New RPA Survey: Comfort Matters, But Fares Still Rule the Rails

by Jim Mathews / President & CEO

When it comes to getting people out of their cars and onto trains, Americans are pretty clear about what they want: comfort, reliability, and a fair price. With more than a thousand responses from passengers across the country, our newest flash Rail Passenger Experience Survey in November shows that even as travelers value better seating, Wi-Fi, and onboard amenities, the cost of the ticket remains the most powerful motivator (or deterrent) of all.

Our survey shows that passengers still want that elevated experience – and many already have it – but they also want it to feel worth the fare they pay.

When we asked passengers who don’t ride Amtrak today what change would make them more likely to choose Amtrak, almost half of respondents (48.7 percent) chose “Lower fares.” And among commuter rail riders, nearly one in four (23.3 percent) identified “Fare price” as an important factor in their daily travel experience.

That doesn’t mean people are unwilling to pay for rail travel. It means they want the experience and the cost to feel aligned. In the open-ended comments, that theme surfaced again and again: “I’d ride Amtrak more if it didn’t cost so much more than driving.” Passengers weren’t calling for a race to the bottom. But, they were asking for value that matches the price on the ticket.

In other words, desirable amenities help, but do not fully offset fare sensitivity for most people. Just under 16 percent of those who responded to the survey said they rarely or never take trains. But for the rest of the respondents who take either Amtrak or commuter rail or both, most who value amenities like Wi-Fi, premium seating, or good food are also sensitive to fares (530), while a smaller group values only amenities (355) or only fares (76).

Affordability isn’t just an Amtrak issue. Among those who regularly ride commuter or regional rail systems, fare price ranks alongside reliability, frequency, and cleanliness as one of the most important aspects of the daily journey. Even for riders who use their local system every weekday, ticket price remains part of the mental calculus – especially when monthly passes or parking costs rise faster than wages.

Our analysis found that fare sensitivity isn’t confined to any one region or income bracket. Respondents across income levels mentioned cost concerns, from lower-income households stretching travel budgets to higher-income professionals questioning why short-distance rail fares sometimes exceed airfare.

We used SurveyMonkey to host our survey, and the tool's cross-tab analysis offered a deeper look at how fare sensitivity shifts across both income and travel frequency. The pattern is clear:

• Lower-income respondents ($25,000–$49,999 and $50,000–$99,999) were the most likely to select either “Fare price” (for commuter rail) or “Lower fares” (for Amtrak) as top priorities – often above 50 percent.
• Higher-income respondents were less sensitive, but the desire for affordability still showed up in meaningful numbers.
• Occasional riders (those who travel a few times per month or per year) showed the greatest price sensitivity, suggesting that cost remains a barrier to converting casual travelers into regular ones. Cost in absolute terms plays a role, but crucially so does the perception of cost. I wrote about that last week, and you can read more about that analysis by clicking here.
• Frequent or daily riders were more tolerant of current fare structures, perhaps because they already receive commuter discounts or simply view rail travel as part of their daily routine.

Fare price is more important to rarely/never users (10 percent) than to regular train users (23 percent). Train users overwhelmingly prioritize reliability (68 percent), frequency (54 percent), cleanliness (50 percent), and comfortable seating (48 percent), while rarely/never users show much lower concern for these (15, 10, nine, and nine percent, respectively).

Even as passengers flagged fares as their top issue, other priorities emerged that help paint a more complete picture of the modern American rail traveler. Across age, gender, and income, the most important train experience factors – reliability, cleanliness, safety, and comfortable seating – are consistently prioritized. However, higher-income and younger respondents more often mention amenities like Wi-Fi, while fare price and parking are more frequently noted by lower-income groups.

In the ranking of onboard amenities, comfortable and spacious seating, reliable Wi-Fi, and charging outlets all scored highly. Passengers value trains as productive, comfortable spaces – places where they can read, relax, or work without the stress of traffic. They’re willing to trade some of that for speed, which is why those kinds of amenities matter less on short-haul air flights, but if they’re giving up speed they expect to be compensated in the form of relaxing, productive spaces.

The open-ended text responses echoed this idea. When respondents were asked to name a single improvement that would make the biggest difference, the top themes (after we filtered out gibberish or filler answers) clustered around comfort, connectivity, and reliability. The same passengers calling for lower fares also said they wanted “cleaner cars,” “quieter coaches,” “more legroom,” and “better Wi-Fi.”

Younger respondents are more likely to consider Wi-Fi important. The highest percentages were among ages 35-44 (67.8 percent), 18-24 (64.3 percent), and 45-54 (63.9 percent), while interest declines with age, dropping to 46.3 percent for those 65 and older.

Generally, commuter rail riders prioritize Wi-Fi (64.4 percent) and seating comfort (72.7 percent) more than Amtrak-only riders. Amtrak riders value freshly prepared meals (53.7 percent) and sleeping accommodations (30.9 percent) more. Those who use both commuter rail and Amtrak place higher importance on restrooms (47.0 percent) and privacy (34.5 percent) than either group alone.

Our data show meaningful differences in amenity preferences by train frequency. For example, daily riders are much more likely to value Wi-Fi (66 percent) than those riding a few times per year (39.7 percent), while interest in freshly prepared meals is higher among frequent riders than infrequent ones.

Preferences are not uniform across groups. There are significant differences in amenity preferences by demographic categories. Higher-income and middle-aged respondents (especially males in the 35–54 age range) show the strongest preferences for comfortable seating, Wi-Fi, and freshly prepared meals, with selection rates often exceeding 70–90 percent in these groups.

That said, there was surprising (to us anyway) uniformity for the top five amenity preferences among most traveling demographics. Amenities that enhance comfort and convenience topped the list: 1) Comfortable, spacious seating; 2) Reliable Wi-Fi and charging outlets; 3) Freshly prepared meals; 4) Plush, well-padded seating; and 5) Phone/tablet cradles or stands in the seats.

Though it might look that way at first, what passengers are really describing isn’t a contradiction between cost and comfort. Rather, it’s a plea for balance. They’re not demanding that train travel be cheap (though that’d be nice); they want it to feel worth what they’re paying.

Taken together, these findings suggest a need for rail operators – Amtrak and regional agencies alike – to treat pricing policy as a passenger-experience issue, not just a financial one. Fare structures that reward frequency, simplify discounts, or dynamically adjust to fill off-peak seats could go a long way toward boosting ridership.

For policymakers, the message is equally clear: affordability IS accessibility. If we want trains to be more than a niche mode for enthusiasts or business travelers, then the economics of taking the train must make sense to everyday Americans. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law gives the nation the tools to expand service and improve reliability, but if ticket prices remain out of reach for many, those investments won’t reach their full potential.

Comfort matters. Clean trains, good Wi-Fi, and friendly service all make the journey better. But as our survey makes plain, the first – and sometimes final – factor in whether someone rides the train at all is whether the experience feels worth the fare.

[Survey Note: Our November survey opened on Nov. 3 and closed on Nov. 29, with 1,065 responses and a margin-of-error of plus/minus four percent. Although the survey was available nationwide, responses clustered in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and Northeast. Responses were fairly evenly distributed by gender and household income; roughly a third of respondents to the optional income question earn less than $100,000 per year, while a quarter earn up to $150,000 and a bit more than a third exceed that level. Respondents followed a bell-curve distribution by age range, with respondents between the ages of 18 and 24 accounting for about five percent of the total. Roughly 41 percent were between 30 and 44 years old, while 23 percent were between 45 and 54. Just under 10 percent were between 55 and 64, and close to 16 percent were 65 and older.]