Newsletter 11/21/25: Amtrak Needs to Buy More Trains!

As Train Travel Surges, Amtrak needs to Buy More Trains!

Amtrak has a problem: There’s more demand than it can handle. Trains regularly sell out year round.

It is exciting that Amtrak just reported record ridership.

But, we can only imagine what the ridership would have been, if they hadn’t turned so many people away.

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A crowd is lined up to board an Amtrak train in Springfield IL
Construction on a new overpass above future high speed tracks in the Central Valley.

California High Speed Rail Authority CEO Aims to Accelerate Construction 

CEO Ian Choudri aims to accelerate and expand construction on the San Francisco – Los Angeles high-speed line in 2026, marking a major milestone in the project’s evolution.

The sooner the trains are running, the sooner the revenue can be used to repay investors and fund the line’s completion and expansion—and the less the project will rely on public funding.

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Spain Plans to Cut Madrid-Barcelona High-Speed Train to Under Two Hours

The high-speed Ave train line between Spain’s two biggest cities could see its journey time cut to under two hours, with the Transport Minister Óscar Puente promising 350km/hour (217mph) services.

The Ave line needs more capacity, Puente explained, as it is now used by around 15 million people, compared to just 2.2 million when the line was launched in 2008.

To do this, the Minister said, there are two alternatives: build more rails or increase the speed, which means not only that passengers arrive earlier, but also that more services are generated at the disposal of railway operators, so that with the same rolling stock more services can be provided.

Read More:

Spain Plans to Cut Madrid-Barcelona High-Speed Train to Under Two Hours (The Local)

Spain Wants the Madrid-Barcelona Line to Be Even Faster

350 KM/H Operation Envisaged in Madrid – Barcelona High Speed Line Enhancement Study

High Speed Line in Spain
A man in a construction vest and hard helmet stands before a viaduct under construction

Lessons Drawn from California High-Speed Rail

When: Friday, December 12 at 12pm CT

Speaker: Boris Lipkin, vice president of program development at STV

Boris Lipkin has a unique perspective to offer to those who want to see American high-speed rail built: he’s actually helped build it. Between 2018 and 2025, he served as the Northern California regional director at the California High-Speed Rail Authority, where he led the development of 160 miles of the system between San Francisco and Merced Counties.

In this discussion, Boris shares his personal insight into what makes such mega-infrastructure projects successful—and the challenges they can face. 

A black and white image of a man sitting at a bus stop

If You Want to Win, You’ve Got to Fight: A Guide to Effective High-Speed Rail Advocacy

When: Friday, December 19 at 12pm CT

Speaker: Carter Lavin, author and activist

Whether you’re pushing for high-speed rail, better buses, or safer streets, transportation advocate Carter Lavin has the roadmap to turn your ideas into impact.

Join us for a conversation inspired by his new book, If You Want to Win, You’ve Got to Fight: A Guide to Effective Transportation Advocacy. With insights from over 100 campaigns, Carter will share practical tools and strategies to help you build power and win real change.

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