The Impact of the Northeast Corridor and Amtrak on the Economy

The Impact of the Northeast Corridor and Amtrak on the Economy

If you’ve ever traveled along the Northeast Corridor (NEC), you’ve seen the diversity of the region come to life. The student taking their first trip, the business traveler taking their umpteenth ride and the family going to Nana’s house,  the 24/7 operation of the NEC is one our riders expect. As a majority owner of the NEC, Amtrak owns and maintains 80% of the mainline which is used by 710,000  rail commuters and 40,000 Amtrak riders daily. You know we take pride in getting you from point A to point B safely and quickly, every single day. What you may not be as familiar with is the impact Amtrak in the Northeast Corridor has on the American economy.

Today, the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission released the Northeast Corridor and the American Economy Report which is chock full of data that cites the positive affects rail has on our economy. We encourage you to get cozy in the quiet car and read all about infrastructure, investment and impact, but for those in a hurry we have included a few facts from the report.

  1. One out of five U.S. jobs are located in the NEC Region.
  2. One out of three Fortune 100 firms are headquartered in the NEC Region
  3. Seven million jobs are within five miles of a NEC station.
  4. If the NEC were lost for a day, the U.S. economy would face $100 Million in increased congestion costs and lost productivity.
  5. 263 colleges and universities are within five miles of an Amtrak station.
  6. Seven of the top 20 most visited museums in the world are located along the NEC.
  7. 19 professional sports stadiums and arenas call the NEC home.

Want more information about the impact the NEC has on the economy? Go here to read the complete Northeast Corridor and American Economy Report.

Credit: All facts and images are from the Northeast Corridor and American Economy Report.

For more information about our improvement projects and continued investment along the Northeast Corridor, visit our Northeast Corridor website, nec.amtrak.com.