Amtrak

WASHINGTON – The Clocker departed from Union Station in New York at 12:05 a.m. on May 1, 1971, marking the debut of Amtrak.

Amtrak (formally the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) was created with the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970. Under the act, the federal government subsidizes and oversees intercity passenger train operations.

In Fiscal Year 2006, Amtrak passenger ticket revenue increased to $1.37 billion, the highest annual ticket revenue ever achieved, and, at $132 million over a year earlier, the railroad’s largest year-over-year increase.

Also in Fiscal Year 2006, the railroad also served 24.3 million passengers — nearly 300,000 more than for the same trains in the previous fiscal year.

Each day, approximately 66,000 passengers travel on Amtrak. Amtrak serves 46 states; only Alaska, Hawaii, South Dakota and Wyoming are not served by Amtrak.

Since Amtrak is a quasi-governmental agency, its preferred stock is owned by the federal government and members of its board of directors are appointed by the President and must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Amtrak Headlines

• Feds Sue Norfolk Southern Over Delayed Crescent Trains
• Feds Sue Amtrak Over Crescent Delays
• New Jersey House Dems Seek Federal Funds for Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor Route
• New York Gets ‘Historic’ $12B in Federal Funds for Tunnel Project
• Bashaw: Stop NJ Transit Fare Hike, Business Tax Increase

Amtrak Facts & Figures

Here are some facts and figures about Amtrak.

• Route Miles: n/a
• Number of Employees: 22,000
• Locomotives: 425 (351 diesel and 74 electric)
• Passenger Cars on System: 2,141 (168 sleeper cars, 760 coach cars, 126 first class/business class cars, 66 dormitory/crew cars, 225 lounge/café/dinette cars, and 92 dining cars. Baggage cars make up the remainder of the fleet)

Amtrak Reporting Marks

Railroads have many reporting marks, identification assigned by the American Association of Railroads. Here are the marks for Amtrak:

• AMTK
• AMTZ

Amtrak Presidents