Amtrak president urges travelers to book holiday trains 'as soon as' they can

As Americans begin their Thanksgiving travels, Amtrak has set a new record.

The company provided 34.5 million customer trips in fiscal year 2025, up 6% year over year.

"There's a genuine interest in passenger rail travel throughout the country," said Roger Harris, Amtrak's president, in an interview with Fox News Digital. 

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"We're working really hard to put a better product out there every day, increase capacity and get schedules that are more convenient for customers to take," he also noted. 

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a recent press release that there's a bright future ahead for transportation and trains.

"Faster trains, more affordable service and extended routes are opening up a new era of American rail," said Duffy.

Amtrak will be introducing its new Airo trains in 2026, which will provide modern seating, bigger restrooms and a "contemporary food service experience."

Harris said, "The Airo service that comes out next year is going to be replacing trains that are 50 years old."

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With Thanksgiving nearly here, Harris said the all-time record they're seeing embraces holiday travel as well.

"It's the busiest time of year here at Amtrak," said Harris. "We ask customers to try to pack light, because the trains are going to be really full."

Passengers should remember that trains close two minutes before departure, he said. "You don't want to leave it till the very last minute to get on the train."

Harris said train travel is not as hectic as flying - there's no need, for example, to show up two hours before departure. However, travelers should "plan on being there in time and getting on the train before we leave."

Nearly 82 million people are expected to travel over Thanksgiving, according to AAA.

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Harris said people should book "as soon as" they know their holiday plans. 

"The good thing about Amtrak is that we're very flexible in terms of our ticketing," he said. "You're also able to change your tickets on the app in case something comes up at the last minute."

So far this month, there has been record cold weather in the East, lake-effect snow around the Great Lakes and unsettled weather across the West, according to FOX Weather.

Harris said Amtrak takes many measures to ensure winter travel is as safe and convenient as possible.

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"We do things like winterize the trains beforehand to make sure that they don't freeze up," he said. "That can be a problem in these extreme weather events. We also make sure our stations are properly maintained for things like slips and falls."

He added, "It goes back to the whole point about being prepared, making sure that people get to the station in plenty of time, so that they don't risk difficult weather conditions."

Recently, some customers have taken to social media to call out Amtrak's pricing.

"Amtrak is a scam," wrote one individual on X. "Why [are] there $360+ tickets for the same route I paid $25 for yesterday?"

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Another user wrote, "I know Amtrak prices are famously fickle, but I think this is the funniest disparity I've ever seen." The person shared a photo of a $20 train ticket - and another ticket priced at $236.

Harris said that "it's true that with the tremendous interest we have in train travel today, trains are really full and that does have the impact of driving up prices."

He also noted the company's flexible pricing structures.

"If you can travel on trains at less popular times a day, you can save money. So, we really suggest that people shop around before they buy their ticket."