Amtrak has proposed a restructuring plan under which operations would be divided into three subsidiaries overseen by a parent company.
One subsidiary would focus on the rail line's passenger service; a second would focus on maintaining and building Amtrak infrastructure, including tracks, bridges, tunnels and stations; and the third would be responsible for managing the Amtrak fleet.
The three groups would be interdependent, with the parent company providing governance, strategic direction and coordination, according to Amtrak.
"Our goal is a more accountable, effective and resilient Amtrak, one that delivers more riders, more revenue and the best customer service in the transportation industry," interim president Byl Herrmann said in a statement.
• Related: A rising demand for rail travel
Amtrak said the proposed structure would be designed to enable faster and better-informed decisions, align decision-making authority with responsibility and results and bring greater visibility into business performance and results.
Amtrak's board has given the go-ahead to the preliminary framework proposed by management but has also asked for public comments, which it is accepting through Oct. 30.
The next steps
Beginning in September, Amtrak management will develop a detailed design and implementation plan for the restructuring ahead of presenting a formal proposal to the board in December. The proposal calls for operations under the new structure to begin in 2027.
Through the first eight months of its current fiscal year, a period that ended in May, Amtrak ridership was 23.9 million, up from 22.5 million for the same period in 2024-25, which ended up being the company's best in terms of ridership. The company suffered operating losses of $329.5 million during those first eight months of this fiscal year, the most recent results that Amtrak has reported.