Subscribe
February 9, 2026|Passenger

Transit Briefs: MBTA, PATH, Amtrak

Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
The MBTA recently returned to service a fully overhauled F40 locomotive, featuring the orange, white, and black paint scheme of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. (Courtesy of MBTA)
The MBTA recently returned to service a fully overhauled F40 locomotive, featuring the orange, white, and black paint scheme of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. (Courtesy of MBTA)
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) adds another heritage locomotive to its fleet, paying tribute to the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. Also, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s PATH rapid transit system in 2025 surpassed 60 million riders for the first time since 2019; and Amtrak highlights “strong performance” and 2026 priorities at its recent public Board meeting.

MBTA

(Photograph Courtesy of Michael Rooks, Chief Railroad Officer, MBTA, via LinkedIn)

In continued recognition of the passenger railroads that “laid the foundation” for today’s MBTA Commuter Rail network, the transit authority on Feb. 6 released an overhauled F40 locomotive painted in the legacy orange, white, and black paint scheme of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad (the New Haven; see above). It is now serving Commuter Rail lines that operate in and out of South Station.

The New Haven unit is the second of a series of three heritage units—all F40s—that have been updated and repainted in legacy schemes. A unit with the Boston & Maine Railroad scheme was introduced last September, and a unit with the New York Central Railroad scheme will debut “in the coming weeks,” according to MBTA.

MBTA Chief Railroad Officer Michael Rooks reported via LinkedIn that “a third-generation railroader, whose father and grandfather both worked for the New Haven, took the throttle for the first revenue trip” of MBTA’s New Haven heritage unit on Feb. 6. (Courtesy of Michael Rooks, via LinkedIn)

They represent the last of 37 MBTA locomotives that originally entered service between 1987 and 1991 and were recently overhauled and upgraded with remote monitoring and diagnostics, forward-facing and cab cameras, and modern brake and control systems, according to the transit authority.  

The New Haven Railroad formed the bulk of the Southside Commuter Rail lines. In 1973, MBTA purchased ex-New Haven commuter rail infrastructure and rolling stock, including the Providence/Stoughton Line, Fairmont Line, Franklin Line, Needham Line and the Old Colony Lines (Kingston, Greenbush, Fall River and New Bedford). The Boston & Maine Railroad once made up the entire Northside of MBTA’s current network, and the New York Central (Boston and Albany) Railroad historically operated what is now the Worcester Line. 

Separately, MBTA last fall paid tribute to the 1970s by putting a refurbished locomotive with a retro paint scheme into service. The locomotive sported a classic yellow stripe on the front with a purple wraparound.

PATH

(Courtesy of PANY/NJ)

PATH in 2025 welcomed aboard 60.7 million riders, up 6.1% from 2024 and representing 74% of pre-pandemic 2019 levels, according to parent company PANY/NJ. In December, PATH reached 79% of December 2019 levels, tying September 2025 for highest monthly recovery relative to pre-pandemic figures, PANY/NJ reported Feb 6. The system carried 5.1 million passengers in December, up 6% from the same month in 2024.

Average weekday ridership in December 2025 was 187,930 passengers, up 3.3% from December 2024. Across 2025, the annual average weekday ridership of 198,401 passengers represented a 6.6% increase over 2024.

Weekend ridership outpaced pre-pandemic figures across 2025, according to PANY/NJ. Annual average Saturday ridership was up 2.4% from 2019 and annual average Sunday ridership grew 3.3% from 2019.

PATH Map (Courtesy of PATH)

Average weekday PATH ridership in November 2025 was 210,325 passengers, the fourth highest for any month since the pandemic, PANY/NJ reported in early January. That was 6.5% higher than average weekday ridership in November 2024, it said. November 2025’s average Saturday ridership of 117,658 was up 9.6% from November 2019, and average Sunday ridership of 84,149 was up 9.2% from November 2019. PATH reached 75% of pre-pandemic ridership in October 2025.

Further Reading:

Amtrak

The Amtrak Board of Directors last month held its public board meeting, offering what “America’s Railroad” called “a transparent look at the company’s financial and operational performance and previewing key strategic priorities for 2026” (watch above). Leaders, it said, also shared updates on major infrastructure projects that will “continue to modernize the passenger experience and strengthen the national network” (download presentation below).

Amtrak-Public-Board-Meeting-Presentation-012826Download

According to Amtrak, key highlights from the meeting were:

  • “Capital investment up 5.8% over last year, reflecting continued momentum across infrastructure and fleet programs.
  • “First-quarter ridership up 4.7%, building on sustained demand for passenger rail nationwide, including strong demand from state services in California, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
  • “Customer On-Time Performance up 4.7 points compared to last year, underscoring improvements in reliability and service delivery, especially among our Class I freight railroad partners, such as Norfolk Southern, who have shown dramatic improvements in moving more Amtrak trains on time.”

The previous Board meeting was held Dec. 5, 2025. To learn more, read Railway Age Contributing Editor David Peter Alan’s report here and download the presentation below.

Amtrak-Public-Board-Meeting-Presentation-120425 copyDownload

Further Reading: