Amtrak is citing investments in safety and customer experience as the driving force behind what it says was the best operating performance in its history.
“We are growing and modernizing Amtrak. We have an industry-leading safety program and have invested billions in improving the customer experience, resulting in more people choosing Amtrak as their preferred mode of transportation,” Amtrak Board Chair Tony Coscia said in a news release. “These changes have put us on track to breakeven in 2020, which would be a first in Amtrak’s history.”
Amtrak said it set new records for ridership, revenue and financial performance:
- The railroad implemented a safety management system and expanded Positive Train Control (PTC) operations
- Amtrak had $1.6 billion in capital investment, which was 9.4 percent higher than last year
- The railroad set a company record providing 32.5 million customer trips, a year-over-year increase of 800,000 passengers
- Its operating earnings of $29.8 million represented the best operating performance in history, improving earnings by $140.9 million or 82.6 percent over Fiscal Year 2018
- The total operating revenue of $3.3 billion increased 3.6 percent over Fiscal Year 2018
“We listened, we invested, we improved, and our customers are noticing a difference,” Amtrak President & CEO Richard Anderson said in a news release. “And we are not stopping. We have an aggressive plan to continue to advance our safety program, refresh train interiors, improve amenities, and renew stations and infrastructure.”
