TCRP REPORT 254: THE FUTURE OF COMMUTER RAIL IN NORTH AMERICA

Between 1990 and 2019, commuter rail ridership in the United States grew by 50 percent. By 2019, fares covered 50 percent of operating costs, with the remainder coming from state and local public subsidies. In 2023, fares had dropped to covering 25 percent of operating costs.

TCRP Research Report 254: The Future of Commuter Rail in North America, a pre-publication released this past week from TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program, examines the history of commuter rail in North America, evaluates current trends, presents constraints, reviews case studies, and develops strategies—including alternative service schedules, fare structures, and infrastructure options—to implement new goals at the agency, regional, and national levels in the U.S. and Canada.

Some of the case studies in the report include Boston MBTA's ridership comeback by overhauling its timetable, Chicago Metra's popular fare reinvention, and Caltrain's ridership revival in the San Francisco Bay area.

• The Trump administration’s choice for FRA administrator, David Fink, had his nomination pass out of the Senate Commerce Committee this week by a vote of 15 – 13. A vote by the full Senate has not been scheduled for Fink, nor for FTA nominee Marc Molinaro.

DELIVERING MOBILITY FOR MEGA EVENTS

DART’s Nadine Lee and MBTA’s Phil Eng were in Washington this week where they discussed their agencies’ and regions’ plans for moving fans during FIFA’s World Cup. Hosted by French Ambassador Laurent Bili and moderated by Keolis’ Clement Michel, the dialogue included contributions from Keolis Lille employee and paralympian Pierre-Antoine Baele, who brought special insight into the discussion of moving crowds during the Paris Olympics and Paralympics.

The World Cup takes place June 11 – July 26, 2026 in cities across the US, Canada, and Mexico.

(photo credit: Keolis via LinkedIn)

WHAT WE’RE READING

• SEPTA cuts pose existential threat (Philadelphia Inquirer)

• How to position passenger rail for federal funding (Railway Age)

• New Jersey, State of Constant Motion, Learns to Live With Immobility (New York Times)

• Europe Built Trains. America Built Highways and Regret. (New York Times)

• Deal Reached: The Strike Is Over—For Now (Updated) (Railway Age)

• PA: On Day 1 of SEPTA's public budget hearings, riders were scared by proposed cuts (Mass Transit)

• Meyer Writes to SEPTA Board Looking to Avoid Commuter Train Cuts (SC Sun Times)

• NJ Transit trains running at full service after strike halted nation’s third-busiest commuter railroad, causing chaos (New York Post)

• OIG: FRA should improve roadway worker protection compliance (Progressive Railroading)

• Deep cuts to bus and rail service loom (Mass Transit)