GAO, Commuter Rail: Most Systems Struggling to Recover (GAO-25-107511) (2025)
Summary
GAO-25-107511, a GAO report to congressional requesters dated May 7, 2025, titled Commuter Rail: Most Systems Struggling to Recover Ridership Following the COVID-19 Pandemic. It updates GAO's 2021 report on commuter rail systems' operations and funding and examines how service, ridership, funding sources and operating costs have changed for the 31 commuter rail systems. The report states that service at 19 systems was near or above pre-pandemic levels from July through December 2024, while service at five systems remained more than 25 percent below. It reports fare revenue 31 percent lower in fiscal year 2023 than in 2019, and a 28 percent increase in nominal operating costs.
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United States Government Accountability Office
Report to Congressional Requesters
COMMUTER RAIL
May 2025
Most S ystems
S truggling to Recover
Ridership Following
the COVID-19
P andemic
GAO-25-107 511
May 2025
COMMUTER RAIL
Highlights Most Systems Struggling to Recover Ridership
Following the COVID-19 Pandemic
Highlights of GAO-25-107511, a report to
congressional requesters
Why GAO Did This Study What GAO Found
Roughly 5 years after the start of the Commuter rail is a transit alternative to driving between suburban communities
COVID-19 pandemic, transit agencies and city centers. Industry-wide data show that the nation’s 31 commuter rail
report that it has significantly affected systems as a whole are providing service above pre-pandemic levels, but
how individuals use and prioritize significant variation exists by system. GAO’s analysis of data from the
public transit in their daily activities. Department of Transportation (DOT) shows that service at 19 systems was near
Many rail systems historically operated or above pre-pandemic levels from July through December 2024. However,
to serve passengers riding to and from service at five systems remains more than 25 percent below pre-pandemic
city centers. Commuter rail was levels, and service at the remaining seven systems varies between 8.5 and 23.7
particularly affected by the pandemic
percent below. DOT data also show that ridership for most systems continues to
and related increased telework. In
lag behind service levels, though substantial variation also exists. At six systems,
response to the pandemic, Congress
provided over $69 billion in relief ridership from July through December 2024 had recovered or nearly recovered
funding to the transit industry. The from 2019 levels but were below 2019 levels for the remaining 25 systems.
federal public health emergency ended Officials from some of the 10 systems GAO interviewed identified ways they have
in 2023. adapted service to attract riders and better meet changing passenger needs.
These adaptations include expanding operations beyond traditional commuting
GAO was asked to provide an update hours, offering free fares and flexible passes for certain passengers (e.g., youth
to its 2021 report on the status of passes), and strategically expanding and adapting service based on community
commuter rail systems’ operations and needs and feedback.
funding. This report examines how,
since the COVID-19 pandemic, (1)
commuter rail service and ridership
Data from GAO’s survey of commuter rail systems show that fare revenue from
have changed; and (2) funding sources riders was 31 percent lower in fiscal year 2023 for all systems, compared to
and operating costs for these systems 2019. To help offset this reduction in fare revenue, commuter rail systems
have changed. reported increases in the percentage of their total funding comprised of federal,
local, or other sources. COVID-19 relief funding comprised a significant portion of
GAO analyzed DOT service and the 2023 increase in federal funding (see figure). As of February 2025, officials
ridership data from January 2019 from 15 of 22 systems that responded to GAO’s request said they did not have
through December 2024 for the any COVID-19 funding remaining.
nation’s 31 commuter rail systems.
GAO also collected and analyzed Commuter Rail Systems’ Total Funding by Source, Fiscal Years 2019, 2023
funding and cost data for these
systems for fiscal year 2023 using a
web survey and compared these data
to fiscal year 2019 data.
GAO also reviewed relevant federal
statutes and guidance and interviewed
DOT officials, industry association
representatives, and a
nongeneralizable sample of 10 transit
agencies operating commuter rail
systems. These agencies were Note: Other funding can include funding from fees paid to use existing track, sale of assets, parking
selected based on ridership levels and fees, or other sources.
whether the agencies offered multiple The vast majority of systems also reported increased operating costs in fiscal
transit modes, among other things.
year 2023 compared to 2019, with a 28 percent increase in nominal operating
costs across all systems. According to officials GAO interviewed and GAO’s
For more information, contact Andrew Von Ah
analysis, inflation contributed substantially to the increase in costs. Beyond
at vonaha@gao.gov. inflation, officials also said that labor and material costs contributed to higher
operating costs, which are affecting systems’ ability to plan and implement
projects necessary for future operations.
United States Government Accountability Office
Contents
Letter 1
Background 3
Over Half of Systems Are Providing Service Near or Above Pre-
Pandemic Levels, but Most Systems’ Ridership Has Not
Recovered 7
Systems Have Relied on Funding Sources Other than Fares and
Reported Higher Operating Costs Compared to Pre-Pandemic 17
Agency Comments 22
Appendix I U.S. Commuter Rail System Snapshots 23
Appendix II Federal Funding Related to Commuter Rail Provided Under the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) 55
Appendix III GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments 62
Figures
Figure 1: Map of 31 Commuter Rail Systems in the U.S. 4
Figure 2: Total Commuter Rail Service (Measured in Vehicle
Revenue Hours), January 2019 through December 2024 8
Figure 3: Commuter Rail System Service Recovery, Percentage
Change in Total Vehicle Revenue Hours Between July–
December 2019 and July–December 2024 10
Figure 4: Total Commuter Rail Ridership (Measured in Unlinked
Passenger Trips), January 2019–December 2024 11
Figure 5: Commuter Rail System Ridership Recovery, Percentage
Change in Total Unlinked Passenger Trips Between
July–December 2019 and July–December 2024 13
Figure 6: Commuter Rail Systems’ Total Funding by Source,
Fiscal Years 2019, 2023 18
Page i GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
Abbreviations
ARPA American Rescue Plan Act
CRRSAA Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental
Appropriations Act, 2021
Denver RTD Denver Regional Transportation District
DOT Department of Transportation
FRA Federal Railroad Administration
FTA Federal Transit Administration
FY fiscal year
IIJA Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
MBTA Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
NTD National Transit Database
SEPTA Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority
SMART Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit
VRE Virginia Railway Express
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Page ii GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
Letter
4 4 1 G St. N . W.
Washington, DC 2054 8
May 7, 2025
The Honorable S am Graves
Chairman
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
House of Representatives
The Honorable Troy E. Nehls
House of Representatives
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant effect on public transit across
the country. According to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), stay-
at-home orders in 2020 led to ridership dropping 81 percent between April
2019 and April 2020, and the vast majority of transit agencies reducing
service. FTA also found that commuter rail, a transit alternative to driving
between suburban communities and city centers, was particularly affected
by the pandemic.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress enacted three relief
laws that provided over $69 billion in funding to the transit industry. FTA,
within the Department of Transportation (DOT), distributed these funds to
transit agencies through existing formula grant programs. 1 The laws gave
recipients flexibilities to use the funding for a wide array of payroll and
operating expenses, and some of the funding was required to be used for
these purposes to the maximum extent possible. 2
Roughly 5 years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic— and almost 2
years since the federal public health emergency ended— transit agencies
report that the pandemic has significantly affected how individuals use
and prioritize public transit in their daily activities. For example, changes
in telework patterns during this time affected the demand for transit
service that has historically followed 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. commuting
1FTA distributed COVID-19 relief funding for transit primarily through the Urbanized Area
Formula program and the Formula Grants for Rural Areas program. Formula programs
allocate funding to recipients using a distribution formula set by statute.
2If the recipient certified to FTA that the recipient had not furloughed any employees, then
the recipient was not required to prioritize payroll and operating expenses over other
expenses.
Page 1 GAO-25-107 511 Commuter Rail Systems
patterns. 3 Many commuter rail systems have operated these schedules
primarily to serve passengers riding to and from city centers.
You requested that we provide an update to our 2021 report on the status
of commuter rail systems’ operations and funding. 4 This report examines
how, since the COVID-19 pandemic, (1) commuter rail service and
ridership have changed; and (2) funding sources and operating costs for
these systems have changed. We also present information on specific
commuter rail systems in appendix I.
To address these objectives, we analyzed service, ridership, and cost
data from fiscal year (FY) 2019 through FY 2023 for the 31 commuter rail
systems within the FTA’s National Transit Database (NTD). 5 We reported
the most recent data by calendar month for each system, including
ridership data through December 2024. 6 In addition to the data available
in NTD, we also conducted a web-based survey to collect and analyze
data on systems, funding, and costs for FY 2023 from the 31 commuter
rail systems. Where applicable, we adjusted data for inflation to 2023
dollars. 7
We assessed the reliability of the data using several methods, including
reviewing NTD documentation, interviewing DOT officials, and conducting
several data checks. To account for data limitations we found within the
NTD, we did not use data on operating cost metrics marked questionable
by FTA (e.g., if the transit agency did not follow prescribed procedures or
if the estimates are deemed unreasonable) and requested more specific
revenue data from surveyed transit agencies. After excluding the NTD
3On January 20, 2025, a Presidential memorandum required the heads of executive
branch agencies to take necessary steps to require employees to return to work in-person
full time at their respective duty stations. See Return to In-Person Work Memorandum for
the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, 90 Fed. Reg. 8251 (Jan. 20, 2025).
4GAO, Commuter Rail: Information on Benefits and Funding Challenges for Service in
Less Urbanized Communities, GAO-21-355R (Washington, D.C.: Apr. 1, 2021).
5The 31 commuter rail systems include all systems in the U.S. classified as commuter rail,
as well as certain hybrid rail systems and two legacy Amtrak lines identified as commuter
rail systems within the NTD. NTD data are reported by transit agencies at the end of that
agency’s own fiscal year, which may vary across agencies.
6Transit agencies report ridership (in unlinked passenger trips, meaning passengers are
counted each time they board) and service metrics monthly to NTD.
7We used the FY 2023 gross domestic product index ending in September to adjust for
inflation in this report. Transit agencies may end their fiscal year in different months
(including June, September, and December).
Page 2 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
data marked questionable, we determined that both NTD and our survey
were sufficiently reliable for reporting on the 31 systems’ service,
ridership, funding, and costs.
In addition, we reviewed federal statutes, regulations, and DOT
documentation and guidance related to commuter rail operations and
funding. We conducted interviews with a non-generalizable selection of
10 transit agencies operating commuter rail systems. 8 To incorporate a
variety of perspectives, we selected these systems to ensure diversity in
ridership recovery compared to pre-pandemic levels, whether transit
agencies operated only commuter rail systems or multiple transit modes,
whether the agencies used contractors to operate their commuter rail
service, and the geographic locations transit agencies served. We also
interviewed one commuter rail industry association (the Commuter Rail
Coalition) and DOT officials about issues facing commuter rail systems.
We conducted this performance audit from April 2024 to May 2025 in
accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.
Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our
findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that
the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and
conclusions based on our audit objectives.
Background
Commuter Rail Systems Commuter rail systems are operated by transit agencies, which may also
operate other transit modes such as bus, subway, light rail, or ferry. 9 In
the U.S., commuter rail systems are located in or around metropolitan
areas (see fig. 1). The nation’s 31 commuter rail systems vary in the
8The 10 commuter rail systems we selected for interviews were Denver Regional
Transportation District (Denver RTD), Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
(MBTA), New Jersey Transit, Northstar, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority
(SEPTA), Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART), SPRINTER, TEXRail, Tri-Rail, and
Virginia Railway Express (VRE).
9According to FTA, light rail is an electrically propelled train operating primarily at surface
level. Comparatively, commuter rail passenger transportation means short-haul rail
passenger transportation in metropolitan and suburban areas usually having reduced fare,
multiple-ride, and commuter tickets and morning and evening peak period operations. 49
U.S.C. § 24102. Commuter rail passenger transportation operates on existing railway
tracks also used by Amtrak to provide intercity rail passenger transportation and railroads
that provide freight transportation.
Page 3 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
number of stations they operate, areas they serve, and miles of track they
use, among other system characteristics. 10
Figure 1: Map of 31 Commuter Rail Systems in the U.S.
Commuter rail service can vary based on the days of the week that
service is operated, the direction the trains run (both directions at once or
only the direction of peak service), and the hours in service. Service
levels can be measured in a number of ways, including by vehicle
10See appendix I for summaries of the operations, ridership, and funding sources for all 31
commuter rail systems across the country.
Page 4 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
revenue hours and vehicle revenue miles. These measures account for
the hours or miles that trains are operating and can carry passengers,
and do not include when trains do not carry passengers (e.g., during
maintenance testing or training). Ridership is typically measured by
“unlinked passenger trips,” which include the number of passengers who
board public transportation vehicles. Passengers are counted each time
they board a vehicle, including transfers.
Federal Roles and Within DOT, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and FTA oversee
Responsibilities commuter rail operations. 11 FRA oversees safety in rail transportation,
and FRA’s Passenger Rail Division provides technical expertise and
direction in the development and implementation of rail safety programs
applicable to commuter rail operations. FRA also administers federal
grant funds to eligible rail carriers that provide intercity rail passenger
transportation (Amtrak) and freight rail transportation for eligible
infrastructure, service, safety improvement, and congestion relief projects.
This funding may benefit commuter rail systems due to their shared
infrastructure with Amtrak and freight rail systems. However, FRA is
generally prohibited from providing grant funding for commuter rail
passenger transportation. 12 FTA promotes the development,
improvement, and safety of public transportation systems, which include
commuter rail systems, through a variety of federal grant programs to
local transit agencies. 13
FTA also administers the NTD, which collects, validates, and publishes
financial, operating, geographic service area coverage, and asset
condition information for transit systems in the U.S. Transit agencies that
receive grants from the FTA under the Urbanized Area Formula program
or Formula Grants for Rural Areas program are required to submit data to
11For the purposes of FRA safety oversight, rapid transit operations in an urban area that
are not connected to the general railroad system are excluded from FRA’s safety
oversight. FRA will presume that an operation is an urban rapid transit operation if there is
not a statutory determination that Congress considers a particular service to be commuter
rail and the operation is a subway or elevated operation with its own track system on
which no other railroad may operate, has no highway-rail crossings at grade, operates
within an urban area, and moves passengers from station to station within the urban area
as one of its major functions. 49 C.F.R. Part 209, Appendix A. According to FTA, these
systems, also known as fixed guideway systems, are subject to FTA’s safety oversight
program.
1249 U.S.C. § 22905(f).
13While FTA grant programs can be used to fund eligible safety improvements in
commuter rail systems, the FRA has primary safety jurisdiction and oversight
responsibilities, and commuter railroads must comply with FRA safety regulations.
Page 5 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
the NTD. Among the required data are annual operating expenses,
service levels, ridership levels, and funding sources.
Commuter Rail Funding Transit agencies fund their commuter rail systems through federal
funding, state and local funding (e.g., sales taxes), and passenger fares
and agency-generated revenue (e.g., advertising), among other sources.
Regarding federal funding, FTA provides funding to transit agencies
through formula and competitive grant programs. FTA distributes formula
grant funding based on specific parameters set by Congress, and transit
agencies decide how to disburse this funding across their various modes
(e.g., commuter rail and bus) for a wide variety of eligible expenses. FTA
awards competitive grants for specific eligible projects through a
competitive application and selection process. In general, transit
agencies, with some exceptions, can only use federal funding for capital
expenses. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provided
funding for a wide variety of formula and competitive grant programs that
are available to fund commuter rail (see appendix II). 14
Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CARES Act, the
Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021
(CRRSAA), and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provided funding
that agencies could use for operating expenses related to COVID-19
response and recovery. 15 While CARES Act and CRRSAA funding has no
deadline by which the funds must be used, ARPA funding must be
disbursed by September 30, 2029.
14IIJA, Pub. L. No. 117-58, 135 Stat. 429 (2021). On January 20, 2025, the Administration
issued an Executive Order to pause the disbursement of certain funds appropriated
through the IIJA and directed agencies to review their processes, policies, and programs
for issuing grants and other financial disbursements under the IIJA for consistency with
the law and the policy of the Executive Order. See Exec. Order 14154, Unleashing
American Energy, 90 Fed. Reg. 8353 (Jan. 20, 2025).
15CARES Act, Pub. L. No. 116-136, 134 Stat. 281, 599-600 (2020); CRRSAA, Pub. L. No.
116-260, 134 Stat. 1909, 1947 (2020); ARPA, Pub. L. No. 117-2, 135 Stat. 4, 72 (2021).
Page 6 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
Over Half of Systems
Are Providing Service
Near or Above Pre-
Pandemic Levels, but
Most Systems’
Ridership Has Not
Recovered
Service Levels Vary Industry-wide data show that commuter rail service is above pre-
Significantly by System, pandemic levels (see fig. 2). Specifically, commuter rail service levels in
total were about 2.7 percent above pre-pandemic levels for the last 6
with Over Half Providing
months ending in December 2024, compared to the same time period in
Service Near or Above December 2019. 16
Pre-Pandemic Levels
16As of February 2025, four commuter rail systems had not submitted complete 2024 data
to the NTD. The 2.7 percent calculation does not include the missing months for those
four systems, therefore it results in a slight undercount of vehicle revenue hours in those
months. Since the four systems in total represent only 1.3 percent of the industry vehicle
revenue hours from January 2019 through December 2024, it would not significantly affect
the calculation of the 2024 industry-wide service levels.
Page 7 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
Figure 2: Total Commuter Rail Service (Measured in Vehicle Revenue Hours), January 2019 through December 2024
However, industry-wide data mask significant variations that exist among
systems. Over half of commuter rail systems (19 of 31) were operating
near or above pre-pandemic service levels from July through December
2024 compared to the same 6-month period in 2019, based on our
analysis of NTD data (see fig.3). 17
Service levels among those 19 systems ranged from Metrolink (in
Southern California) operating slightly below pre-pandemic levels (-4.1
percent) to Denver RTD increasing service significantly with a new
17This analysis was based on vehicle revenue hours. FTA defines vehicle revenue hours
as the hours that vehicles actually travel while in revenue service (the time when a vehicle
is available to the public). Vehicle revenue hours include layover and recovery time but
exclude hours for service without passengers (e.g., when changing routes or traveling to
maintenance facilities), operator training, vehicle maintenance testing, and other non-
revenue uses of vehicles. We define “nearly” recovered as being within 5 percent of pre-
pandemic service for the given time period. For systems with incomplete data
(Downeaster, Keystone, Shore Line East, WeGo Star) we calculated this 6-month
percentage using the most recent 6-month time period available in NTD and compared
that to the same 6-month time period in 2019.
Page 8 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
commuter rail line (+49.3 percent). 18 Among the remaining 12 systems,
service at five systems was more than 25 percent below pre-pandemic
levels, and service at seven systems varied between 8.5 and 23.7
percent below pre-pandemic levels. Transit agency officials from one
system operating below 2019 levels told us that they are waiting to
assess demand for commuter rail service before considering any increase
in service. As such, these officials said they are planning for it to take
longer to return to their previous service levels.
18We refer to systems by name when referring to our analyses of NTD or survey data. We
anonymize system information when discussing information from our interviews. Service
levels here do not capture schedule changes that commuter rail systems may have made
since the pandemic. For example, transit agencies may have shifted schedules to different
times of day, while maintaining the overall number of hours that trains are running in a 24-
hour period.
Page 9 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
Figure 3: Commuter Rail System Service Recovery, Percentage Change in Total Vehicle Revenue Hours Between July–
December 2019 and July–December 2024
Note: As of February 2025, four systems had submitted incomplete service data to the National
Transit Database (Downeaster, Keystone, Shore Line East, WeGo Star). For these systems, we
calculated the percentage change using the most recent 6-month time period available in the National
Transit Database and compared that to the same 6-month time period in 2019.
We did not identify a connection between service level recovery and the
size of a commuter rail system. 19 For example, there were both smaller
and larger systems among those that recovered to near or above pre-
pandemic service levels—including the smaller system A-Train in Denton
19Here, system size refers to the total miles of track (total directional route miles) of the
commuter rail system.
Page 10 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
County, Texas (+11.5 percent) and the larger Long Island Rail Road
(+18.4 percent).
Our survey of the 31 systems also found that most commuter rail systems
continue to operate the same number of stations as they did before the
pandemic. Twenty-two systems reported that they operated the same
number of stations in FY 2023 as they did in FY 2019. Of the remaining
nine systems, seven added at least one station and two closed one or
more stations. An official from one system that closed stations during this
time period told us they did so because five stations had little ridership
even before the pandemic. For that system, the closed stations were
already located near other stations on the commuter rail line.
Ridership Has Been Our analysis of NTD data show that commuter rail ridership has been
Slowly Rebounding, with slowly rebounding from pandemic lows. After significantly declining in the
first half of 2020, total ridership summed across all 31 systems has
Most Systems’ Ridership
steadily increased (see fig. 4). However, total ridership for all 31 systems
Remaining Below Pre- from July through December 2024 remained about 31 percent below pre-
Pandemic Levels pandemic levels (July through December 2019).
Figure 4: Total Commuter Rail Ridership (Measured in Unlinked Passenger Trips), January 2019–December 2024
Note: Transit agencies report commuter rail ridership to the National Transit Database monthly,
measured in unlinked passenger trips. Unlinked passenger trips include the number of passengers
Page 11 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
who board public transportation vehicles. Passengers are counted each time they board a vehicle,
including transfers.
Similar to data for individual systems’ service levels, NTD ridership data
show significant variation among systems’ ridership recovery. 20 For
example, our analysis showed that from July through December 2024,
ridership at six systems had recovered or nearly recovered compared
with the same time period in 2019, while ridership at 17 systems
remained 16 to 46 percent below pre-pandemic levels (see fig. 5). 21
Ridership at the eight remaining systems was 50 percent or more below
pre-pandemic levels. These results show that ridership recovery has
lagged behind commuter rail service recovery for many systems.
20For more detailed ridership and operational information on each commuter rail system,
see the commuter rail snapshots presented in appendix I.
21We define “nearly” recovered as being within 5 percent of pre-pandemic ridership for the
given time period. Note in figure 5 this includes MBTA whose ridership was 3.6 percent
below pre-pandemic levels.
Page 12 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
Figure 5: Commuter Rail System Ridership Recovery, Percentage Change in Total Unlinked Passenger Trips Between July–
December 2019 and July–December 2024
We did not identify a strong connection between ridership recovery and
the size of a commuter rail system. For example, between July and
December 2024, some larger systems like Metra, which connects
neighboring cities to Chicago, remained far below pre-pandemic ridership
(-42 percent) while other larger systems like MBTA, which connects
neighboring cities to Boston, are nearing pre-pandemic ridership (-3.6
percent) over the same time period. Similarly, a smaller system like
SMART is operating with 41 percent higher ridership than before the
pandemic, but the ridership of similarly small Northstar remains roughly
83 percent below pre-pandemic levels.
Page 13 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
Despite Structural As discussed earlier, commuter rail operates on a fixed track and was
Challenges, Some historically designed to transport people from outer areas to city centers
for work and other activities. This structure creates challenges by
Systems Are Trying to
reducing a transit agency’s ability to modify its operations in ways such
Adapt Service to Better as:
Meet Riders’ Needs
• Cutting costs. As documented by FTA, commuter rail has high costs
compared to other transit modes like bus service, and it is not as easy
to recoup costs by scaling down rail service. 22 We have previously
reported that, according to rail officials, commuter rail uses more
expensive infrastructure, such as tracks, passenger stations, rail cars,
and signaling. 23 In addition, the cost of keeping a rail station open and
staffed remains the same each day no matter how many trains stop
there. Cutting service also comes with additional risks. As FTA
documented and officials at one system told us, cutting service to
adapt to reduced ridership introduces the risk of the “death spiral” of
transit service for any mode. In other words, reduced service further
reduces ridership, leading to further cuts in service, and eventually
repeated reductions in ridership and service.
• Adjusting to new telework patterns. Commuter rail systems were
designed to transport people into city centers. Therefore, commuter
rail operations are particularly affected by changes in telework
patterns and related commuting hours, according to officials from two
transit agencies and FTA. For example, officials from one transit
agency told us about significant differences in ridership on their two
rail systems based on telework patterns. Those officials said that they
saw ridership drop dramatically on the system that primarily serves
workers who were able to telework during the pandemic. However,
officials told us that ridership remains much more consistent on the
system that serves more workers who are essential to maintain critical
infrastructure and continue critical services.
• Changing schedules and stations. Transit agencies can also face
challenges implementing schedule changes on commuter rail
systems, according to officials from two transit agencies. For instance,
a transit agency may be unable to make changes to their system’s
schedule because they do not own the track on which the trains run.
In these cases, transit agencies may have to negotiate the service
schedule they are able to offer with the “host” railroad that owns the
22Federal Transit Administration, Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Transit Ridership
and Accessibility, FTA Report No. 0268 (Washington, D.C.: August 2024).
23GAO-21-355R.
Page 14 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
track. 24 It may also be difficult to add or change stations, as building
track and stations is more expensive than adding stations on a bus
route, for example. Officials from another transit agency told us that
two recent transit expansions were more easily implemented with bus
and light rail compared to commuter rail. These officials said that,
among other things, additional buses are cheaper to deploy than
additional trains or stations, and buses use existing roads to operate.
Overall, transit agencies that operate multiple modes (rail, bus, etc.)
generally have greater flexibility and more options they can use to
meet the needs of the community.
Despite these challenges, officials from several of the 10 commuter rail
systems we interviewed identified ways they have adapted service to
attract riders and better meet changing passenger needs:
• Extending service beyond traditional commuting hours. Officials
from seven systems said commuting patterns no longer reflect
traditional 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. commuting hours in their service
areas. As a result, officials from five of these systems have expanded
their commuter rail service beyond traditional commuting hours,
including adding or expanding weekend or midday train service. One
system’s officials said that moving to all-day service has been the
biggest driver of the system’s success in bringing back riders. In
particular, adding midday service provided an option for workers who
want to go into an office for a meeting and then return home. Notably,
four of these five systems own all or most of their respective track,
according to transit agency officials and documents we reviewed.
Such ownership mitigated the added challenge of negotiating
schedule changes for these agencies.
• Offering free fares or flex/youth passes. Transit agency officials
from five systems said that their systems have implemented new fare
or pass structures, including free youth passes and flat weekend
fares, to increase commuter rail’s appeal to riders. Officials at one
system said that offering free youth fares encourages families to use
the system and creates lifelong transit users. For another system,
officials said offering free youth passes helped build a habit of taking
transit for new riders. In addition, one transit official attributed some of
its system’s significant increases in weekend ridership to the agency’s
24As we have previously reported, commuter rail systems can operate some or all of their
trains as “tenants” on the track of another railroad (e.g., Amtrak or a freight railroad),
known as the “host.” GAO, Commuter Rail: Agencies’ Estimates of Operations and
Maintenance Costs for Positive Train Control, GAO-24-106329 (Washington, D.C.: Jan.
10, 2024).
Page 15 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
$10 weekend fare program, which allows riders to use the train all
weekend for a flat price.
• Pursuing strategic system expansion. Officials at three commuter
rail systems told us they are pursuing different types of system
expansions to increase ridership. The expansions include adding new
stations and on-demand bus shuttle service beyond the commuter rail
line, opening previously planned new stations, and providing special
service to community events. For example, officials at one system
added shuttle service from the commuter rail station to the county
airport and wineries in the area. According to the officials, doing so
helped bridge a service gap between one part of the commuter rail
line and popular destinations. At another system, officials added train
service to transport riders to professional sporting events, a popular
service that was suspended during the pandemic.
• Adapting service based on community feedback. Two transit
agencies we interviewed made several commuter rail system changes
based on community feedback. For instance, officials at one system
added another morning train based on parent requests to
accommodate travel to school. Officials said the agency has also tried
several other service changes based on customer feedback. Officials
from another system added two late night trains to the system in
response to feedback from airport employees who did not have a
transit option for the late-night shift. They discussed the plan with
airport staff and surveyed employees as a part of this effort.
While officials from some systems said these actions helped their
ridership levels recover, others also identified system characteristics that
aided in their recovery. Officials we interviewed said they benefit from
unique aspects of their communities, including a tourism economy (four),
historically serving essential workers or non-9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
commuters (three), the consistent ridership demand of their systems’
airport lines (three), and their commuter rail system providing one of the
only available transit alternatives to driving in the area (one).
Page 16 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
Systems Have Relied
on Funding Sources
Other than Fares and
Reported Higher
Operating Costs
Compared to Pre-
Pandemic
To Account for Substantial Following ridership declines during the COVID-19 pandemic, commuter
Drops in Fare Revenue, rail systems experienced substantial losses in fare revenues. Our survey
found that the majority of commuter rail systems (26 of 31) reported lower
the Majority of Systems
fares and agency generated revenue (fare revenue) in FY 2023
Have Used More Federal compared to FY 2019. 25 Across all commuter rail systems, nominal fare
and Other Sources of revenues decreased 31 percent from FY 2019 to FY 2023. 26
Funding
Correspondingly, commuter rail systems reported in our survey that fare
revenue made up a smaller percentage of their total funding in FY 2023.
Specifically, fare revenue made up almost 43 percent of total funding
across all 31 systems in FY 2019 and decreased to 24 percent in FY
2023. To offset reduced fare revenues, the majority of commuter rail
systems reported increases in federal, local, or other sources of funding
(29 of 31). For example, federal funding as a percentage of systems’ total
funding roughly doubled, increasing from about 10 percent in FY 2019 to
nearly 20 percent in FY 2023, across all systems. COVID-19 relief
funding comprised the vast majority of this 9.6 percentage increase (see
fig. 6). 27
25Passenger fares make up most of transit agency generated revenue, according to the
Congressional Budget Office and NTD. As such, we refer to fares and agency generated
revenue as “fare revenue” throughout this report. See Congressional Budget Office,
Federal Financial Support for Public Transportation (March 2022); Federal Transit
Administration, Office of Budget and Policy, National Transit Summaries and Trends 2023
Edition (2024).
26This sum reflects changes in fare revenues and agency generated revenues as reported
in our survey. After adjusting for inflation, fare revenue decreased 41 percent across all 31
systems.
27As noted above, CARES Act and CRRSAA funding have no deadline by which the funds
must be used, but ARPA funding must be disbursed by September 30, 2029.
Page 17 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
Figure 6: Commuter Rail Systems’ Total Funding by Source, Fiscal Years 2019,
2023
Note: Other funding can include funding from fees paid to use existing track, sale of assets, parking
fees, or other sources.
However, not all systems receive all types of funding or reflect these
industry trends. For example, in FY 2019 and FY 2023, TEXRail did not
receive any state funding, and SunRail (in Florida) did not receive local
funding. In addition, while industry-wide state funding increased slightly,
for VRE, state funding increased from 30 percent to 50 percent of its total
funding. Comparatively, for Rail Runner Express (in New Mexico), state
funding made up 22 percent of its total funding in FY 2019, but it did not
have any state funding in FY 2023. When looking at local funding,
northern California’s Altamont Corridor Express’s local funding decreased
from 24 to 16 percent of its total. Comparatively, A-Train received the
majority of its funding from local sources—87 and 96 percent in FY 2019
and FY 2023, respectively.
All systems have benefitted from COVID-19 relief funding, but this funding
is temporary. Slightly more than half of systems (17) reported in our
survey they were still using federal COVID-19 relief funding in FY 2023. 28
Officials we interviewed from one system with COVID-19 relief funds
remaining explained they are using that funding to continue to cover
operational costs in light of fare revenue remaining below pre-pandemic
levels. Officials from another system told us they are using $30 million of
COVID-19 relief funding for this same purpose, and that it allowed them
to continue to operate. In February 2025, we asked transit agencies if
they had used all COVID-19 funding available for their commuter rail
28The remaining 14 of the 31 surveyed systems reported not using any COVID-19 relief
funding in 2023, though some or all of these systems may have already spent all their
COVID-19 relief funding.
Page 18 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
systems. Of the 22 who responded as of February 2025, 15 said they had
spent all of the available funding. 29
As transit agencies spend remaining COVID-19 relief funding, officials are
looking to other sources to offset fare revenue reductions. Officials from
one system that ran out of COVID-19 funding said they are considering
raising fares to help fill the resulting budget shortfall. However, raising
fares could reduce ridership, so whether this strategy will succeed
remains unclear. Officials from most (eight of 10) of the systems we
interviewed said that they plan to seek funding from sources other than
the federal government in the future.
Stakeholders Most Operating costs have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic,
Frequently Attributed according to our survey and analysis of NTD data. First, the majority (28
of 31) of commuter rail systems reported in our survey that operating
Higher Operating Costs to
costs increased from FY 2019 to FY 2023. Across all 31 systems,
Inflation or Labor or operating costs increased about 28 percent in nominal terms, and 9
Material Cost Increases percent after adjusting for inflation. 30 Second, NTD data show increases
in commuter rail systems’ operating costs across multiple metrics that
account for differences in systems’ ridership. Specifically:
• Fare recovery ratio. Fare recovery ratio measures how much of a
commuter rail system’s operating costs are covered by its fare
revenue. For the 19 commuter rail systems with complete NTD data,
the fare recovery ratio decreased from FY 2019 to FY 2023, ranging
from a decrease of 14.9 percent to 82.2 percent. 31 Since fare
revenues are directly related to ridership, declines in ridership lead to
decreases in fares and the fare recovery ratio. Similarly, the fare
recovery ratio decreases if operating costs increase.
• Operating costs per passenger trip. Operating costs per passenger
trip measures the average operating cost for each passenger that
29One of the 15 systems reported it had spent the majority of its COVID-19 relief funding,
but a few capital items needed to be closed out.
30We have previously reported that commuter rail has high operating costs compared to
other transit modes because commuter rail must maintain and manage more infrastructure
and equipment. See GAO-21-355R.
31While all transit agencies are required to report these metrics to NTD, we excluded data
for 12 of the 31 transit agencies with data that FTA identified as “questionable” in NTD,
leaving 19 commuter rail systems in our analysis. Of these 19, ridership at four was near
or above pre-pandemic levels and ridership at 15 was below. Our survey requested
operating and capital cost data from commuter rail systems but did not ask about the NTD
metrics.
Page 19 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
boards a commuter rail system. For the 19 commuter rail systems
with complete NTD data, operating costs per passenger trip increased
from FY 2019 to FY 2023 and, when adjusted for inflation, range from
an increase of 6.8 percent to 407.3 percent. 32 As a ratio of operating
costs to passenger trips, this measure of operating costs increases if
total operating expenses increase or ridership falls.
• Operating costs per passenger mile traveled. Operating costs per
passenger mile traveled measures the average operating cost for
each system to carry one passenger one mile. For the 19 commuter
rail systems with complete NTD data, operating costs per passenger
mile traveled increased from FY 2019 to FY 2023, ranging from an
increase of 0.3 percent to 340.1 percent when adjusted for inflation.
As a ratio of operating costs to passenger miles traveled, this
measure increases if operating costs increase, if passengers travel
shorter distances on their trip, or if there are fewer passengers taking
trips. The length of a system may affect the distance that passengers
travel. 33 For example, the Westside Express Service in Oregon is a
relatively short system, meaning passengers are generally traveling
fewer miles compared to a longer system like FrontRunner in Utah. As
such, Westside Express Service’s operating costs per passenger mile
traveled in FY 2023—around $11 per passenger mile traveled—were
higher than Frontrunner’s, which were around $0.60.
Officials from our 10 selected systems most frequently cited inflation as
the reason operating costs increased. Specifically, officials from five
systems attributed total operating cost increases primarily to inflation.
Officials from three of these systems added that inflation since the start of
the COVID-19 pandemic had increased operating costs more than
anticipated. Inflation, measured by the gross domestic product price
index, increased about 17 percent throughout the U.S. economy from FY
2019 to FY 2023. However, after adjusting for inflation, real operating
costs across all 31 commuter rail systems from FY 2019 to FY 2023 still
increased 9 percent, as noted above.
Beyond inflation, officials from four of our selected systems cited labor
costs or the increased cost of materials, which they linked to supply chain
issues, as reasons for increased operating costs. Officials from three of
32We adjusted the NTD metrics of operating costs per passenger trip and operating costs
per passenger mile traveled for inflation because NTD only publishes nominal data.
33While the number of riders on a system can also affect the average passenger miles
traveled, the length of an overall system is an example of how operating metrics can differ
between systems due to unique characteristics of the systems.
Page 20 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
the four systems said their labor costs increased due to increases in the
price of their labor contracts. Officials from one system also said
challenges hiring workers increased their operating costs. With respect to
the increased cost of materials, officials from three systems highlighted
supply chain issues, which officials from one system said affected their
ability to get parts for repairs.
Increased labor and material costs during this time were not unique to
commuter rail systems, but rather, were experienced across the transit
industry. According to FTA and our previous work, workforce and supply
chain challenges increased costs across the transit industry during the
pandemic. 34 For example, FTA reported in August 2024 that supply chain
shortages and issues have limited the ability of transit agencies to
procure vehicles and have led to cancelled contracts, delivery delays, and
price increases of up to 70 percent. 35
Commuter rail system officials we interviewed told us that increased costs
are affecting their ability to plan and implement projects for future
operations. 36 Officials from four systems said they had to delay or modify
capital projects due to increasing costs. Such delays may be challenging
to future system operations. According to officials from one system, for
example, their system is older, and capital projects are necessary to
address the system’s infrastructure needs and continue operations. In
addition, officials from two commuter rail systems noted that their systems
are facing a funding gap. Officials from three systems also said that
funding does not go as far to cover project costs. For example, officials
from one system told us the transit agency originally had enough money
34We have previously reported on transit agency operating and capital cost increases
during the COVID-19 pandemic. See GAO, COVID-19: Federal Efforts Could Be
Strengthened by Timely and Concerted Actions, GAO-20-701 (Washington, D.C.: Sept.
21, 2020); and COVID-19: Current and Future Federal Preparedness Requires Fixes to
Improve Health Data and Address Improper Payments, GAO-22-105397 (Washington,
D.C.: Apr. 27, 2022). See also Federal Transit Administration, Effects of the COVID-19
Pandemic on Transit Ridership and Accessibility.
35Federal Transit Administration, Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Transit Ridership
and Accessibility.
36We have previously reported on capital costs, including capital investment grants, and
FTA cost estimations, and we have ongoing work on capital costs. See GAO, Capital
Investment Grants Program: Cost Predictions Have Improved, but the Pandemic
Complicates Assessing Ridership Predictions, GAO-23-105479 (Washington, D.C.: Apr.
10, 2023); Capital Investment Grants Program: FTA Should Improve the Effectiveness
and Transparency of Its Reviews, GAO-20-512 (Washington, D.C.: July 16, 2020); and
Rail Transit: Federal Transit Administration Could Improve Information on Estimating
Project Costs, GAO-19-562 (Washington, D.C.: July 22, 2019).
Page 21 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
to build a “clean and repair” facility for 13 trains before the pandemic, but
with recent cost increases, can only build a facility that holds eight trains.
Looking ahead, if costs continue to increase while ridership recovery
remains uncertain, many commuter rail systems will likely face ongoing
challenges that require further adaptation to continue operating.
We provided a draft of this report to DOT for review and comment. DOT
Agency Comments provided technical comments, which we incorporated, as appropriate.
We are sending copies of this report to the appropriate congressional
committees, the Secretary of Transportation, and other interested parties.
In addition, the report is available at no charge on the GAO website at
https://www.gao.gov.
If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please contact
me at vonaha@gao.gov. Contact points for our Offices of Congressional
Relations and Public Affairs may be found on the last page of this report.
GAO staff who made key contributions to this report are listed in appendix
III.
Andrew Von Ah
Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues
Page 22 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
Snapshots
We created “snapshots” for the 31 commuter rail systems operating in the
U.S. 1 As part of our web-based survey, we requested and analyzed data
from each system, including fiscal year (FY) 2023 funding and cost data,
station locations, and FY 2023 passenger boardings by station, if
available. 2 Each snapshot includes a map showing the location of that
system’s stations and the relative population density of its service area.
Each snapshot also depicts the funding composition of each system in FY
2019 and FY 2023. Transit agencies’ fiscal years may vary (e.g., some
are from July through June, while others are from October through
September). Finally, we also include information on passenger boardings
from January 2019 through December 2024 for each system. To ensure
consistency among systems, we used monthly data from the National
Transit Database to calculate annual passenger boardings in calendar
year 2023 for each snapshot.
1The 31 commuter rail systems include all systems in the U.S. classified as commuter rail,
as well as certain hybrid rail systems and two legacy Amtrak lines identified as commuter
rail systems within the Federal Transit Administration’s National Transit Database.
2Five systems could not provide annual passenger boardings at the station level, though
the agencies may track boardings at other intervals (e.g., by fare zone).
Page 23 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
,,,,,,,,
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix I: U.S. Commuter Rail System
Snapshots
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Appendix II: Federal Funding Related to
Appendix II: Federal Funding Related to Commuter Rail Provided Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
Commuter Rail Provided Under the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
Total funds
Allowable provided under
Source Type of project Fiscal year Fiscal year Fiscal year the IIJA, fiscal
Program Description of funds allocation types 2022 2023 2024 Fiscal year 2025 Fiscal year 2026 years 2022–2026a
Federal Highway Funding for state and Highway Formula Capital $13,835,404,382 $14,112,112,470 $14,394,354,721 $14,682,241,816 $14,975,886,619 $72,000,000,008
Administration local transportation Trust
Surface needs, including Fund
Transportation construction of highways,
Block Grant bridges, and tunnels, and
Program (23 U.S.C. transit capital projects
§ 133)b eligible for assistance
under 49 U.S.C. Chapter
53.
Federal Transit Funding for public Highway Formula Capital, $6,408,288,249 $6,542,164,133 $6,712,987,840 $6,851,662,142 $7,025,844,743 $33,540,947,107
Administration transportation in Trust planning, job
Urbanized Area urbanized areas with Fund access and
Formula Grants (49 populations of 50,000 reverse
U.S.C. § 5307)c people or more. Eligible commute,d
recipients are states and and operating
government authorities for expensese in
one or more urbanized urbanized
areas. Eligible projects areas of
include capital under
investments in new and 200,000
existing fixed guideway people
systems including rolling
stock, overhaul and
rebuilding of vehicles,
station infrastructure,
track, signals,
communications, and
computer hardware and
software.
Page 55 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
Appendix II: Federal Funding Related to Commuter Rail Provided Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
Total funds
Allowable provided under
Source Type of project Fiscal year Fiscal year Fiscal year the IIJA, fiscal
Program Description of funds allocation types 2022 2023 2024 Fiscal year 2025 Fiscal year 2026 years 2022–2026a
Federal Transit Funding to support the General Competitive Capital $4,600,000,000 $4,600,000,000 $4,600,000,000 $4,600,000,000 $4,600,000,000 $23,000,000,000
Administration construction of new rail, Fund
Capital Investment bus rapid transit, and ferry
Grant Program (49 systems, and to expand
U.S.C. § 5309)f existing systems. States
and local government
authorities are eligible
recipients.
Federal Transit Funding for maintaining Highway Formula Capital $4,165,528,226 $4,237,778,037 $4,330,934,484 $4,405,675,417 $4,500,496,668 $21,640,412,832
Administration rail, bus rapid transit, Trust
State of Good trolleybus, and ferry Fund and
Repair Grant systems, including General
Program (49 U.S.C. projects to replace, Fund
§ 5337(c)-(d))g rebuild, and rehabilitate
track, line equipment and
structures, signals and
communications, and
passenger stations and
terminals. Eligible
recipients are states and
local government
authorities in urbanized
areas with fixed guideway
and high intensity
motorbus systems in
revenue service for at
least seven years.
Page 56 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
Appendix II: Federal Funding Related to Commuter Rail Provided Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
Total funds
Allowable provided under
Source Type of project Fiscal year Fiscal year Fiscal year the IIJA, fiscal
Program Description of funds allocation types 2022 2023 2024 Fiscal year 2025 Fiscal year 2026 years 2022–2026a
Federal Highway Funding for transportation Highway Formula Capital $2,536,490,803 $2,587,220,620 $2,638,965,032 $2,691,744,332 $2,745,579,213 $13,200,000,000
Administration projects and other Trust projects that
Congestion programs that contribute Fund reduce
Mitigation and Air to air quality emissions,
Quality improvements in and certain
Improvement nonattainment areas (i.e., operating
(CMAQ) Program areas that do not meet air expenses,e
(23 U.S.C. § 149) quality standards) or including in
maintenance areas (i.e., areas eligible
areas that were designed under FTA’s
as air quality Urbanized
nonattainment areas but Area and
later redesignated as air Rural Area
quality attainment areas). programs
Funds are distributed to
states under the program.
States that do not have
nonattainment or
maintenance areas
receive a minimum
apportionment of funding
for either CMAQ eligible
projects or projects that
are eligible under the
Surface Transportation
Block Grant Program.
Page 57 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
Appendix II: Federal Funding Related to Commuter Rail Provided Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
Total funds
Allowable provided under
Source Type of project Fiscal year Fiscal year Fiscal year the IIJA, fiscal
Program Description of funds allocation types 2022 2023 2024 Fiscal year 2025 Fiscal year 2026 years 2022–2026a
Department of Funding for planning and General Competitive Capital $1,500,000,000 $1,500,000,000 $1,500,000,000 $1,500,000,000 $1,500,000,000 $7,500,000,000
Transportation constructing surface Fund
Better Utilizing transportation
Investments to infrastructure projects,
Leverage including public
Development transportation projects,
(BUILD) that have a significant
Discretionary Grant impact in local and
Program (49 U.S.C. regional communities by
§ 6702)h improving safety,
environmental
sustainability, or mobility
and community
connectivity. Eligible
recipients include states,
local governments, Indian
Tribes, and transit
agencies.
Federal Transit Funding for public Highway Formulai Capital, $875,289,555 $893,575,275 $916,907,591 $935,848,712 $959,639,810 $4,581,260,943
Administration transportation in rural Trust planning, job
Formula Grants for areas with populations of Fund access and
Rural Areas (49 less than 50,000 people. reverse
U.S.C. § 5311)c Eligible recipients are commute,d
states and Indian Tribes, operating
and eligible subrecipients expenses,e
are state and local and
government authorities, acquisition of
nonprofit organizations, public
and operators of public transportation
transportation or intercity services
bus service.
Page 58 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
Appendix II: Federal Funding Related to Commuter Rail Provided Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
Total funds
Allowable provided under
Source Type of project Fiscal year Fiscal year Fiscal year the IIJA, fiscal
Program Description of funds allocation types 2022 2023 2024 Fiscal year 2025 Fiscal year 2026 years 2022–2026a
Federal Transit Funding for state and General Competitive Capital $350,000,000 $350,000,000 $350,000,000 $350,000,000 $350,000,000 $1,750,000,000
Administration All local government Fund
Stations authorities to finance
Accessibility capital projects to
Program (IIJA, Pub. upgrade the accessibility
L. No. 117-58, 135 of legacy rail fixed
Stat. 429, 1439-40 guideway public
(2021)) transportation systems for
people with disabilities.
Funding may be used for
projects to repair,
improve, modify, retrofit,
or relocate infrastructure
of stations or facilities for
passenger use and to
develop or modify a plan
for pursuing public
transportation
accessibility projects.
Page 59 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
Appendix II: Federal Funding Related to Commuter Rail Provided Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
Total funds
Allowable provided under
Source Type of project Fiscal year Fiscal year Fiscal year the IIJA, fiscal
Program Description of funds allocation types 2022 2023 2024 Fiscal year 2025 Fiscal year 2026 years 2022–2026a
Federal Transit In addition to the formula Highway Competitive Capital $300,000,000 $300,000,000 $300,000,000 $300,000,000 $300,000,000 $1,500,000,000
Administration program described above, Trust
Competitive Grants the State of Good Repair Fund
for Rail Vehicle Program includes a
Replacement (49 competitive program that
U.S.C. § 5337(f)) funds the replacement of
rail rolling stock,
consisting of revenue
service vehicles,
passenger carrying
vehicles, and locomotives
necessary for the
provision of rail public
transportation. Eligible
recipients are state and
local government
authorities in urbanized
areas that are eligible for
State of Good Repair
formula funding.
Source: GAO analysis of federal statutes. | GAO-25-107511
Note: On January 20, 2025, the Administration issued an Executive Order to pause the disbursement of certain funds appropriated through the IIJA and directed
agencies to review their processes, policies, and programs for issuing grants and other financial disbursements under the IIJA for consistency with the law and the
policy of the Executive Order. See Exec. Order 14154, Unleashing American Energy (Jan. 20, 2025). In addition to the programs described in this table, the Federal
Transit Administration’s (FTA) Emergency Relief Program may provide funding for commuter rail in response to an emergency, which includes a natural disaster
affecting a wide area (such as a flood, hurricane, tidal wave, earthquake, severe storm, or landslide) or a catastrophic failure from any external cause. Under this
program, when Congress has appropriated funding for this purpose, the FTA may make grant funding available for capital projects to protect, repair, reconstruct, or
replace equipment and facilities of a public transportation system that is in danger of suffering serious damage, or has suffered serious damage, as a result of an
emergency and for eligible operating costs of public transportation equipment and facilities in an area directly affected by an emergency.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the CARES Act, Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), and American Rescue Plan Act
(ARPA) appropriated approximately $25 billion, $14 billion, and $30.5 billion, respectively, to the FTA to support the transit industry through the Urbanized Area and
Rural Area formula programs. CARES Act, Pub. L. No. 116-136, 134 Stat. 281, 599-600 (2020); CRRSAA, Pub. L. No. 116-260, 134 Stat. 1909, 1945-47 (2020);
ARPA, Pub. L. No. 117-2, 135 Stat. 4, 72-73 (2021). The CARES Act, CRRSAA, and ARPA permitted recipients of federal transit funding to use the funding for a wide
array of capital and operating expenses with no limit on the amount used for operating expenses. Some of the COVID-19 funding required that it be used for payroll and
operating expenses to the maximum extent possible. However, if the recipient certified to the FTA that the recipient had not furloughed any employees, then the
recipient was not required to prioritize payroll and operating expenses before other expenses.
Page 60 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
Appendix II: Federal Funding Related to Commuter Rail Provided Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
a
These amounts reflect the total funding provided under the IIJA and do not subtract administrative expenses or set asides other than the FTA Competitive Grants for
Rail Vehicle Replacement, which is a set aside of the State of Good Repair Formula Grants Program.
b
The amounts provided for the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program are approximately 28 percent of the amounts remaining from the base apportionment
amounts (as set forth in the IIJA, Pub. L. No. 117-58, § 11101, 135 Stat. 429, 443 (2021)) after subtracting the amounts provided for the Congestion Mitigation and Air
Quality Improvement Program, the National Highway Freight Program, and Metropolitan Planning. See 23 U.S.C. § 104(b)(2), (4)-(6), (h). The amounts listed in the
table have been rounded to the nearest whole dollar. The numbers reflected in the table for the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program reflect DOT’s official
apportionment, which is calculated and rounded first at the state level and then summed to arrive at the program total.
c
The amounts provided in the table for the Urbanized Area and Rural Area formula programs do not include apportionments based on growing states and high density
formula factors under 49 U.S.C. § 5340. The IIJA includes an authorization to 49 U.S.C. § 5340, which makes funds available to FTA’s Urbanized Area and Rural Area
formula programs. Pub. L. No. 117-58, § 30017, 135 Stat. 429, 912 (2021). The IIJA provides $392,752,680 for fiscal year 2022, $400,957,696 for fiscal year 2023,
$411,427,180 for fiscal year 2024, $419,926,283 for fiscal year 2025, and $430,601,628 for fiscal year 2026 for growing state apportionments under section 5340(c);
and $348,290,112 for fiscal year 2022, $355,566,259 for fiscal year 2023, $364,850,518 for fiscal year 2024, $372,387,459 for fiscal year 2025, and $381,854,274 for
fiscal year 2026 for high density state apportionments under section 5340(d). The specific growing state apportionment funding provided between these two programs
is unascertainable under the IIJA.
d
Job access and reverse commute projects are transportation projects to finance planning, capital, and operating costs that support the development and maintenance
of transportation services designed to transport welfare recipients and eligible low-income individuals to and from jobs and activities related to their employment,
including transportation projects that facilitate the provision of public transportation services from urbanized areas and rural areas to suburban employment locations. 49
U.S.C. § 5302(10).
e
Operating expenses are those costs necessary to operate, maintain, and manage a public transportation system. Operating expenses usually include such costs as
labor, fuel, and items having a useful life of less than one year.
f
The amounts provided for the Capital Investment Grant Program include: (1) the amounts provided in IIJA, Pub. L. No. 117-58, § 30017, 135 Stat. 429, 914 (2021); and
(2) the supplemental amount provided in IIJA, Pub. L. No. 117-58, 135 Stat. 429, 1438 (2021), of $8,000,000,000 for Capital Investment Grants to be distributed in
equal amounts for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
g
The amounts provided for the State of Good Repair Grant Program include: (1) the amounts provided in IIJA, Pub. L. No. 117-58, § 30017, 135 Stat. 429, 913 (2021)
after subtracting the $300,000,000 per fiscal year set aside for Competitive Grants for Rail Vehicle Replacement; and (2) the supplemental amount provided in IIJA,
Pub. L. No. 117-58, 135 Stat. 429, 1438 (2021), of $4,750,000,000 for State of Good Repair formula grants under 49 U.S.C. § 5337(c)-(d) to be distributed in equal
amounts for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
h
This program was formerly named Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) and Transportation Investment Generating Economic
Recovery (TIGER).
This program also includes Public Transportation on Indian Reservations competitive grants under 49 U.S.C. § 5311(c)(2)(A).
i
Page 61 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
Appendix III: GAO Contact and Staff
Appendix III: GAO Contact and Staff
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments
Andrew Von Ah, vonaha@gao.gov
GAO Contact
In addition to the contact named above, Sarah Farkas (Assistant
Staff Director); Melissa Greenaway (Analyst-in-Charge); Laura Bonomini;
Acknowledgments Delwen Jones; Stephanie Lola; Dan Luo; John Mingus; Rebecca Morrow;
Shannon Murphy; Josh Ormond; McKenna Ventura; Erin Villareal; and
Elizabeth Wood made key contributions to this report.
Page 62 GAO-25-107511 Commuter Rail Systems
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