Amtrak Seattle Meeting: A Victory Lap For FY24

By Jim Mathews / President & CEO

Amtrak’s executive leadership took a “victory lap” this week during the annual public meeting of Amtrak’s Board of Directors in Seattle, reporting new records for ridership and revenues in Fiscal 2024, touting progress in fielding new trainsets and launching new and expanded services, and celebrating new infrastructure investments totaling $4.5 billion in fleet and infrastructure projects.

Amtrak said 32.8 million passengers traveled on Amtrak in Fiscal 2024, beating the previous year by 15 percent. Ticket revenue reached $2.5 billion, a high-water mark for the railroad and nine percent higher than a year earlier.

“This record ridership shows that travelers throughout the U.S. want efficient travel options, and we are committed to meeting that demand,” said CEO Stephen Gardner. “Through bold investments, strong partnerships with states and host railroads, and dedicated planning, we are doubling down on our vision to connect more people and communities like never before.”

For passengers, probably the most-notable news from Seattle was public confirmation that Amtrak is now targeting this Spring for the long-delayed new Acela trainsets to enter service on the Northeast Corridor, along with a declaration from President Roger Harris that “you will be seeing an evolution of food service in which we will be moving away from what has been characterized as ‘flex dining.’”

Eliminating “Flexible Dining” in favor of a traditional dining menu for all passengers regardless of class was one of nearly two dozen recommendations we made in 2023 as part of the congressionally ordered Amtrak Food & Beverage Working Group. The legislation authorizing the working group mandated a leading role for this Association in that effort to ensure passengers’ desires for better food and beverage are taken seriously, and if traditional dining really can return to the entire long-distance network, it will be a very welcome win that was a long time coming.

Getting the new Acelas into service will also be a big win for the millions of passengers who rely on the Northeast Corridor. My most recent trip on the Acela was just this Wednesday and while it was fast and on time, it was also crowded, creaky, and definitely in desperate need of a “glow-up.” New Acelas can’t enter service fast enough, where they’ll offer more amenities, more reliability, and – crucially for Amtrak – more capacity per trainset.

Amtrak’s Assistant VP for Major Programs - Fleet Development & Expansion, Karyn Criswell, said during the public Seattle meeting that “we are currently preparing for pre-revenue testing” on the new Alstom trainsets. Of the 28 trainsets on order, 14 have been formally delivered to Amtrak.

Meanwhile, in 2026 the Cascades service in the Pacific Northwest will get the first of 83 originally ordered Siemens Airo trainsets, kicking off a five-year rollout period. In 2027, Airo trainsets will begin replacing Northeast Regional equipment, followed by the Palmetto, plus the state-supported Adirondack, Carolinian, Downeaster, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Maple Leaf, New Haven/Springfield Service (Amtrak Hartford Line and Valley Flyer), Pennsylvanian, Vermonter, and Virginia services.

“We have pricing locked in” on options for 103 additional trainsets, says Criswell. “That’s a huge benefit to us and our state partners.”

As for the elderly Superliners, interior “refresh” modifications should be finished on the entire remaining fleet by next December. Next year will focus on diners, lounges, and sleepers, with the majority of the Superliner coach refreshes now finished. We last reported to you in August on the status of bringing more equipment back to life, noting that on top of the scheduled refurbishments and repairs, Amtrak’s repair forces also had to absorb an additional workload of 44 recently wrecked pieces of equipment spanning the whole range of Amtrak’s car types.

(For a more in-depth report on the Seattle meeting, you can read the always-excellent Bob Johnston's takeout from the event earlier this week by clicking here.)