National
Passenger railroads see a sharp jump in ridership as gas prices climb

May 1, 20265:00 AM ET
Heard on Morning Edition
Joel Rose


Travelers board an Acela train at Union Station in Washington, D.C., in November 2024. Amtrak reported a 5% increase in ridership in March, compared with the year before.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

WASHINGTON — As the average price of gas climbs above $4 a gallon, ridership on U.S. passenger railroads is surging, too. ... Amtrak, the national passenger railroad, reported a 5% increase in ridership in March, compared with a year ago. And Brightline, the privately owned railroad in Florida, says ridership soared more than 20% for the same month.

"It usually would be shorter to drive, but the gas prices are high," said Joshua Newman of Washington, D.C., as he waited to board an Amtrak train for the first time in his life at Union Station this week. Newman, 20, was on his way to visit friends at a festival in North Carolina. "I would rather take the train, instead of having to actually worry about the other prices that come with driving."

It generally takes a lot to get Americans out of their cars. But the average nationwide price of a gallon of gas rose this week to $4.30, the most since the war in Iran began two months ago. And for Dorothy English, that is simply too much to pay.

"It's really ridiculous," said English, who recently drove up the East Coast. "Let me tell you, I actually spent $140 to fill up, from Florida to New York. I mean, like, every time we went to another state, we were filling it up."

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