Amtrak, whose ridership sank during the first year of the pandemic, continued its recovery throughout fiscal year 2022, which ended Sept. 30: Ridership on the Northeast Corridor between D.C. and Boston showed the strongest rebound.
Northeast Corridor ridership was 110% of what it was in fiscal 2021, carrying 9.3 million passengers.
Amtrak said systemwide demand returned strongly in the second half of fiscal 2022, following last winter’s omicron wave. Overall ridership reached 85% of pre-COVID levels.
Amtrak carried a total of 22.9 million passengers in fiscal 2022, including what it said was 7 million first trips by new customers.
It also continued to bring back service previously suspended due to the pandemic, restoring or expanding 11 services.
Amtrak spent $2.3 billion on capital projects in fiscal 2022, including station and facility improvements and advancing its planned addition of new, high-speed Acela train sets.
Amtrak had total operating revenue in fiscal 2022 of $2.8 billion, a 48% year-over-year increase, and 15% below fiscal 2019 pre-pandemic revenue. It had an operating loss of $884.9 million, an 18.2% improvement over operating losses in fiscal 2021.
Amtrak broke ground and started construction last year on the Baltimore Penn Station redevelopment project, part of a $150 million development. It continues to advance plans for a major expansion and improvements at D.C.’s Union Station.
