Rail travel in the United States is having a moment, and Amtrak is at the center of it.

After setting back-to-back all-time ridership records in fiscal years 2024 and 2025, the national passenger rail operator is pouring billions of dollars into new equipment, fresh routes, and corridor upgrades.

That investment is translating into sold-out trains, surging demand on certain lines, and a new generation of travelers discovering that the most-talked-about journeys in America may now be on steel rails instead of at 30,000 feet.

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Record Ridership Fuels a New Era for Amtrak

Amtrak reports that it carried 32.8 million passengers in fiscal year 2024, then climbed again to 34.5 million in fiscal year 2025, marking two consecutive years of record-breaking demand across its network. Executives describe the current period as the largest boom in rail construction and expansion in the company’s history, backed by more than 4 billion dollars in annual infrastructure and fleet investments. Those dollars are funding everything from new bridges and tunnels in the Northeast to state-supported expansions in the South and West.

The ridership surge is being driven by several converging factors: lingering frustration with flight delays and cancellations, renewed interest in low-carbon travel, and a strong leisure market where travelers are willing to trade speed for scenery and space. On many corridors, ticket revenue is now outpacing ridership growth, a sign that passengers are not just riding more often but are also opting for higher-value seating and flexible tickets as they build rail into their regular travel plans.

For Amtrak, the numbers are more than a milestone. They underpin a stated goal of doubling ridership again by 2040 to around 66 million annual trips. To get there, the company is focusing on a set of “hot” routes that already show strong momentum or clear potential. These are the trains filling social feeds with scenery, topping internal ridership charts, and drawing the lion’s share of new investment as the railroad seeks to turn one-time riders into repeat customers.

Northeast Corridor: The Powerhouse That Keeps Growing

No part of the Amtrak network is hotter, in pure passenger volume, than the Northeast Corridor. The busy spine between Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington remains the railroad’s economic engine, and it continues to set the pace for the rest of the system. The Northeast Regional service, which handles most intercity trips on the corridor, now carries over 12 million riders a year, by far the single busiest route in the country.

The premium Acela service, which runs limited-stop express trains on the same corridor, remains one of Amtrak’s most visible brands even as its ridership fluctuates slightly with business travel patterns. Together, Northeast Regional and Acela are effectively one giant high-frequency corridor, and they account for a large share of Amtrak’s revenue and social-media visibility. Peak-period trains are often heavily booked days in advance, especially around holidays, long weekends, and major events in New York and Washington.

The next chapter for this corridor is anchored in equipment upgrades. Amtrak plans to debut its new generation of high-speed trains, often referred to as NextGen Acela, in August 2025, gradually replacing the existing fleet through 2027. The new trainsets will offer more seats, higher top speeds, and upgraded amenities like faster Wi-Fi and expanded power outlets. For travelers, that means more capacity on many of the most sought-after departures, and potentially faster schedules once related infrastructure projects come online.

West Coast Favorites: Cascades, Surfliner and Capitol Corridor

On the West Coast, a trio of state-supported corridors has emerged as some of Amtrak’s buzziest routes, offering a mix of coastal scenery and big-city connectivity that appeals to both commuters and vacationers. The Pacific Surfliner in Southern California, running between San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, and San Diego, routinely logs more than 2 million trips a year and has edged higher as travelers seek a way around freeway congestion on the busy I-5 and U.S. 101 corridors.

Further north, the Capitol Corridor between the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento has solidified its status as one of Amtrak’s million-plus ridership corridors. Frequent trains, a largely double-tracked route, and strong connections to local transit systems have helped the service appeal to both daily commuters and weekend travelers bound for the state capital, wine country, and Northern California’s outdoor destinations.

Perhaps the most closely watched West Coast service at the moment, however, is Amtrak Cascades. Serving cities from Eugene, Oregon to Vancouver, British Columbia, Cascades has just capped a record year of its own, with ridership approaching the one million mark. That growth is particularly notable given that the route weathered temporary service disruptions tied to aging equipment. The line is set to be among the first to receive Amtrak’s new Airo trainsets starting in 2026, with a dedicated maintenance facility under construction in Seattle to support higher speeds and more reliable service. The upgrades are expected to shorten travel times and add capacity on what has become one of the Pacific Northwest’s signature travel experiences.

Southern Momentum: Gulf Coast Revival and Texas Growth

While the Northeast and West Coast corridors have long dominated conversation about U.S. passenger rail, some of Amtrak’s most attention-grabbing developments are now in the South. After years of planning and negotiation, the railroad is preparing to restore passenger service along the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, with a new train branded the Mardi Gras Service. The route, which is slated to begin regular operations in August 2025, will link New Orleans with Mississippi coastal towns such as Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula before terminating in Mobile.

The Mardi Gras Service revives a rail connection that has been dormant since Hurricane Katrina, and early interest has been intense among beachgoers, festival travelers, and coastal residents seeking an alternative to increasingly congested highways. With one-way fares starting in the mid-teens, the line is positioned as an affordable way to string together multiple Gulf South destinations in a single trip, whether for a long weekend or a multi-stop coastal vacation timed around the fall festival season.

In Texas, long-distance routes are also seeing renewed traction. The Sunset Limited, which links Los Angeles and New Orleans via major Texas cities, has posted double-digit year-over-year ridership gains, with a nearly 19 percent jump reported on recent traffic tallies. The Texas Eagle, running between Los Angeles and Chicago through San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and Fort Worth, is close behind with ridership increases in the mid-teens. Although these trains operate only a few times a week over portions of their routes, their growth outpaces many other long-distance services, highlighting pent-up demand in a fast-growing region where intercity rail options remain relatively sparse.

State-Supported Standouts: Virginia and the Keystone Corridor

Beyond the marquee coastal routes, state partnerships are helping to create some of Amtrak’s hottest regional services in places that once saw only a handful of trains. Nowhere is that more evident than in Virginia, where the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority reports that state-supported Amtrak routes set an all-time ridership record in calendar year 2024. Just under 1.4 million passengers traveled on Amtrak Virginia services last year, smashing pre-pandemic benchmarks and posting gains across every corridor.

Virginia’s four primary routes, which link Roanoke, Norfolk, Newport News, and Richmond with Washington and the Northeast Corridor, have incrementally added frequencies and new endpoints over the past decade. The strategy of layering additional trains onto a shared spine into Washington is paying off. The Norfolk route alone carried more than half a million riders in 2024, while the other lines also logged healthy single-digit percentage growth. For many Virginians, trains have become a default choice for trips to Washington, New York, and Boston as higher frequencies make same-day business and leisure travel easier.

In Pennsylvania, the Keystone Service between Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and New York continues to rank among the country’s six busiest Amtrak routes. With more than 1.3 million riders in the latest fiscal year and steady year-over-year growth, the corridor has evolved into a high-frequency, quasi-commuter service that also attracts students and leisure travelers. Electrification and relatively fast schedules help make the line an appealing alternative to driving on the sometimes-congested Pennsylvania Turnpike and Schuylkill Expressway.

Scenic Long-Distance Icons: Zephyrs, Chief and Beyond

While short and medium-length corridors dominate ridership statistics, some of Amtrak’s long-distance routes are attracting outsize attention for their scenic value and social-media appeal. The California Zephyr, which runs between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area via Denver, Salt Lake City, and Reno, is often described as one of the most beautiful train rides in North America. The route threads through the Rocky Mountains, follows the upper Colorado River, and crosses the Sierra Nevada, drawing both domestic and international travelers who build entire itineraries around the two-day journey.

Recent ridership data shows that the California Zephyr has largely recovered from pandemic-era lows, carrying well over 300,000 passengers in a recent fiscal year and trending upward as tourism returns. Even with just one daily train in each direction, peak-season departures can sell out sleeping cars weeks or months in advance, especially around major holidays and during the late-summer window when mountain scenery is at its most dramatic.

Other western long-distance routes are seeing similar interest. The Southwest Chief, linking Chicago and Los Angeles via Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, has registered double-digit percentage ridership growth, aided in part by travelers who use the train as a rolling base camp for visiting national parks and Route 66 communities. The Texas Eagle and Sunset Limited, which share portions of their routes, have benefited from the same combination of nostalgia, scenery, and an expanding base of first-time rail passengers eager to experience overnight train travel.

New Trains, New Investment and What Travelers Can Expect Next

The routes drawing the most attention today are also the ones most likely to see tangible improvements over the next several years. Amtrak’s multibillion-dollar fleet renewal program is centered on two new families of equipment. The first is the NextGen Acela fleet dedicated to the Northeast Corridor, due to begin carrying passengers in late summer 2025. The second is the Amtrak Airo family of corridor trains, which will roll out starting in 2026 on select state-supported routes such as Cascades in the Pacific Northwest.

For passengers, the upgrades will be visible in more spacious interiors, added luggage capacity, better lighting, and modern conveniences ranging from USB ports at every seat to improved onboard information systems. The new trainsets are also designed to accelerate faster and operate more efficiently, potentially shaving minutes off schedules once supporting infrastructure is in place. On certain corridors, including some in the Pacific Northwest and along the East Coast, the new trains will be paired with track, signal, and station projects funded through the federal infrastructure law.

Even as new equipment comes online, Amtrak’s expansion strategy remains closely tied to partnerships with states and regional agencies. Recent years have seen the launch or restoration of services such as the Gulf Coast Mardi Gras trains, additional frequencies in Virginia and the Midwest, and planning work for future corridors in places like North Carolina, Ohio, and the Front Range of Colorado. For travelers, that means that the list of “hot” routes is likely to grow, especially where short- and medium-distance trips can capture drivers shifting away from congested highways.

FAQ

Q1. What are Amtrak’s hottest routes for ridership right now?
Amtrak’s busiest routes include the Northeast Regional and Acela services on the Northeast Corridor, the Pacific Surfliner and Capitol Corridor in California, the Keystone Service in Pennsylvania, and fast-growing state-supported lines such as Amtrak Virginia and Cascades in the Pacific Northwest. Several long-distance routes, including the California Zephyr and Southwest Chief, are also seeing strong interest from leisure travelers.

Q2. Why is Amtrak seeing record ridership?
Record ridership is being driven by frustration with air travel disruptions, growing awareness of climate impacts, and a strong leisure market that values comfort and scenery. Federal infrastructure funding and state partnerships are adding new frequencies and restoring routes, while rising highway congestion makes rail a more attractive option for many intercity trips.

Q3. What new Amtrak routes should travelers watch in 2025 and 2026?
Travelers should watch the new Mardi Gras Service along the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and Mobile, which is set to restore passenger rail to several Mississippi coastal towns. Expanded Amtrak Virginia frequencies, incremental improvements in Midwest corridors, and potential additional services tied to federal grants are also in the pipeline.

Q4. How are the new NextGen Acela trains changing the Northeast Corridor?
The new high-speed Acela trainsets, slated to debut in August 2025, will add seating capacity, modern amenities, and higher top speeds to the Northeast Corridor. Over time, they are expected to support faster schedules, more frequent service, and a more reliable premium offering between Washington, New York, and Boston.

Q5. What is special about the Amtrak Cascades route?
Amtrak Cascades connects Eugene, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, British Columbia, along a scenic coastline and through major technology and university hubs. It has become one of the railroad’s fastest-growing regional services and will be among the first to receive new Airo trainsets, promising shorter trip times and a more modern onboard experience.

Q6. Are long-distance trains like the California Zephyr still popular?
Yes. Long-distance routes such as the California Zephyr, Southwest Chief, Texas Eagle, and Sunset Limited are benefiting from renewed interest in slow travel and immersive experiences. Many riders book these trains specifically for the scenery and the chance to travel overnight in sleeping cars, and peak-season departures can sell out well ahead of departure.

Q7. How is Virginia becoming a standout for Amtrak service?
Virginia has invested heavily in passenger rail through the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, funding additional trains and new endpoints on routes linking Roanoke, Norfolk, Newport News, and Richmond with Washington and the Northeast Corridor. Those state-supported services carried nearly 1.4 million riders in 2024, setting a new record and outpacing pre-pandemic levels by a wide margin.

Q8. What can travelers expect from the new Amtrak Airo trains?
Amtrak Airo trains will feature brighter interiors, large windows, improved seating, more reliable Wi-Fi, and power at every seat. They are designed for higher acceleration and better energy efficiency on short and medium-distance routes. The first Airo trainsets are expected to enter service in 2026 on select state-supported corridors, including the Cascades route.

Q9. Is train travel becoming more competitive with flying for certain trips?
On corridors of roughly 100 to 400 miles, trains are increasingly competitive with flying when security lines, boarding time, and airport transfers are factored in. Routes like the Northeast Corridor, Keystone Service, Amtrak Virginia lines, and some California corridors offer downtown-to-downtown travel that can be faster door-to-door while also providing more space to work or relax.

Q10. How far in advance should passengers book tickets on popular Amtrak routes?
For peak travel periods such as holidays, long weekends, and major events, travelers are advised to book several weeks in advance on the busiest routes, especially if they want specific departure times or sleeping car accommodations. On everyday dates, many corridor trains can still be booked closer to departure, but the most in-demand time slots increasingly sell out as ridership grows.