The Train’s Fare Box Doesn’t Pay for Itself — And That’s Okay

In his keynote address, John Robert Smith, Chairman of Transportation for America, acknowledged that most rail services are not profitable based solely on farebox revenue. Noting that this is also true for other modes of transportation, he stressed the need to dismantle the myth that passenger rail should be financially self-sustaining in this way.

https://railway-news.com/the-economic-case-for-rail-investment-in-the-us/

Key highlights from the 2024 Public Transportation Fact Book and Ridership Policy Brief include: 

• Public transportation delivers a strong return on investment—$5 in economic output for every $1 invested. 
• More than 77 percent of federal transit funding flows to the private sector. 
• Transit riders can save more than $13,000 annually compared to driving. 

• Transit agencies provided 4.27 billion vehicle revenue miles of service in 2022, an increase from 2021. 
• The number of rail systems grew to 99, a 62 percent increase from 2002. 
• More than 1,600 zero-emission buses are now in service. 
• Transit accessibility for people with wheelchairs and other mobility challenges has improved dramatically, with bus accessibility reaching 99.8 percent in 2024, up from 95 percent in 2004. 

https://www.masstransitmag.com/management/press-release/55290558/american-public-transportation-association-aptas-new-report-reveals-us-transit-ridership-increasing-to-85-percent-of-pre-pandemic-levels?o_eid=5785D5873312E2J&rdx.ident[pull]=omeda|5785D5873312E2J&utm_campaign=CPS250515038&utm_medium=email&utm_source=MASS+Daily

 Ditching cars for rail Wisconsin Amtrak passengers find accessibility

“I’ll take this any day,” says one traveler who found solace on the train from Milwaukee to Chicago — a key route for the state’s Amtrak expansion. 

https://wisconsinwatch.org/2025/03/wisconsin-amtrak-train-rail-hiawatha-milwaukee-chicago-passengers/

 https://spectrumlocalnews.com/me/maine/traffic_and_transit/2025/03/06/passenger-rail-backers-tell-lawmakers--maine-needs-to-get-on-board--with-expansion-plans 

 Proponents see passenger expansion as a practical and necessary investment that would share the opportunity for economic development that rail delivers with more rural parts of Maine. At the same time, it would provide sustainable mass transportation for residents, workers, commuters, tourists heading for Acadia National Park or waterfront concerts in Bangor and students attending colleges in Lewiston, Waterville, Bangor and Orono. 

Read the article at: https://www.pressherald.com/2025/03/04/rail-advocates-renew-push-for-passenger-service-to-bangor/

 Though past efforts have failed, a broader coalition of Democratic and Republican lawmakers from urban and rural areas are backing this year’s proposal to study how to expand passenger rail service from Maine’s biggest city to the home of its flagship university. Read the whole article at: https://https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/03/03/politics/state-politics/how-a-new-push-for-rail-to-the-bangor-area-won-over-republican-skeptics-joam40zk0w/

Read about the efforts to expand passenger service to Northern Maine in Maine Morningstar: https://mainemorningstar.com/2025/02/24/proponents-moving-full-steam-ahead-with-passenger-rail-expansion-efforts-in-maine/

 "As a for-profit company, Amtrak fails ... spectacularly. As a government agency, created half a century ago to carry out a public purpose recognized in law and in Supreme Court rulings, it is a spectacular success worth celebrating, supporting, and building up." 

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2025/02/10/op-ed-amtrak-isnt-profitable-and-thats-okay

Doug Shoup passed away today.  He was the author of The High Cost of Free Parking which reflects how much cars are subsidized.  A response to those who claim "passenger trains cost too much". 

https://www.cp-dr.com/articles/donald-shoup-wasn039t-just-about-parking-he-was-about

 CSX Transportation, which operates on 481 miles of track and maintains 269 public grade crossings in Maine, will increase some train speeds to 40 mph in the coming weeks. That’s up from 10 to 25 mph, depending on track locations. 

This is great news for rail business in Maine!

 CSX Transportation, which operates on 481 miles of track and maintains 269 public grade crossings in Maine, will increase some train speeds to 40 mph in the coming weeks. That’s up from 10 to 25 mph, depending on track locations. 

This is great news for rail business in Maine!

 On Saturday, Jan. 24, 1925, Los Angeles introduced a law that gave motorists priority in the city’s streets. It went into effect just after midnight. Disobedient pedestrians were suddenly "jaywalkers." The Los Angeles Traffic Ordinance of 1925 became the model for the country because organizations with a business interest in driving made it the model. Their success helped Americans reconceive streets as places just for cars, and engineers designed streets to implicitly tell drivers “This place is for you. You can drive fast here.” Marginalized pedestrians were forced to fend for themselves.  

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2025/01/21/why-americans-dont-walk-a-forgotten-centennial