An Ode to the Northeast Corridor, the Rail Line That Keeps Amtrak Alive
The new book The Northeast Corridor traces the history of passenger trains from Boston to DC and explains why the current service is so essential — and so frustrating.
An Amtrak Acela train crosses the Susquehanna River Bridge in Havre de Grace, Maryland.
Photo by Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images
After seeing ridership collapse during the Covid pandemic, Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor is now roaring back to life. Passenger counts on the high-end Acela service soared 38% in its last fiscal year (which ended in September), and overall ridership along the coastal line is above pre-pandemic levels. In November, US President Joe Biden announced more than $16 billion in much-needed infrastructure improvements; in the coming months, Amtrak is slated to introduce modernized trains, with plans to add 50% more service on the Northeast Corridor by 2038.
And Amtrak has some heavyweights pleading its case. Besides the regular Northeast Corridor commuter from Delaware who sits in the White House, former NYC Metropolitan Transit Authority chief Andy Byford, who earned the nickname “Train Daddy” from fans in the Big Apple, now leads Amtrak’s high-speed rail development.