WASHINGTON — As the national average price of gasoline climbs above $4 a gallon, more travelers are turning to passenger rail. Amtrak reported a 5% increase in ridership in March compared with a year earlier, while Brightline, the privately owned Florida service, said its March boardings rose by more than 20%.
At Union Station in Washington, D.C., 20-year-old Joshua Newman waited to board an Amtrak train for the first time on his way to a festival in North Carolina. “It usually would be shorter to drive, but the gas prices are high,” he said. “I would rather take the train, instead of having to actually worry about the other prices that come with driving.”
The nationwide average for a gallon of gas reached $4.30 this week, the highest level since the war in Iran began two months ago. That jump at the pump is persuading some motorists to switch modes. Dorothy English, who had driven up the East Coast, said she spent $140 to fill her tank and decided to ride the train from New York to North Carolina instead. “I’m not going to pay that much to travel anymore,” she said. “The train is cheaper.”
Amtrak, which is coming off two years of record ridership, says similar shifts have occurred when fuel costs rise. “We typically see some shift to rail as fuel prices rise, and we’re seeing that pattern here as well,” Amtrak spokesperson Beth Toll said, adding that continued growth highlights rail’s role connecting communities along the Northeast Corridor and nationwide.
Brightline, which has served Orlando for under three years, recorded its strongest month in March 2026, CEO Patrick Goddard said. He pointed to several factors behind the surge, including long airport security lines and lower fares, while noting that gas, tolls and parking — especially for multi-day theme-park trips — make Brightline competitive on corridors such as Miami–Orlando.
Whether Amtrak and Brightline can keep these passengers if fuel prices fall remains unclear, and analysts say a rapid drop in pump prices is unlikely in the near term.