Multi-Agency Collaboration
The State-Amtrak Intercity Passenger Rail Committee (SAIPRC) is a multi-agency body whose members include 20 agencies in 17 states, Amtrak, and the Federal Railroad Administration.
SAIPRC is directed by Congress to facilitate collaboration among its members and to oversee implementation of a standard cost-sharing methodology for the State-Supported Intercity Passenger Rail Services across the country.
By working together, SAIPRC’s members aim to improve the intercity passenger rail network—to support the growing demand for rail travel and to encourage economic growth.
State-Supported Intercity Passenger Rail Services
The State-Supported services are Amtrak routes 750 miles or less outside the Northeast Corridor (which runs from Boston to Washington). Per federal statute, states are responsible for funding the costs of each State-Supported route. Altogether, the 28 State-Supported services carry approximately one-half of all Amtrak riders nationwide and represent an important and growing part of the Amtrak national network. States contribute over $800 million in ticket revenue and direct payments to Amtrak each year. Over the last decade, the State-Supported routes represented 80% of Amtrak’s ridership growth system-wide.