Amtrak has seen steady ridership growth over the past decade. In fiscal year 2011, Amtrak set new ridership records, carrying over 30 million passengers for the first time. While Amtrak operates fewer routes now than when it started in 1971, it carries over 82,000 passengers daily on its 305 daily trains. Looking to the future, population growth is expected to concentrate around urban areas, increasing pressure on transportation networks. Intercity passenger rail can help meet this growing demand through increased frequencies and new corridor routes built upon the existing long distance network.

1. Amtrak Ridership Growth
&
Intercity Passenger Rail Development
Ray Lang
Amtrak Government Affairs
& Corporate Communications

2. Amtrak Then and Now
• On our opening day in 1971,
Amtrak operated 184 trains
• Today, even after numerous
route closures and system
cutbacks, we operate
Daily train densities on Amtrak’s 305 daily trains
national system, 2010

3. Every day on Amtrak:
We run trains over a 21,000
mile system – 60% of them at
90+ mph

4. We carry more than 82,000
passengers per day

5. And we operate and maintain a
railroad that carries about a quarter
of a million riders – every day!

6. Amtrak Ridership Growth Record
Another Amtrak Ridership
44% increase in Amtrak ridership from FY 2000 - FY 2011
• In FY 2011, Amtrakrecord of nearly 30.2 million passengers in FY 2011 passengers
•All-time carried an all-time record of 30,186,733
(up 5.1 percent vs. annual routes setrecord set recordsthe FY 2011
•New
•26 of 44
FY 2010)
ridership
ridership
in 8 of
in
last 9 years
• 31,000,000 is the best ridership performance by Amtrak in its 40 year
FY 2011
30,000,000 The previous record was set in FY 2010 at 28.7 million million
history. 30.2
passengers.
29,000,000
28,000,000
Total Ridership
• 27,000,000 has now set new ridership records in eight of the last nine years.
Amtrak
26,000,000
• 25,000,000 ridership is up 44 percent since FY 2000.
Amtrak
24,000,000
• 23,000,000
In FY 2011, 26 of 44 Amtrak routes set new ridership records.
22,000,000
• 21,000,000
In FY 2011, the number of Amtrak routes with ridership of more than one
20,000,000passengers grew to seven (up from five in FY 2010)
million 20.9 million
00
01
02
06
07
08
09
10
11
03
04
05
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
Fiscal Year
New ridership record set
Revised October 2011

7. Amtrak Ridership Growth
• In FY 2011, the state-supported and short distance routes had their best
year ever with 14.8 million passengers (up 6.5 percent vs. FY 2010)
- Specifically, 20 of 27 routes in this category set new ridership
records
• In FY 2011, the long-distance trains had their best ridership in 16 years
with 4.5 million passengers (up 1.1 percent vs. FY 2010)
- Specifically, 5 of 15 routes in this category set new ridership records
• If not for several significant weather-related and construction-related
service disruptions, the Amtrak ridership numbers would likely have been
even better
• In FY 2011, Amtrak collected an all-time record of nearly $1.9 billion in
ticket revenue (up 8.5 percent vs. FY 2010)

8. Amtrak Ridership and Funding

9. Intercity passenger transportation in the United States
Federal Investment in Transportation, 1949-2008
70
(2009 Constant Dollars. Time Axis Not to Scale.)
• Since WWII, Federal
60 government has vastly
expanded investment in
Highway
Air
50
aviation and highways
Intercity Passenger Rail
$ Billions
40
• Since Amtrak was created to
30
20
take over rail passenger
10
service in 1971, Federal
0 investment in intercity
1955
1957
1991
1949
1951
1953
1959
1961
1963
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
1,200
Fiscal Year
passenger rail has been
U.S. Intercity Travel Trends by Modal Share, 1929-2004
dwarfed by investment in
1,000
Airport &
competing modes
B-707 Airway Trust
in Service Fund Created
800
Interstate System
80% Complete • For every dollar Federal
Passenger Miles (billions)
600
Interstate
Amtrak
Created
government spent on rail
400
System
Started between 1956 and 2006, it
Bus
Auto
spent:
Air
– $6 on aviation
200
WWII
Rail
0
– $16 on highways
1944
1951
1967
1975
1977
1985
1993
1995
2003
1929
1961
1963
1965
1969
1971
1973
1979
1981
1983
1987
1989
1991
1997
1999
2001

10. Long Distance trains are an important public service
States served only by Long Distance
• On half of our system, the only Trains
form of service Idaho Arkansas
Montana Louisiana
– 23 of 46 states
North Dakota Mississippi
– 223 of 500+ stations Minnesota Alabama
Iowa Georgia
• Major generators of revenue Nebraska Florida
and passenger mileage in FY Kansas Tennessee
2011 Colorado South Carolina
Utah Kentucky
• Since 2006, LD ridership and Nevada Ohio
ticket revenue have grown Arizona West Virginia
substantially New Mexico

11. Amtrak trains provide vital service to rural communities
States with least
• Amtrak serves about 40% of America’s comprehensive rural
rural population population coverage
North
Nebraska
• Percentage of rural population without Dakota
access to scheduled intercity South
Kansas
transportation (rail, air, bus) rising Dakota
West
• Sharp reductions in intercity bus service Alabama
Virginia
have cut rural coverage
Wyoming Montana
• Rural coverage is highly uneven
Kentucky Arkansas
Green indicates Amtrak
serves the state; red
indicates Amtrak does not
Source: BTS

12. The Amtrak system today…

13. …and as it would look without the long distance trains

14. Long Distance Network as a Foundation for Corridors
• Being studied now in Texas, Louisiana, Minnesota and Kansas
– East Texas Corridor, Ft. Worth to Shreveport/Bossier City (Texas
Eagle route addition/frequency increase)
– Minneapolis/St. Paul to Chicago (Empire Builder frequency
increase)
– Kansas City/Newton to Oklahoma City/Ft. Worth (Southwest
Chief/Heartland Flyer route addition/frequency increase)
• Leverages existing Amtrak stations/infrastructure and frequencies
– Significantly less cost than adding all-new or restoring previous routes
– Historically successful in California/Pacific Northwest, Chicago Hub,
Northeast
– Improves financial performance of current Amtrak services
• Partnerships with State DOT’s and local entities
– Fastest growing part of our business

15. One Size Does NOT Fit All
• Amtrak has contracts to operate services in 15 states
• Some are individual contracts with state DOT’s for services that
operate across state lines, such as
200,000 passengers
– Blue Water and Pere Marquette in Michigan (to/from Chicago without
Indiana stops and without funding from Indiana and Illinois)
77,000 passengers
– Vermont (Vermonter to/from New York City with stops in New Hampshire,
Massachusetts and Connecticut but without funding from those states)
• Some are across state lines with shared state DOT funding
– Hiawatha Service shared between Illinois and Wisconsin 800,000 passengers
– Cascades shared between Oregon and Washington 200,000 passengers
– Heartland Flyer shared between Texas and Oklahoma 84,000 passengers
• Some are across state lines with a regional entity
– Downeaster between Portland, Maine, and Boston 520,000 passengers
- Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) created by
Maine and funded with state and federal DOT funds with stops in New
Hampshire and Massachusetts but without funding from those states

16. One Size Does NOT Fit All
• California
– Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority contracts with Amtrak for train
operations and with Bay Area Rapid Transit with funding from California DOT
for Capitol Corridor trains between the Bay Area and Sacramento/Auburn
- Six local transit agencies in eight counties 1.7 million passengers
- Two metropolitan planning organizations
2.8 million passengers
– San Luis Obispo-Los Angeles-San Diego (Pacific Surfliner service) corridor
and Oakland-Sacramento-Bakersfield corridor (San Joaquin service)
- Controlled directly by California DOT (Caltrans) 1.1 million passengers
- Pending legislation creates new Joint Powers Authorities for these corridors
• Minnesota
– Chicago-Twin Cities service being studied by Minnesota DOT with additional
funding from the City of LaCrosse, Wisc., without active participation by
Wisconsin DOT
– Twin Cities-Duluth being studied by Northern Lights Express, a joint powers
board of six counties that contributes as an alliance with funds from property
or sales taxes and grants, without active participation by Minnesota DOT.
State law gives counties authority to form regional railroad authorities and
levy local taxes for them.

17. What does the future hold?
38% population growth • Population
by 2050
18% population
growth by 2050 – 2000: 281M
36% population growth 17% population
by 2050 growth by 2050 – 2050: 420M
31% population growth • Distribution:
by 2050
– 2000: 60% in
38% population single-detached
growth by 2050
houses
46% population
growth by 2050 – 2050: 70% will live
62% population
growth by 2050 in “megaregions”
45% population surrounding
growth by 2050 urban areas
35% population
growth by 2050
Source: Regional Plan Association

18. What are the implications?
• People are moving to areas where
– Transportation network is stressed
– Taxes and cost of living are high
– Infrastructure and energy networks are already burdened –
and it’s hard to build more
• Demand for everything is growing in areas where it’s hardest to
satisfy
• Cheap and readily available oil underpins everything
– Transportation
– Economy
– Daily life

19. Passenger rail is a better travel choice
Share of CO2 Emissions, by mode Passenger capacity per meter
of infrastructure width
2.4%
Passenger cars
2.7% Light-duty 10000
trucks 9000
2.3% All other trucks
8000
9.1%
Persons per hour
Busses 7000
0.6% 33.9%
6000
Aircraft
5000
9000
21.4% Ships and 4000
boats 3000
27.5% Rail 5200
2000
Other 1000 200 1500
0
Source: US DOT, 2008 Trans Stats Annual Report Auto Bus Bus lane Rail
Source: UIC
(separate)
Energy Intensity of competing modes
4000
3500
BTUs/passenger mile
3000
2500
2000
3437
1500 2995
2398
1000
500
0
Aviation Amtrak Auto
Mode of transportation
Source: U.S. DOE, Transportation Energy Data Book

20. Operating Efficiency
Farebox Recovery Ratio
TRE (Dallas)
NM Rail Runner
TRE (Ft. Worth)
CONNDOT
Utah Transit Authority
Music City Star (Nashville)
Tri-Rail (South FL)
Sound Transit
MARC
Altamont Commuter Express (ACE)
NCTD - San Diego
Alaska RR
Metra (Chicago)
VRE (Virginia)
Caltrain
LIRR
South Shore (NICTD)
Metrolink (LA)
MBTA( Boston)
NJ Transit
SEPTA
VIA Rail Canada
Metro-North Commuter Railroad
Amtrak
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Source: APTA, VIA, NMDOT and Amtrak
All data calendar year 2008, except NM Rail Runner (2009) Recovery Ratio
We are the American rail industry’s authority on getting the most from of our service

21. Equipment utilization
Average annual car miles, In thousands
Alaska RR
CONNDOT
VRE
TRE (Dallas)
Sound Transit
Music City Star (Nashville)
MARC
NCTD - San Diego
Altamont Commuter Express(ACE)
Metra
MBTA (Boston)
SEPTA
Caltrain
NJ Transit
Metrolink (LA)
TRE (Ft. Worth)
South Shore NICTD
Metro-North Commuter Railroad
Utah Transit Authority
LIRR
Tri-Rail (South FL)
Surfliner
Horizon
Amfleet I
Heritage
Amtrak All cars
Amfleet II
Viewliner
Superliner
0 50 100 150 200
Average Annual car mileage, in thousands
No other North American passenger operator gets as much out of their equipment

22. What can we do?
• A new surface transportation policy must break the funding silos
and must be revolutionary – so that we can address these
problems:
– Environmental and land acquisition processes are time-consuming
– Regulatory burdens are formidable – and ironically, some are products
of the Interstate highway development process
• Federal government must take a more active role (and the FRA is
off to a good start)
• Without rail, we will get a highway bill – but it won’t be a surface
transportation policy

23. Key Concepts
• Existing system serves as a foundation for
development
– Terminal facilities
– Suitable segments are upgraded
– Existing network feeds high speed operations
• Most foreign systems have developed in this
incremental fashion
– France
- LGV lines use major terminals at endpoints
- Speeds gradually upgraded as technology
permitted
– Germany
- High speed equipment preceded high speed lines
- Gradual introduction of faster track segments
St. Pancras Station, London – then, and now allowed ICE trains to realize their capabilities
23

24. What should we resist?
• The temptation to resort to 1960s solutions
– Build a lane
– Add an interchange
• Investing in infrastructure with a 30 year lifespan
• Planning for short-term growth
• Funding by mode – rather than developing a flexible, resilient,
and connected system

25. A 1960s
solution –
That doesn’t
work today
A New Surface
Transportation
Act
Can Lead To
Smart Choices
Rail is the solution we need – safer, greener, healthier!