It was a banner year for U.S. train travel, with Amtrak reporting record ridership and revenue for the 2025 fiscal year. Travelers logged 6.9 billion miles on Amtrak trains, accounting for 34.5 million customer trips.
Certain U.S. routes saw significant increases in ridership year-over-year in the fiscal year. The Adirondack route, which connects New York City and Montreal, increased ridership by 21.4 percent, while the Sunset Limited that runs from New Orleans to Los Angeles grew by 18.9 percent.
There was also significant growth for the California Zephyr train that runs from Chicago to San Francisco and the Texas Eagle that connects Chicago and San Antonio (and can be extended to Los Angeles).
The Northeast Corridor, which is home to the Northeast Regional and the new Acela trains, remains Amtrak’s most popular region, welcoming over 15 million riders in fiscal year 2025.
“Amtrak’s operational success is not just about moving more people—it’s about moving them better,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris in a Nov. 18, 2025 press release. “These results show what’s possible when we lead with purpose. By prioritizing reliability and the customer experience, we’re laying the foundation for the next generation of passenger rail in America.”
To meet the rising demand for train travel, Amtrak also launched two new successful routes in the last fiscal year. The new Amtrak Mardi Gras Service now runs along the Gulf Coast between Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans. It welcomed 18,000 riders in its first month, while the new Borealis train that connects the Twin Cities and Chicago welcomed nearly a quarter million riders in its first full year.
Amtrak also launched NextGen Acela, a fleet of new high-speed trains that run on the Northeast Corridor, in the last fiscal year.
“Amtrak’s growth is a preview of what’s possible when everyone is working together to help get the American people where they need to go,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy in the release. “Faster trains, more affordable service, and extended routes are opening up a new era of American rail. The best is yet to come as we continue to build big, beautiful infrastructure to support this bright future of transportation.”
In the years ahead, Amtrak will continue rolling out the NextGen Acela fleet and will also debut modern Amtrak Airo trains, new long-distance locomotives, and interior upgrades for the Superliner fleet.
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