WASHINGTON — Funding for Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor would be cut from $1.14 billion to $850 million — a 25% decrease — under President Donald Trump’s budget proposal for fiscal 2026, according to budget information released by the Department of Transportation on Friday.
According to the detailed DOT budget request, Amtrak national network funding would increase by $291 million, with the overall Amtrak budget down by $763,000.
Still to come is Amtrak’s own budget request, which usually comes in a request to Congress in response to the adminstration’s budget proposal. That request has usually happened earlier in the year but has been awaiting the release of the President’s detailed budget [see “Trump budget, Congress mum …,” Trains News Wire, May 2, 2025].
The cuts to Northeast Corridor funding were first reported by Bloomberg Government.
The Amtrak funding is part of the budget for the Federal Railroad Administration, which would increase slightly compared to 2025, from $16.124 billion to $16.439 billion. The Federal Transit Administration would also see a slight increase, from $20.937 billion to $21.247 billion. The overall DOT budget would rise to $147.1 billion from $144.7 billion, although after offsets it would fall from $152.6 billion to $142 billion. Much of that difference is attributable to the elimination of just over $8 billion in Federal Highway Administration emergency relief funds.
An even more detailed version of the FRA budget submitted to Congressional appropriations committees includes administration justification for its requests. That report says that while Amtrak has made progress in recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the passenger operator’s revenue growth of 9% since 2019 has been “significantly outpaced” by operating expense increases of 29%. “Under the leadership of President Trump, FRA will reviewing avenues to close the gap,” the document states. It does not specifically address the decrease in Northeast Corridor funding.
The most notable increase in the FRA budget is for the Consolidated Railroad Infrastructure and Safety Investment, or CRISI grants. The administration’s budget calls for a $500 million increase to an overall total of $1.5 billion, including the $1 billion already committed under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. Of the $16.439 billion for the FRA, $13.2 billion is previously established under the IIJA.
The proposed increase in FTA budget comes from a boost in transit formula grants from $14.279 billion in 2025 to $14.642 billion in 2026. Those grants are used for capital projects and planning to improve service and maintain a state of good repair. The administration’s budget proposal also includes $2.05 billion for transit infrastructure grants previously authorized under the IIJA, but eliminates additional funding; the last two budgets included additional amounts of of $253.4 million in 2024 and $45.6 million in 2025.
Funding for the FTA’s capital investment grant program remains unchanged at $3.8 billion, including $1.6 billion under the IIJA. Eliminated entirely are $7.5 million for technical assistance and training grants.
American Public Transportation Association CEO Paul P. Skoutelas said in a statement that APTA applauds the “historic investment in public transit and passenger rail” in the budget request, saying the increases of more than $300 million for both the FTA and FRA “represent a significant commitment to strengthening our economy and building a better America.”
— Updated at 11:33 a.m. CT with additional information, link to appropriation committee version of FRA budget.
