April 09, 2026

Americans Want More Passenger Rail

Amid record gas prices, we need more trains, not fewer

By Derrick James, Senior Policy Advocate

This spring has seen a deluge of problems in our transportation system. Gas prices are spiking from the war with Iran, airports have been in chaos without enough TSA agents or air traffic controllers, and American travelers are getting squeezed. Amid all of that, passenger rail is in somewhat of a renaissance. Amtrak hit record ridership in 2019, 2024, and 2025, as the system is growing nationally, and in the Midwest with so many great locations only a train ride away.

You might expect the government to lean into this success, to help more people who want to ditch the pricey gas station and hassle of the airport and take the train. So, what does the Trump administration propose? Cutting funding for fuel efficient passenger rail!? It doesn’t make sense… at all.

Fortunately, Congress is unlikely to follow the president on this one. Passenger rail is popular across all kinds of communities, rural and urban, Republican and Democratic. But Congress still needs to hear from you to hold firm on rail funding.

CONTACT CONGRESS HERE

Presidential Proposal Would be a Big Mistake

President Trump just released his spending priorities for the federal government next year and his wish list does not match the public’s when it comes to what transportation to invest in. Amtrak’s appropriation is cut from $2.4 billion to $ 2.1 billion, a 13.5% reduction, jeopardizing maintenance and repair of already aged stations and fleet. The Federal-State Partnership program to add routes and trains across the nation would be slashed to zero, which could halt planned projects in their tracks!

Poised For Expansion

The Federal-State Partnership is very important to growing new train routes. States and communities from Alaska to Florida, and Arizona to Maine, are seeking a reliable federal partner to invest in capacity for more trains on more routes to provide Americans the passenger trains they want to ride. Many proposed expansion projects are about to start, but not if the administration guts the funding. If the president’s proposal to zero out this program actually happened here are some Midwest routes that would stall:

• Chicago-Fort Wayne-Lima-Columbus-Pittsburgh
• Cincinnati-Dayton-Columbus-Cleveland
• Louisville-Indianapolis-Lafayette-Chicago
• Peoria-Chicago
• Green Bay-Appleton-Oshkosh-Chicago
• Twin Cities-Eau Claire-Madison-Chicago
• Twin Cities-Duluth
• Fort Worth/Dallas-Oklahoma City-Wichita

More than 60 routes are in planning or design phase for more trains!

Passenger Rail is In Demand

American travelers have been voting with their wallets for more passenger trains for years now. Amtrak trains are full and selling out. New routes that just opened in Alabama, Louisiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Wisconsin have been performing well beyond expectations. There are not enough trains to carry all that want to ride. With the strong demand and past funding from earlier federal grants, car manufacturers are opening new American plants to whittle away at a backlog of train car orders.

Investment Means More Manufacturing Jobs

Just last week, Siemens Company opened a new 500 employee rail plant in North Carolina. Investments in more trains and new routes are adding business to domestic manufacturers of locomotives, trains, track and signals, especially in our industrial Midwest. These are good paying American jobs that support families and pulse wages through communities, building up a new supply chain of domestic manufacturers.

Americans who think it makes sense to improve our train system have an opportunity now to speak up. Do you think travelers in small towns and big cities, young and old, the able and the not-so-nimble, should have easy mobility to get around and not be subject to extortionist gas prices? Tell your Congressional representatives to fully fund passenger rail programs and Amtrak to give us more choice in how to get around.

CONTACT CONGRESS HERE