Amtrak invests $770 million in accessibility, logs Virginia ridership increases

Since 2011, Amtrak has invested $770 million in station accessibility upgrades and improvement projects across the national network to ensure a safe, efficient and comfortable travel experience for riders with disabilities, the railroad announced this week.

The improvements include repairs and upgrades to platforms, ramps and sidewalks, renovations to entranceways and restrooms.  Amtrak is working toward 100% completion by 2029, Amtrak officials said in a press release.

More accessibility improvement projects are underway on existing and new fleets as well as on how riders book tickets and navigate digital channels.

The Amtrak Americans with Disabilities Act Stations Program oversees accessibility-related station improvement projects to ensure customers with disabilities can successfully navigate the rail network. The program has identified another 39 stations for completion this fiscal year at a forecasted investment of $140 million.

Meanwhile, Amtrak Virginia ridership has hit an all-time high, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) announced this week. More than 1.26 million passengers traveled on the Amtrak Virginia service during the state’s fiscal year 2023 (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023), setting an all-time record for fiscal year ridership. The total – 1,256,123 – beat the previous record of 894,065 set during fiscal-year 2015.  

The month of June also set a record for travel during that month with 111,212 passengers. The previous record for June was set last year when 85,533 passengers traveled. All four Amtrak Virginia corridors saw increases year-over-year from June 2022 to June 2023. Overall ridership was up 30% over last June with the Newport News service seeing the greatest increase of 57.4% from June 2022 to June 2023, VPRA officials said.