List of United States commuter rail systems

Last updated

The following is a list of commuter rail systems in the United States, ranked by ridership. All figures come from the American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) Ridership Reports Statistics for the fourth quarter of 2023, [1] unless otherwise indicated.

Contents

List

RankSystemMajor cities
served		Annual
Ridership
(2023) [1] 		Average
Weekday
Ridership
(Q1 2023) [2] 		Route
miles 		Daily Ridership
per mile
(Q1 2023)		Year
Opened		LinesStations
1 Long Island Rail Road New York 75,186,900253,800321 [3] 7911834 [4] 11 [4] 124 [4]
2 Metro-North Railroad New York / Stamford / New Haven 60,569,700189,500385 [5] 4921983 [6] 5 [5] [note 1] 122 [5]
3 NJ Transit Rail Operations New York / Newark / Trenton / Philadelphia 57,179,000140,666 [note 2] 530 [7] 2651983 [8] 11 [9] [note 1] 164 [9]
4 Metra Chicago 31,894,900116,200487.5 [10] 243198411 [10] 241 [10]
5 MBTA Commuter Rail Boston / Worcester / Providence 26,190,50081,800388 [11] 220197313 [11] 127 [11]
6 SEPTA Regional Rail Philadelphia / Trenton / Wilmington 19,296,50048,491 [note 2] 280 [12] 173198313 [12] 153
7 Denver RTD:
A, B, N and G Lines		 Denver 8,559,70019,850 [note 2] 40 [13] 4962016420
8 Caltrain San Francisco / San Jose 5,443,80016,00077 [14] 2071987132 [14]
9 Metrolink Los Angeles / San Bernardino / Anaheim / Riverside / Irvine 4,861,00015,400388 [15] 3919927 [15] 62 [15]
10 Tri-Rail Miami / Fort Lauderdale 3,980,60013,00070.9 [16] 18319872 [16] 19 [16]
11 FrontRunner Salt Lake City 3,736,60012,300881402008116
12 MARC Train Baltimore / Washington, D.C. 3,680,60011,800187631984343
13 Sounder commuter rail Seattle / Tacoma 1,630,0005,10083 [17] 61200029
14 Virginia Railway Express Washington, D.C. 1,172,7006,20090 [18] 6019922 [18] 18 [18]
15 South Shore Line Chicago / South Bend 1,526,7004,600 [note 3] 90 [19] 511903118
16 eBART Contra Costa County, California 1,292,2004,40010.1435201813
17 Trinity Railway Express Dallas / Fort Worth 1,089,8003,800341121996110
18 SunRail Orlando 919,6004,30049 [20] 882014117
19 Keystone Service Philadelphia / Harrisburg 889,9003,200 [note 3] 104.6311972112
20 Coaster San Diego / Oceanside 735,1002,00041 [21] 491995 [21] 1 [21] 8 [21]
21 Capitol Corridor San Jose / Oakland / Sacramento 674,0391,847 [note 3] 168111991115
22 TEXRail Fort Worth 556,3001,7002762201919
23 Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit San Rafael / Santa Rosa 474,5002,10045462017112 [22]
24 CapMetro Rail Austin 466,8001,50032 [23] 46201019 [23]
25 Downeaster Boston / Brunswick, Maine 444,8121,219 [note 3] 14882001112
26 Rail Runner Express Albuquerque / Santa Fe 439,2001,80097182006113
27 Altamont Corridor Express San Jose / Stockton 389,1001,90086 [24] 2219981 [24] 10 [24]
28 Shore Line East New Haven 190,30060059101990113
29 A-Train Denton, Texas 184,6005892128201116
30 WES Commuter Rail Beaverton, Oregon 115,6005001533200915
31 WeGo Star Nashville 92,1004003213200617
32 Northstar Line Minneapolis 77,100300408200917

Systems excluded from ridership table

SystemLargest city(s) servedOpenedRoute lengthReason(s) for exclusion from Ridership table
Hartford Line Hartford / New Haven / Springfield 201863APTA does not provide ridership figures for this system.
Arrow San Bernardino 20229This system is currently too new for APTA to provide ridership figures.

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 There are 3 lines operated directly by Metro North, the Harlem Line, Hudson Line, and New Haven Line. The Port Jervis Line is operated under contract by NJ Transit, which also owns the Pascack Valley Line that extends into New York. The New Haven Line has 3 branch lines, the New Canaan Branch, Danbury Branch, and Waterbury Branch.
  2. 1 2 3 This is the Average Daily Ridership figure, not an "Average Weekday Ridership" figure – it is averaged from the 2023 First Quarter Ridership figure for this system.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Q4 2022

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority</span> Public transport agency in the U.S.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro-North Railroad</span> Commuter rail service in New York and Connecticut

Metro-North Railroad, trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public authority of the U.S. state of New York. Metro-North serves the New York Metropolitan Area, running service between New York City and its northern suburbs in New York and Connecticut, including Port Jervis, Spring Valley, Poughkeepsie, Yonkers, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, White Plains, Southeast and Wassaic in New York and Stamford, New Canaan, Danbury, Bridgeport, Waterbury, and New Haven in Connecticut. Service in Connecticut is operated under contract with the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Metro-North also provides local rail service within the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Coast Express</span> British Columbia, Canada, commuter railway

The West Coast Express is a commuter railway serving the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. It is owned and operated by the region's transit authority, TransLink. Opened in 1995, it provides a link between Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley Regional District and is the only commuter railway in Western Canada. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 1,304,400, or about 6,400 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metrolink (California)</span> Regional commuter rail system in Southern California

Metrolink is a commuter rail system in Southern California, serving Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties, as well as to Oceanside in San Diego County. The system consists of eight lines and 69 stations operating on 545.6 miles (878.1 km) of track. This includes Arrow, which Metrolink operates under a contract with the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coaster (rail service)</span> Commuter rail service in San Diego County, California

Coaster is a commuter rail service in the central and northern coastal regions of San Diego County, California, United States, operated by the North County Transit District (NCTD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TRAX (light rail)</span> Light rail system in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah

TRAX is a light rail system in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah, in the United States, serving Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs throughout Salt Lake County. The system's official name, Transit Express, is rarely, if ever, used. The system is operated by the Utah Transit Authority (UTA). All TRAX trains are electric, receiving power from overhead wires.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MBTA Commuter Rail</span> Greater Boston commuter rail system

The MBTA Commuter Rail system serves as the commuter rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA's) transportation coverage of Greater Boston in the United States. Trains run over 394 mi (634 km) of track to 135 stations. It is operated under contract by Keolis, which took over operations on July 1, 2014, from the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commuter rail in North America</span>

Commuter rail services in the United States, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rica provide common carrier passenger transportation along railway tracks, with scheduled service on fixed routes on a non-reservation basis, primarily for short-distance (local) travel between a central business district and adjacent suburbs and regional travel between cities of a conurbation. It does not include rapid transit or light rail service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairmount Line</span> MBTA Commuter Rail line

The Fairmount Line or Dorchester Branch is a line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Except for a short portion in Milton, it lies entirely within Boston, running southwest from South Station through the neighborhoods of Dorchester, Mattapan and Hyde Park. Weekend service began on November 29, 2014. Most trains reverse direction at the south end at Readville, but some Franklin/Foxboro Line trains use the Fairmount Line rather than the Northeast Corridor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comet (railcar)</span> Class of locomotive-hauled railcars

The Comet railcar is a class of locomotive-hauled railcars that was first designed in the late 1960s by Pullman-Standard as a modern commuter car for North American rail lines. Later, the Comet moniker was adopted by NJ Transit for all of its non-powered single level commuter coaches. Additional series of cars bearing the Comet name, based on the original design, have since been built by Bombardier Transportation and Alstom. The successful design was adopted by numerous commuter agencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fenway station</span> Light rail station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Fenway station is a light rail stop on the MBTA Green Line D branch, located under Park Drive near the Riverway in the Fenway–Kenmore neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It opened along with the rest of the D branch on July 4, 1959, when trolleys replaced Highland branch commuter rail service. The station is fully accessible from Park Drive via the Landmark Center parking lot, as well as from Miner Street. Named after the Fenway neighborhood rather than Fenway Park, it is slightly further from the stadium than Kenmore, though still heavily used during events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Colony Lines</span> Commuter rail lines in Massachusetts, US

The Old Colony Lines are a pair of branches of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, connecting downtown Boston, Massachusetts with the South Shore and cranberry-farming country to the south and southeast. The two branches operate concurrently for 10 miles (16 km) via the Old Colony Mainline from South Station to Braintree station. The Middleborough/Lakeville Line then winds south through Holbrook, Brockton, Bridgewater, Middleborough, and Lakeville via the Middleborough Main Line and Cape Main Line. The Kingston Line heads southeast to serve Weymouth, Abington, Whitman, Hanson, Halifax, and Kingston by way of the Plymouth branch. Limited service to Plymouth was provided prior to April 2021 but was cut due to low ridership and budget constraints. The Greenbush Line, which was also part of the Old Colony Division, was reactivated in 2007 as a separate project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwalk Transit (California)</span>

Norwalk Transit is a municipal transit company providing fixed-route and paratransit bus transit services in Norwalk, California, United States, and also operates in portions of Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, La Habra, La Mirada, Santa Fe Springs and Whittier in southeast Los Angeles County and northwestern Orange County. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 998,000, or about 4,100 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Light rail in the United States</span> Overview of light rail in the United States

Light rail is a mode of rail-based transport, usually urban in nature. When compared to heavy rail systems like commuter rail or rapid transit (subway), light rail systems are typically designed to carry fewer passengers and are capable of operating in mixed traffic or on routes that are not entirely grade-separated. Systems typically take one of four forms: the "first-generation" legacy systems, the "second-generation" modern light rail systems, streetcars, and hybrid rail systems. All of the systems use similar technologies, and some systems blur the lines between the different forms.

References

  1. 1 2 "Public Transportation Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association (APTA). March 4, 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  2. ↑ "Public Transportation Ridership Report First Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association (APTA). May 30, 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  3. ↑ "Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the Years Ended December 31, 2012 and 2011" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). June 21, 2013. p. 146. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
  4. 1 2 3 "Long Island Rail Road - General Information". Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  5. 1 2 3 "Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the Years Ended December 31, 2012 and 2011" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). June 21, 2013. p. 147. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
  6. ↑ "MTA Metro-North Railroad - MNR About MNR". Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  7. ↑ "New Jersey State Rail Plan" (PDF). State of New Jersey, Department of Transportation. April 2015. p. ES-5. Retrieved 2016-05-27.
  8. ↑ "NJ Transit - About Us - History & Structure". NJ Transit. 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  9. 1 2 "NJ Transit Facts at a Glance Fiscal Year 2015" (PDF). NJ Transit. March 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-27.
  10. 1 2 3 "Operations and Ridership Data". Metra. 2016. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  11. 1 2 3 "MBTA STATE OF THE SERVICE Commuter Rail" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). 2014. p. 3. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  12. 1 2 "SEPTA - Media Guide" (PDF). SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority). 2013. p. 7. Retrieved 2016-05-27.
  13. ↑ "RTD - Facts & Figures". Regional Transportation District. April 4, 2020. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  14. 1 2 "Caltrain Modernization Quarterly Update" (PDF). Caltrain. February 2016. p. 2. Retrieved 2016-05-27.
  15. 1 2 3 "Transportation Division - Moving Around - Tri-Rail". City of Fort Lauderdale . Retrieved 2016-05-27.
  16. ↑ "2015 Financial Plan" (PDF). Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit). June 2015. p. 3. Retrieved 2016-05-27.
  17. 1 2 3 "VRE Strategic Plan Executive Summary" (PDF). Virginia Railway Express. May 2004. p. v. Retrieved 2014-03-26.
  18. ↑ Jay Jones (July 8, 2012). "Dunes Country choo-choo". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 2016-05-27. Along the 90-mile route, sightseeing and recreational opportunities are plentiful...
  19. ↑ "SunRail Celebrates Phase 2 Groundbreaking". SunRail. April 22, 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-27.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "COASTER Fact Sheet" (PDF). North County Transit District. January 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-11-05. Retrieved 2013-12-21.
  21. ↑ "Stations".
  22. 1 2 "Data and Statistics - Fast Facts". Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2013. Retrieved 2014-05-22.
  23. 1 2 3 Dan Leavitt (July 23, 2015). "ACEforward IMPROVING THE ALTAMONT CORRIDOR EXPRESS" (PDF). San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission. p. 1. Retrieved 2016-05-27.
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