The Federal Railroad Administration recently issued an update detailing Amtrak's passenger train performance in cities during the first quarter of fiscal year 2022.
This is the first report to incorporate all criteria outlined in the FRA's finalized guideline for Metrics and Minimum Standards for Intercity Passenger Rail Service, effective November 2020, according to a May 17 Department of Transportation news release.
“Customers deserve high quality, reliable passenger rail service without interference from freight trains that can cause substantial delay,” FRA Administrator Amit Bose stated in the release. “This report provides a meaningful tool for everyone – including customers, communities and other stakeholders – to review comprehensive data on passenger rail performance.”
These performance criteria include "on-time performance and train delays, customer service, financial performance and public benefits," according to the Code of Federal Regulations official website.
Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, Amtrak has seen increased demand, reaching 5,530,225 riders in the first quarter of 2022, the news release reported. In addition, Amtrak reported it served 67,835 passengers in areas that were underserved by other means of intercity transportation during fiscal year 202, which covers includes air and intercity bus travel
Amtrak also stated it is aiming to reduce wait times and departure timetables, citing freight train interference as one of the primary causes of time delays, according to the release.
