Passenger Rail at-a-Glance: Transit Trends

Passengers

Unlinked passenger trips refer to the number of times passengers board public transportation vehicles. Passengers are counted each time they board vehicles, no matter how many vehicles they use to travel from their origin to destination.

2008 Unlinked Passenger Trips by Mode (Millions)

Vehicles

Revenue Vehicles by Mode, 2007

Employees

In 2007, the transit industry employed 370,784 operating employees and 11,889 capital employees. Transit operating employees include workers in the function of vehicle operations, vehicle maintenance, non-vehicle maintenance and general administration. Transit agency capital employees are workers on transit agency staffs performing capitalized activities and do not include employees of vehicle manufacturers, engineering firms, building contractors or other companies with capital investment contract from transit agencies. Direct transit employees were paid a total of $13.2 billion and received benefits worth $9.1 billion, for a total compensation of $22.3 billion.

Employees by Mode and Function, 2007

Rail Expenses by Mode

Source: APTA's 2009 Public Transportation Fact Book

Rail Route Mileage and Status of Future Projects

Public transportation agencies continue to plan for expanded service. The table at right provides a summary of open, under construction and planned future services based on a recently completed APTA Infrastructure Survey. Several hundred miles of commuter rail and light rail are under construction, while agencies are planning to add hundreds of miles of lines in the future.

As of September 1, 2008