Thanksgiving week travel expected to be almost as busy as pre-pandemic levels: Amtrak ridership on the Northeast Corridor is forecast to rise this year in the early and late morning hours, according to preliminary 2019 schedule data. “With the train lines serving four states and the first rail passenger into the nation’s capital on Thursday, Amtrak ridership on the Northeast Corridor is expected to rise this year,” Amtrak’s website reads.
The data from the National Transportation Statistics data collected annually show that over the course of 2019 the number of Amtrak passengers along the Northeast Corridor was estimated to increase by 4.4 percent, to 1.16 million in the late night and early morning hours on Thanksgiving Day, with a total increase of 3.1 percent.
This year is supposed to be another busy travel week for Amtrak as the nation gears up for both the White House visit and the 100th birthday of the country’s first president, Abraham Lincoln.
“Trains on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor are planning to operate every morning and again on weekends and holidays,” Amtrak said in an announcement on its website. “The busiest travel days for Amtrak on the Northeast Corridor include holidays, as many travelers make their trips by train and use the time off to plan ahead.”
The busiest travel days by Amtrak on the Northeast Corridor include holiday travel on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day and Good Friday. Amtrak will operate on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with additional services on selected weekends.
The Northeast Corridor will also see some weekend travel on selected Amtrak services on Friday, Saturday, Monday and Sunday.
