Amtrak expands brand campaign to push rail travel over cars and planes

Traders Union
All News
Financial News
Amtrak brand campaign for rail

Highlights

Amtrak spent $36 million on advertising in 2025, down from $39 million in 2024, while ticket revenue rose 10% to $2.7 billion.
Ridership reached a record 34.4 million trips in the 2025 fiscal year, up 5%, with a long-term goal of 66 million annual trips by 2040.
Amtrak receives about $22 billion from the 2021 infrastructure law and an additional $4.7 billion investment for Northeast Corridor rail projects announced in April.

Campaign strategy and advertising spend

As first reported by Business Insider, Amtrak's new "The Build" advertisement is designed to present passenger rail with the same aspirational tone often used by premium car brands. The spot opens with the cues of a high-end automaker commercial before revealing that the featured vehicle is the NextGen Acela high-speed train, part of the company's broader "Retrain Travel" campaign that debuts on linear TV during Kentucky Derby weekend.

Eliot Hamlisch, Amtrak's chief commercial officer, says the company is taking a bolder approach in its messaging, music and creative execution to emphasize advantages over driving and flying, including avoiding highway traffic and airport delays. He says the aim is less about taking immediate market share and more about reshaping perceptions of train travel among travelers who have historically chosen cars or planes between major city centers.

Hamlisch says roughly 80% of Amtrak's advertising budget goes to awareness-focused channels such as television, digital video and podcasts, while 20% is aimed at driving direct ticket purchases. Amtrak spent $36 million on advertising in 2025, down from $39 million a year earlier, even as ticket revenue rose 10% to $2.7 billion, and Hamlisch expects spending to remain at a similar level this year.

Morning Consult data cited in the report shows 26% of U.S. adults say they would consider becoming Amtrak customers, up from 23% when the "Retrain Travel" campaign began in 2024. Brand awareness remains at 83%, suggesting the operator's challenge is less recognition than persuading more travelers to try rail.

Ridership growth and network constraints

Amtrak is building its marketing push on stronger operating momentum. Ridership reaches a record 34.4 million trips in its 2025 fiscal year, which ends in September, up 5% from a year earlier, and the company is aiming for 66 million annual trips by 2040 as it upgrades tracks, stations and trains.

The rail operator also benefits from public investment. Amtrak receives about $22 billion over five years from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, and in April the Trump administration announces a further $4.7 billion investment in rail projects along the Northeast Corridor. Hamlisch says the company is not trying to exploit recent disruption in U.S. air travel by sharply increasing marketing, even as the problems may encourage some travelers to consider trains.

Amtrak says it already holds an 80% share of trips between New York City and Washington, DC, and 65% between New York City and Boston, based on internal comparisons with airline data. Outside those core routes, penetration is lower, and the operator still faces execution risks tied to an aging fleet, with the average railcar about 33 years old according to a 2024 Bureau of Transportation Statistics report, as well as delays linked to upgrades of older tracks, bridges and tunnels.

The company is also stepping up social media outreach to attract younger travelers, including Gen Z. A retro-style Amtrak video released last July gained traction on Instagram and YouTube, underscoring a wider effort to make rail travel feel more relevant while the operator works to manage customer expectations during its modernization program.

Our earlier report on Gen Z homebuying affordability and mortgage options explained how younger buyers are turning to tools like rate buydowns, adjustable-rate mortgages, low down payment loans, and thousands of assistance programs to reduce upfront costs. We also noted how brokers and new rewards-style features in mortgage servicing are being used to make major financial commitments feel more accessible and appealing to first-time buyers.

This material may contain third-party opinions, none of the data and information on this webpage constitutes investment advice according to our Disclaimer. While we adhere to strict Editorial Integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners.