The Travels with Kev Weekly Newsletter

Hello Reader,

Welcome back! This week, we look at some Amtrak numbers and get an update on my current trip! Hint: if you want to travel on Amtrak, you may need to book early!

Amtrak Ridership Booming—Here’s What That Means for Your Next Trip

Amtrak’s April 2026 report shows ridership up 6% year over year. That’s 20.6 million passengers—nearly a million more than last year. The network is gaining momentum. Here’s where and what it means for your next trip.

Where the Growth Is Strongest

Northeast Corridor: Up 6% to 9.1 million riders. The new NextGen Acela entering service is helping, but the real story is steady demand. More passengers mean more investment in frequency and infrastructure.

State-supported routes (Cascades, Pacific Surfliner, Midwest services): Up 7% to 9 million riders. These regional services now carry nearly as many riders as the NEC. Investment in routes such as Mardi Gras Service and Borealis is paying off. If you’ve never tried a regional route, now’s the moment—the system is investing because ridership justifies it.

Long-distance routes: Up 1% to 2.6 million riders. Growth is slowing, but it is still growth. The California Zephyr, Southwest Chief, and Empire Builder are attracting more passengers. These routes provide essential services to rural areas and remain vital to the network.

What Growth Means for Booking

Summer peaks are approaching. Demand is real and growing. It is not too soon to plan your Fall adventures. This summer, with all the soccer events, some routes could fill up quickly on days you normally do not see.

What’s Holding Things Back

Amtrak needs new passenger cars, like yesterday. The recent Horizon cars, unexpectedly pulled from service, have dramatically reduced the available fleet; some are returning, but not quickly enough.

The new Airo trainsets will help free up capacity once they enter service. Long-distance routes—especially Superliners—haven’t seen new equipment and won’t see any soon. An aging fleet is a real constraint, and some coach cars have been reassigned to regional train service.

Amtrak is undergoing some transitional changes, but is looking to the future with the new Airo trains and its plan to replace the long-distance fleet nationwide. This will transform these routes, allowing some cars to be used on other routes while others are retired.

The Takeaway

As Amtrak gains popularity, a few things follow. One full train means more sold-out trains; you will likely sit next to someone else if you are a solo traveler. Additionally, prices can climb faster than you are used to.

If you are planning a trip and want to pay less, consider booking earlier than you normally would.

What Is Kev Up To?

A quick recap. This week is my birthday, and I could not think of a better way to celebrate than with a trip. The planning happened months ago, and if you have been around for a while, you may remember that it was moved from August to this week.

It is nice to start a trip by rail, even if you need to fly! I took the first northbound Hiawatha from the Sturtevant depot to the Milwaukee Airport depot, a "long" 13-mile ride. From there, I called a shuttle, which took me to the airport, where I flew first class from Milwaukee to Pensacola via Atlanta. Yes, it was on Delta. The upgrade was not too expensive, and I enjoyed the experience, a great way to celebrate my birthday!

Not long after that, my sister dropped my niece off at the airport, where we hung out before the next leg. Amtrak doesn't serve Pensacola yet, so we took a Greyhound to Mobile. The bus wasn't too bad and did the trick before we caught a Lyft to our hotel.

We stayed at a nice place in Mobile, not too far from the train station, so we had a pleasant walk down to catch the Mardi Gras Service to New Orleans. Makenzie, aka Mack, and I had business-class seats, and she really liked that! We had a companion coupon, which made the upgrade more affordable.

As I wrap up writing this newsletter, Mack and I are in a bedroom aboard the City of New Orleans, heading north. She has been an amazing trooper, and I am so proud! Taking a 7-year-old girl on a trip made me nervous, but she is doing great. I think I am doing well. I do not have kids of my own, so this is all new to me.

Thank You!

June is my birthday month, and for no particular reason, I'm offering you 49% off in your first month on Patreon. If you join, you'll receive a postcard from me, and you can cancel at any time. Use code 15CE5. The older I get, the bigger that discount gets!

If you'd like to help keep Travels with Kev rolling, click the green button below to visit my support page.

Anyone who supports via PayPal receives a postcard. If you use the button below and reply to the thank-you email, I’ll send one your way, too (if you don't reply, I cannot send you one).

Patreon members receive a postcard each month as part of their membership. I’m about to create a fresh batch of postcards and am excited to start sending them out!

Until Next Week!

Safe travels & Happy Planning,
Kev Monteith

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