There are no definitive, official rankings of the "worst" rail lines for 2025, but sources indicate problematic routes, such as the Auto Train (34% delay rate), Floridian (36%), and Southwest Chief (40%). Issues affecting specific systems include the high costs and challenges of the California High-Speed Rail project and concerns about the effectiveness of the Norfolk Tide Light Rail, a system facing criticism for its poor performance.
Amtrak Routes Facing
Challenges
- Auto Train:Had the poorest performance
with a 34% delay rate.
- Floridian:Had a 36% delay rate.
- Southwest Chief:Had a 40% delay rate.
Light Rail & Regional
Systems
- Norfolk Tide Light Rail:Has been labeled "The Worst Light Rail System in the U.S." due to its problems, notes David William Rosales.
Projects and Systems with
Significant Issues
- California High-Speed Rail:Faces
persistent issues with property acquisition, moving utilities, and
environmental reviews, leading to massive cost overruns and criticism as a
"public infrastructure failure"
by some, says The New York Times.
- Pacific Surfliner: Faces significant delays due to a large portion of its route operating on single-track sections, requiring trains to take turns, which creates bottlenecks.
Factors Contributing to Poor
Performance
- Infrastructure: Many rail lines,
especially those in California, struggle with single-track lines and the
need for expensive upgrades to double-track systems.
- Cost Overruns: The California High-Speed
Rail project is an example of a project with massive cost overruns,
exacerbated by the complexity of rights-of-way and utility work.
- Operational Challenges: Factors like the timing of single-track operations on the Pacific Surfliner can significantly increase delays.
For 2025, several US rail lines are considered among the worst due to persistent, significant delays caused by freight train interference. A primary factor is that Amtrak passenger trains must share tracks with freight railroads, many of which fail to provide required preference to passenger service.
Amtrak long-distance routes
with major delays
Federal Railroad Administration reports and Amtrak's 2024 Host Railroad Report Card indicate poor on-time performance (OTP) for multiple long-distance routes, a situation that has continued into 2025. All long-distance routes failed to meet the Federal Railroad Administration's 80% on-time standard in 2024.
The worst performers
include:
- The Floridian: Combining the
former Capitol Limited and a portion of the Silver
Star in November 2024, this Chicago-to-Miami route was a
particularly poor performer in early 2025, with an OTP of just 36%.
- The Southwest Chief: The Los
Angeles-to-Chicago route had one of the worst OTP rates, at just 33% in
2024 and still struggling in 2025.
- The Silver Meteor: Running between
New York and Miami, this route had a 2024 OTP of only 42%.
- The Silver Star: Prior to being mostly absorbed into the Floridian, this New York-to-Miami route had an OTP as low as 25% in the third quarter of fiscal year 2024.
The former Crescent Line (New
York to New Orleans)
Before a Justice Department settlement with freight operator Norfolk Southern in September 2025, the Crescent line was notorious for delays. The lawsuit filed in 2024 accused Norfolk Southern of routinely hindering the passenger service, which resulted in an on-time performance of only 24% in 2023. As of September 2025, delays on this route have reportedly declined by 53%, signaling a significant improvement.
Commuter rail: WES (Westside
Express Service), Oregon
In the Portland metro area,
the WES commuter line is considered poor due to its very limited service and
low ridership. The single line does not go to downtown Portland but instead
connects suburbs, running only on weekdays with low frequency.
Freight rail lines with
notoriously poor track conditions
While specific data for 2025 is limited, some freight lines have historically been plagued by poor track maintenance, contributing to inefficiency and delays for all traffic. For example, a segment of the former Wabash Railroad, between Woodburn, IN, and Liberty Center, OH, is often cited for its poor condition due to historically poor maintenance.
Factors contributing to
overall poor service
- Freight interference: This is the
most significant factor for Amtrak delays. Freight railroads often hold up
passenger trains to prioritize their own traffic, despite federal law
requiring passenger trains to have preference.
- Aging infrastructure: Many tracks and
bridges are over a century old, requiring frequent repairs and
contributing to delays.
- Extremely long freight
trains: Freight railroads are operating increasingly longer trains,
which can stress equipment, lead to more handling challenges, and block
highway-rail crossings for long periods.
- Limited enforcement: Historically, the federal law giving passenger trains priority has been difficult to enforce, though the Department of Justice's recent action against Norfolk Southern indicates a shift.
https://www.google.com/search?q=us+worst+rail+lines+2025
Worst Rail Line Accidents 2021-2025
Between 2021 and 2025, some of
the worst rail accidents in the U.S. included deadly passenger train
derailments and a high-profile freight train derailment that caused a major
hazardous materials spill.
Major incidents by year
2021: Montana Amtrak Derailment: On September 25, 2021, Amtrak's Empire Builder derailed near Joplin, Montana, killing 3 people and injuring at least 49 others. Eight of the train's cars, including several passenger cars, left the track.
2022: Missouri Amtrak Derailment: On June 27, 2022, an Amtrak train collided with a dump truck at a railroad crossing near Mendon, Missouri, and derailed. The crash killed four people and injured approximately 150 others.
2023: East Palestine, Ohio, Derailment: A freight train operated by Norfolk Southern derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3, 2023. The incident did not cause immediate fatalities but led to a major environmental emergency when crews performed a controlled burn of vinyl chloride from several derailed cars. The decision caused concern about the health effects on local residents, with many later reporting symptoms of various illnesses.
2024: Norfolk Southern
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Derailment: On March 2, 2024, three Norfolk
Southern trains derailed near Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The incident resulted in
a diesel fuel spill into the Lehigh River.
Broader context of rail
accidents
- While high-profile derailments receive
significant media coverage, most rail fatalities in the U.S. are not due
to passenger or major freight train derailments.
- Most fatalities involve trespassers or
collisions at highway-rail crossings.
- In 2024, there were 954 rail-related deaths in the U.S. The vast majority—663 deaths—were attributed to trespassers.
https://www.google.com/search?q=us+worst+rail+line+accidents+2021+to+2025
Replacing railroad rails with maglev tracks would be a massive,
cost-prohibitive project, not a simple swap. It would require building an
entirely new and incompatible elevated guideway structure, with costs estimated
at $40 million to over $100 million per mile. This is in addition to the
cost of removing the old rail and acquiring the necessary right-of-way.
https://www.google.com/search?q=how+much+would+replacing+railroad+rails+with+maglev+tracks+cost
Comments
US Rail Lines require continual Track repair and replacement. Our supply chains are dependent on these rail lines. The track repair is the responsibility of the Railroads who own the lines. These costs need to be included in the freight rates these railroads charge.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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