URPAThe "Selden Plan"

Analysis of Amtrak System Indicates
Long Distance Trains, Not Corridors,
Are The Moneymakers

Ridership of Single Daily Long-Distance Trains
Is Nearly Same as Multiple-Frequency Corridors

Train

Trains/Day,
Each Dir.

Ridership

Avg. Trip
Length

Hiawathas Corridor

6

413,000

82.6

Pere Marquette

1

69,900

147.1

Illinois Zephyr

1

94,200

173.4

Chicago-St Louis Corridor

3

265,800

179.4

Chicago-Pontiac Corridor

3

343,500

197.9

Illini

1

100,100

197.9

City of New Orleans

1

192,500

494.2

Capitol Limited

1

158,200

535.2

Lake Shore Limited

1

320,900

577.2

Empire Builder

1

434,900

876.9

California Zephyr

1

407,600

877.7

Southwest Chief

1

285,500

1135.4

Data Source: Amtrak, FY 1999


Revenue / Train Mile Increases with Route Length

Train

Revenue (Millions, excl. State Payments)

Train Miles

Revenue/ Train Mile

Hiawathas Corridor

$ 7.0

366,000

$ 19.13

Pere Marquette

$ 1.7

128,000

$ 13.28

Illinois Zephyr

$ 2.4

188,000

$ 12.77

Chicago-St Louis Corridor

$ 7.6

616,000

$ 12.34

Chicago-Pontiac Corridor

$ 9.2

643,000

$ 14.31

Illini

$ 3.1

224,000

$ 13.84

City of New Orleans

$ 13.4

682,000

$ 19.65

Capitol Limited

$ 19.0

566,000

$ 33.57

Lake Shore Limited

$ 30.3

834,000

$ 36.33

Empire Builder

$ 52.5

1,874,000

$ 28.01

California Zephyr

$ 50.4

1,767,000

$ 28.52

Southwest Chief

$ 61.1

1,638,000

$ 37.30

Data Source: Amtrak, FY 1999

Revenue Increases Faster Than Expenses As Frequencies Are Added


Projections suggest system fixed costs and operating expenses
could be met with a long distance train network
offering service approximately 4 to 5 times
that of Amtrak's current network.


Regional Corridors*, Northeast Corridor, Long Distance Services FY 1999

Type

Total Revenue

Passenger Miles

Ridership

Avg Trip Lngth

PM/TM**

Regional Corridors*

$151,100,000

885,758,000

6,233,600

142.1

102.8

N. E. Corridor

$498,700,000

1,468,457,000

10,856,700

135.3

167.5

Long Distance

$501,800,000

2,940,917,000

4,301,600

683.7

180.1

Data Source: Amtrak
* Except Northeast Corridor.
** PM/TM = Passenger Miles per Train Mile. This is an industry standard measure, effectively how many persons are aboard the train at any point in time.