The Northeast Corridor (NEC) continued its post-pandemic recovery in FY24, ending the year with the highest annual service and ridership levels since FY19. Almost 200 million trips were made across the corridor last year, marking a 10% increase from FY23. Average weekday ridership reached 628,000 trips—including 44,000 on Amtrak—and daily weekend ridership reached 331,000 trips. NEC operators collectively expanded weekday service by 2%, and weekend service by 5%.
Compared to last year, Amtrak saw a 15.9% increase in weekday trips. MBTA led weekday year-over-year growth with a 21.4% increase, followed by SEPTA and NJ TRANSIT, which increased 18.9% and 17.5%, respectively.
One of the most notable ridership trends continues to be the growth in weekend travel, as every operator offering weekend service recorded increased ridership year-over-year. MARC led the pack, growing daily weekend ridership by 32% since FY23, followed by MBTA at 22.4%. NJ TRANSIT and SEPTA grew 18% and 12%, respectively.
Beyond year-over-year growth, half of NEC operators have now exceeded their pre-pandemic FY19 weekend ridership averages. Notably, Amtrak is now surpassing its FY19 weekday levels by 4.2% and has exceeded its FY19 weekend average by 26.7%.
FY20-24 average NEC weekday trains and trips by quarter
FY20-24 average NEC weekend trains and trips by quarter
In FY24, operators offered more frequent service, especially on the weekends, demonstrating that the NEC is not just recovering to pre-pandemic service, it is evolving to accommodate changing travel patterns, such as increased leisure trips. Amtrak introduced additional trains across its Acela, Northeast Regional, Keystone, and Empire lines, pushing its weekend service to 107% of pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, SEPTA boosted weekend service significantly in late FY24, jumping from 130 to 176 trains per day on its NEC lines. NJ TRANSIT also increased its NEC weekend trains to 110% of pre-pandemic levels.
In addition to increased weekend service, operators also adjusted their weekday service to meet evolving passenger demand. MBTA adjusted its weekday schedule to provide all-day, frequent service, growing its overall service level by 4% year-over-year.
Learn more about NEC ridership and service in the FY24 NEC Annual Report.
