Rail passenger traffic – America 2006–2019

In 2019, passengers traveled around 26.85 billion passenger kilometers on railways in North and South America. This constitutes less than one percent of the passenger kilometers traveled by rail worldwide that year.

The U.S. and reluctance to travel via rail

Despite its reputation as a world-leading economy, the U.S. continues to rank below many global regions in terms of its passenger rail traffic, despite its large population of well over 300 million people. This low volume of passenger rail traffic can be attributed to factors such as preference for air and road travel and a general reluctance to reduce carbon footprint. Meanwhile, it is also crucial to note that freight rail takes priority over passenger rail on North American railroads, with rail freight traffic dominating passenger rail traffic by 14 to one.

Urban rail in Latin America

With an urbanization rate of 80 percent, Latin America has become one of the most urbanized regions in the world. The region has simultaneously also seen steady growth in its urban-rail segment, with companies from Asia-Pacific and Europe, such as Siemens, Alstom, and China’s rolling stock manufacturer CRRC, working on projects to revitalize urban rail infrastructure in the region – particularly on metro networks. Since 2016, at least 30 new metro lines have entered the planning stage or been opened across the region of Latin America.