPA's Mathews is optimistic that these issues can be resolved as Amtrak advances its expansion plans.

MORPC's Murdock noted that in Ohio, "the investments needed to provide passenger rail service on these routes through Columbus will also improve freight bottlenecks and freight speeds."

At least anecdotally, there is interest in more train service. According to Murdock, "Whether it's large conventions, businesses, or young people moving to Columbus, one of the questions they often ask is 'Where is the train station?'"

"America has a terrible history of prioritizing highways and cars over other modes of transportation, destroying communities in the process," said Amtrak's Toll. "As a result, millions of people, including large numbers of people of color, lack access to reliable, fast, and sustainable transportation options," she added, saying Amtrak hopes to "address that inequity."