WASHINGTON — As the average price of gas climbs above $4 a gallon, ridership on U.S. passenger railroads is surging, too.
Amtrak, the national passenger railroad, reported a 5% increase in ridership in March, compared with a year ago. And Brightline, the privately owned railroad in Florida, says ridership soared more than 20% for the same month.
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"It usually would be shorter to drive, but the gas prices are high," said Joshua Newman of Washington, D.C., as he waited to board an Amtrak train for the first time in his life at Union Station this week. Newman, 20, was on his way to visit friends at 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."
It generally takes a lot to get Americans out of their cars. But the average nationwide price of a gallon of gas rose this week to $4.30, the most since the war in Iran began two months ago. And for Dorothy English, that is simply too much to pay.
"It's really ridiculous," said English, who recently drove up the East Coast. "Let me tell you, I actually spent $140 to fill up, from Florida to New York. I mean, like, every time we went to another state, we were filling it up."
This week, English decided to take the train from New York to North Carolina instead, with a layover in Washington.
"I'm not going to pay that much to travel anymore," she said. "The train is cheaper. So I said, let me take the cheaper way out."
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Amtrak, which is coming off two years of record ridership, says it has seen surges like this before.
"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 in a statement to NPR. "Continued ridership growth underscores the essential role rail plays in connecting communities along the Northeast Corridor and across the nation."
For Brightline, which has been serving Orlando for less than three years, March's numbers represent a new high-water mark.
"March '26 was the best month in our history by every measure," said Patrick Goddard, the CEO of Brightline Florida.
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There are probably several reasons for the jump in ridership, Goddard says, including long wait times at airport security checkpoints and lower ticket prices. But Goddard says the cost of gas is part of the mix, too.
"I think gas prices were a factor for the Miami-Orlando trip," Goddard said in an interview. "You know, when guests do the math of gas, tolls and then parking — if they're going to Orlando, they're parking at a theme park for anywhere from two to five days — Brightline typically wins."
It's too early to say whether Amtrak and Brightline can retain these passengers when gas prices drop again. But that doesn't appear likely to happen anytime soon.
Transcript
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
The average price of gas nationwide is up to $4.39 a gallon for regular. That's the highest since the war in Iran began. That may be one reason why more people are taking the train. NPR's Joel Rose reports.
JOEL ROSE, BYLINE: It takes a lot to get Americans out of their cars, but rising gas prices finally got to be too much for Dorothy English. So she's riding the train from New York to North Carolina.
DOROTHY ENGLISH: It's really ridiculous, you understand? I just came from Florida, and let me tell you, I actually spent $140 to fill up from Florida to New York. I mean, like, every time, like, we went to another state, we were filling it up.
ROSE: Did that affect your choice to take the train?
ENGLISH: Oh, yeah. Absolutely. That was a lot of money. So I said let me take the cheaper way out (laughter).
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
AUTOMATED VOICE: This is a boarding call for Amtrak Floridian train No. 41.
ROSE: English was changing trains at Union Station in Washington, D.C., this week. Twenty-year-old Joshua Newman was about to board an Amtrak train for the first time in his life on his way to North Carolina.
JOSHUA NEWMAN: It usually would be shorter to drive, but the gas prices are high. So I would rather take the train instead of having to actually worry about the other prices that come with driving.
ROSE: Passenger railroads in the U.S. saw a jump in ridership as gas prices surged in the wake of the war with Iran. Amtrak reported a 5% increase in ridership in March, compared with the year before. And at Brightline, the privately owned railroad in Florida, ridership was up 20% for the month.
PATRICK GODDARD: March '26 was the best month in our history by every measure.
ROSE: Patrick Goddard is the CEO of Brightline, Florida. He says there are probably several reasons for the jump in ridership, including long wait times at airport security checkpoints. The company also cut ticket prices. But Goddard says the cost of gas is part of the mix, too.
GODDARD: I think gas prices were a factor for the Miami-Orlando trip. You know, when guests do the math of gas, tolls and then parking - you know, if they're going to Orlando, they're parking at a theme park for anywhere from two to five days - Brightline typically wins.
ROSE: In a statement, Amtrak said the railroad often sees a shift toward rail when fuel prices increase, and that is happening again. It's too early to say whether Amtrak and Brightline can hold onto these passengers when gas prices go down again, but that doesn't appear likely to happen anytime soon.
Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington.
(SOUNDBITE OF DUKE ELLINGTON SONG, "TAKE THE "A" TRAIN")