WASHINGTON — As the average price of gas climbs above four dollars a gallon, ridership on U.S. passenger railroads is surging.
Amtrak reported a 5% increase in ridership in March compared with a year ago, and Brightline, the privately owned Florida railroad, said ridership jumped more than 20% that month.
“It usually would be shorter to drive, but the gas prices are high,” said Joshua Newman, 20, of Washington, D.C., waiting to board an Amtrak train at Union Station for the first time as he headed to a festival in North Carolina. “I would rather take the train, instead of having to actually worry about the other prices that come with driving.”
The nationwide average price of a gallon of gas rose this week to $4.30, the highest since the war in Iran began two months ago. High pump prices are persuading some travelers to switch modes. Dorothy English, who recently drove up the East Coast, said she spent $140 to fill up and decided to take 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, coming off two years of record ridership, says it has seen similar shifts 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. “Continued ridership growth underscores the essential role rail plays in connecting communities along the Northeast Corridor and across the nation.”
For Brightline, which has served Orlando for less than three years, March was a new high. “March ’26 was the best month in our history by every measure,” CEO Patrick Goddard said. He pointed to several factors behind the surge, including long airport security lines and lower ticket prices, but said gas, tolls and parking costs — especially for multi-day theme park trips — make Brightline competitive for routes like Miami-Orlando.
Whether Amtrak and Brightline can retain passengers once gas prices ease remains uncertain — and experts say a rapid drop in fuel costs does not appear likely soon.