Ridership down on the Downeaster, despite big year for Amtrak

PORTLAND, Maine (WMTW) - More people rode Amtrak trains in the last fiscal year than any year on record, but ridership on the Downeaster between Maine and Boston was down.

In a report released Tuesday, Amtrak said that, for the fiscal year October 2024 to September 2025, it provided a record 34.5 million customer trips, a 5.1% increase over the previous year.

However, the report shows that ridership on the Downeaster dropped 7.2%, with 549,120 passenger trips in the last year. There were nearly 592,000 trips the year before.

The Downeaster welcomed its 10 millionth passenger in 2024.

The Downeaster started operations in December 2001 and has seen steady overall growth. Downeaster ridership increased 85% between fiscal year 2006 and fiscal year 2019.

Most Northeast routes for Amtrak saw a drop in passenger numbers. The only Northeast routes that saw growth were the Adirondack in New York, the Vermonter in Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut, and the Keystone and Pennsylvanian in Pennsylvania, according to our media partners WMTW.

“Amtrak’s growth is a preview of what’s possible when everyone is working together to help get the American people where they need to go,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “Faster trains, more affordable service, and extended routes are opening up a new era of American rail. The best is yet to come as we continue to build big, beautiful infrastructure to support this bright future of transportation.”