Measuring the Benefits of Intercity Passenger Rail: A Study

• The 1993 Illinois Passenger Rail Survey included an evaluation of the demand for highspeed
rail service in the Chicago hub network (23).
Amtrak Market Research and Analysis Department Survey Program
At this point, it is appropriate to provide a short discussion of Amtrak’s corporate onboard
passenger survey program, as it would not be prudent to suggest that the inventory of
reports and summary data from on-board surveys of state-supported passenger rail corridors
collected in this review represent the only such information available to planners and policy
makers. The literature review identified 41 past studies of intercity rail passengers, which
included 9 such studies for the Pacific Surfliner, the San Joaquins, and the Amtrak Cascades
developed by Amtrak’s Market Research and Analysis Department. Background information
provided to researchers and subsequent discussions with Amtrak management revealed that these
on-board passenger surveys are used to develop “ridership profiles” for most routes as an
element of Amtrak’s overall marketing strategy. Amtrak requested that these proprietary
summary findings remain confidential and as such are not included in this report.
Summary of Findings
Table 2-3 provides a compilation of the findings of selected past studies of state-
supported intercity passenger rail corridors. Findings from on-board surveys of rail passengers
summarized include the passenger’s self-reported trip purpose and alternative travel mode in the
absence of the passenger rail service. The reader should note that these findings were compiled
by researchers from independent studies of Amtrak’s state-supported corridors across the
country. Each of the cited studies utilized different methodologies and survey instruments;
therefore, researchers strongly discourage direct formal comparison between the findings
reported in Table 2-3. Rather, these findings are presented only for the purposes of providing the
reader with a general sense of the types of trips accommodated by state-supported passenger rail
corridors and how passengers on these trains might travel in the absence of the state-supported
passenger rail service. Note that the data in Table 2-3 represent the most current information for
each corridor that was made available to researchers.
The figures reported in Table 2-3 provide some perspective on the role of state-supported
passenger rail in an intercity corridor. Collectively, these findings suggest that on low-density
corridors, intercity rail passengers are primarily leisure travelers, with a majority of trips to visit
22