The Past, Present, Future

Note, this article is a very high level overview of some of the major milestones and events that lead to Amtrak, its history, current situation, and potential future. It is not meant to be all inclusive.

Pre-Amtrak: WWII to May 1, 1971

With the post-war boom in the mid to late 1940s, railroads re-equipped their high-profile passenger trains with the best equipment money could buy. Railroads often custom built or ordered unique cars for specific trains. Such examples include the French Quarter Lounge on Southern Pacific’s Sunset Limited, dome dining cars on Union Pacific’s City of Los Angeles, City of Portland, and the Ranch Car on Great Northern’s Empire Builder.

In the 1950s, the federal government, under the Eisenhower Administration, expanded on a massive transportation “equity” program to rapidly build highways and support air travel. Between 1958 and the beginning of Amtrak operations in 1971, the federal government spent more than $50 billion to build, maintain, and improve interstate highways.

During this same period, the federal government spent $11.3 billion on airports and airlines, including $1 billion in direct cash subsidies to airlines. It also provided a small subsidy of $50 million to intercity bus operators. This was less than 1 percent of the amount spent on highways or airports.

Passenger railroads could not compete in this environment. Ridership declined as travelers switched to air travel and personal motor vehicles. Facing reduced demand, many passenger trains were discontinued and some railroad companies reduced service standards. By the late 1960’s, the cash losses all railroads faced from running passenger trains was too onerous and they wanted relief.

Amtrak’s Inception - May 1, 1971

Beginning in the late 1960s, Congressional hearings were held and legislation was introduced. In October of 1970, President Nixon signed the Railpax law and Amtrak assumed operations on May 1, 1971 to save what was left of passenger trains in the United States.

On April 30, 1971 individual railroads operated 53,000 route miles with 547 passenger trains. When Amtrak took over most of the nation’s intercity passenger service from private railroad companies, it introduced a skeletal route structure of 23,000 miles with 219 trains, all supported with meager funding.

Some of the most storied and revered passenger trains ended service. A few of the trains making their final runs included Union Pacific’s “City of Los Angeles,” Illinois Central’s “Panama Limited,” and Burlington Northern’s (formerly Northern Pacific) “North Coast Limited.” Many lesser-known, local trains ended service. Some famous trains would carry on under Amtrak, including the Penn Central’s (formerly Pennsylvania Railroad) Broadway Limited, the Burlington Northern’s (formerly Great Northern) Empire Builder, and Santa Fe’s SuperChief/El Capitan.

The Amtrak Era: Ups and Downs

The 1973 Arab Oil Embargo significantly boosted Amtrak’s outlook and ridership. As a result, Congress began to invest in Amtrak. New locomotives were ordered, along with new Amfleet and Superliner cars for corridor and long distance trains. Amtrak also established new routes.

Then in October 1979, the Carter Administration, looking to reduce the US budget deficit, cut Amtrak funding by 40% and ended several passenger trains. In the early 1980s, then-President Ronald Reagan sought to kill Amtrak entirely. If it weren’t for the forceful leadership of Amtrak’s Graham Claytor, an even bleaker reality may have come to pass.

Claytor turned things around. New corridor services began in Michigan, Wisconsin, and California in the early to mid 1980s. Minnesota, which re-established service from the Twin Cities to Duluth in 1975 as the Arrowhead, expanded that service to Chicago, and renamed it the North Star. New long distance trains were added, including the Pioneer and Desert Wind. Dining car service - an amenity drastically cut back on in the early 1980s - began to reappear later in the decade. Dining car chefs were schooled at the Culinary Institute of America, and encouraged to try out regional specialties on their individual trains.

By 1994, Amtrak again faced a crisis with a $200 million cash shortfall and Congress threatened to pull the plug. Then-Amtrak President Thomas Downs reorganized the company along “line operations” to maximize revenue and minimize costs. Amtrak introduced new pricing structures and passenger amenities. These initiatives did encourage ridership and increase revenue. New passenger equipment arrived later in the 1990, including Viewliner sleepers for long distance eastern trains and new, state-of-the art locomotives. Amtrak added more state corridor services and frequencies. As a result, system ridership continued to grow.

In the 2000s, the first new high speed train-sets built in over fifty years - the Acela - were introduced on the Northeast Corridor. This corridor saw enhanced service, including reserved seating on regional trains. The Surface Transportation Act - also known as the Fast Act - which authorizes Amtrak, underwent a major re-write in 2008 which stipulated that states must pay entirely for corridor services under 750 miles, a financial outlay paid by all states(s) served by a corridor. It opened a new door for states to work directly with Amtrak to establish new services.

Amtrak and Passenger Rail: Pre and Post-Pandemic Progress

In 2019, then-Amtrak President Richard Anderson, cut passenger amenities, station agents system-wide, and put in place new reservation restrictions. Despite these cuts, ridership grew to its highest levels ever. Amtrak announced it was on track to break even financially in 2020 on its then-current trajectory. The COVID-19 pandemic changed everything and Amtrak sought supplemental funding just to stay alive.

Throughout its history, Amtrak has been constrained by a lack of dedicated funding. Its funding must be appropriated annually by Congress. This annual appropriation process made it extremely difficult to do long term planning, invest in equipment and other major infrastructure, and plan new services. Unlike Amtrak, highways and airports have dedicated federal funding and do not face this annual cycle.

In 2021, the dialogue changed. For the first time in many years, Congress, states, and the general public appeared more aware of the benefits that passenger rail offered. The Infrastructure and Jobs Act of 2021 provided funds for an unprecedented boost in federal aid to transportation including the nation’s passenger rail system. The law sought to address Amtrak’s repair backlog, extend service to more cities, and modernize the Northeast Corridor network.

The IIJA Act appropriated $80 billion for passenger rail over five years - a huge increase in funding - the most significant investment since Amtrak’s founding 50 years ago. Following then-President Biden’s announcement of the infrastructure law, Amtrak released plans for updated service throughout the U.S. The plan proposed creating 30 new routes, additional trips on 20 existing routes, and extending service to 160 new communities.

2021 also saw the introduction of new legislation to break Amtrak’s annual appropriation cycle. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) introduced the Intercity Passenger Rail Trust Fund Act, which would provide permanent funding for Amtrak. That legislation would create a dedicated funding stream to enable Amtrak to invest in major improvement projects, increase passenger rail efficiency, and provide safer and more reliable service. This legislation, however, did not pass.

Passenger rail in many Midwestern states continues to make real progress for the first time in decades. This progress helped state-supported services. Michigan and Illinois upgraded railroad tracks to enable higher running speeds (110 mph) and added more service frequencies. North Carolina, Wisconsin, and other states continue to add frequencies to existing corridors.

As part of the 2021 IIJA, the Federal Railroad Administration conducted a long-distance route study for potential inter-state passenger routes. In 2025, the FRA published its new long-distance route study to Congress. The report studied and proposed 15 new potential long-distance routes across the nation.

New passenger rail models continue to emerge as well. New high speed rail lines in California, and Texas are being built through new private-public models outside of Amtrak. Brightline, a private railroad passenger operator, created and continues to expand its Florida services while constructing a new line from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

Amtrak and Passenger Rail: Where Are We Today?

On the whole, the second Trump administration continues to take an anti-passenger rail stance in its first 18 months. Despite the needed new funding authorized in the 2021 IIJA bill, a significant portion of it has not been obligated or spent since 2025. In the spring of 2025, the Trump Administration cut staff at the Federal Railroad Administration as part of its DOGE cost cutting efforts. This slowed the implementation and evaluation of many projects in the federal funding pipeline. According to the FRA’s most recent ‘Corridor ID Program Monthly Obligation Status Report’ - last updated on 03/31/26 - only 7 of the 67 projects in the Corridor ID program have moved beyond Phase 1 with the last action occurring in July of 2025.

Some passenger rail infrastructure projects have continued under the administration despite pushback. The Administration attempted to halt funding for the Gateway Project - a necessary revitalization project for tunnels under the Hudson River leading to New York Penn Station in 2025, despite support from the first Trump Administration in 2018. However, this project did continue with physical progress made in 2026. President Trump also hopes to rename Penn Station after himself. Recently, the Administration’s proposed FY2027 federal budget proposes a 13.5% decrease in Amtrak funding from $2.47 billion to $2.1 billion. This proposal also suggests completely cutting the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail, a grant program that provides federal funding for passenger rail capital projects - a program that retains bi-partisan support.

A May 2026 House subcommittee budget proposal would cut 11% of Amtrak’s funding for FY2027. The proposed cuts - totaling nearly $7.2 billion - would reduce infrastructure projects, state service partnerships, and safety programs. The current iteration of the IIAJ bill originally passed in 2021 under the Biden Administration expires on September 30th of 2026.

At the state level, Texas is threatening to pull funding for the Heartland Flyer (a daily train between Ft Worth and Oklahoma City. OK), despite strong ridership and economic growth attributed to the service.

Despite proposed federal cuts, many states are planning and introducing new routes and expanded service. In Minnesota, the new Saint Paul to Chicago “Borealis” service began daily roundtrip service on May 21, 2024. Ridership was 416,000 in the first two years of operation - far exceeding forecasts. In Louisiana and Alabama, the new “Mardi Gras” service - commencing operation in 2025 - connects New Orleans and Mobile. It too significantly exceeded ridership expectations, hitting 100,000 in its first 8 months.

Wisconsin is studying a second Twin Cities to Chicago frequency on the Borealis route. In 2026 Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ administration announced a $218 million funding request for an expansion of service from Chicago to Madison via Milwaukee - the “Hiawatha West.” This train would eventually pass through Eau Claire en route to the Twin Cities. All new projects will require federal matching funds for completion so a robust federal bill will be critical.

Despite its turbulent history, recent Amtrak and passenger rail expansions show the importance of these connections for communities and a way forward for creating a safer, better-connected transportation infrastructure for the United States.