Amtrak Government Affairs: June 2019
Amtrak Fact Sheet Fiscal Year 2018
State of South Carolina
Amtrak Service & Ridership
Amtrak operates five National Network trains through South Carolina:
• The Auto Train (daily Lorton-Sanford)* • The Crescent (daily New York-Atlanta-New Orleans via Greenville) • The Palmetto (daily New York-Savannah via Charleston) • The Silver Meteor (daily New York-Miami via Charleston) • The Silver Star (daily New York-Tampa-Miami via Columbia)
*The Auto Train does not discharge passengers in South Carolina. It does stop in Florence for a crew change and servicing.
During FY18 Amtrak served the following South Carolina locations:
City Boardings & Alightings Camden 3,161 Charleston 61,710 Clemson* 0 Columbia 29,805 Denmark 3,230 Dillon 5,841 Florence 40,465 Greenville 12,172 Kingstree 10,450 Spartanburg 3,870 Yemassee 9,740 Total South Carolina Station Usage: 180,444
*Closed 5/23/16 for adjacent highway project; Amtrak expects to resume service when the project is complete.
Host Railroads & On Time Performance
Amtrak relies heavily on the cooperation of other railroads in order to operate routes using tracks that are not owned or controlled by Amtrak. Host railroads are statutorily required to provide Amtrak trains “preference” over freight transportation. However, on time performance on most host railroads is poor and continues to decline largely due to hosts ignoring their statutory responsibilities.
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Listed below are the Amtrak services that operate in South Carolina with each service’s host railroads and on-time performance (OTP) in FY18:
Service Host Railroads FY18 OTP Auto Train CSX 70.9% Crescent Norfolk Southern 31.3% Palmetto CSX 57.9%
Silver Meteor CSX, Florida Department of Transportation, and Florida Central Rail Corridor
43.6%
Silver Star CSX, Norfolk Southern, Florida Department of Transportation, and Florida Central Rail Corridor
37.6%
“On-time performance” represents the percentage of stations at which the train arrives within 15 minutes of the scheduled arrival time.
Amtrak Guest Rewards
At the end of FY18, there were 59,912 members of the Amtrak Guest Rewards program in South Carolina. This is a 12.2% increase from FY17.
Stations
Charleston: The Charleston Area Rapid Transit Authority (CARTA) has begun construction on a new intermodal facility, located next to the current station owned by CSX and used by Amtrak. It will house Amtrak, intercity and local bus service, and taxis. The project is being managed by the CARTA and is expected to be finished by the end of 2018. The existing station was built in 1956 by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and is now owned by CSX. It replaced the former Union Station in Charleston, which burned in 1947, and an earlier North (Charleston) Station.
Camden: Amtrak invested $2.48 million for ADA and state-of-good repair improvements in 2015 to restore the former Seaboard Air Line station, which was built in 1937. The Amtrak work included the station and canopy roofs, doors, windows, sidewalks, signage, waiting room, rest rooms, new exterior lighting, and resurfacing the parking lot. At the same time, the City resurfaced and street-scaped the driveway and installed new lighting leading to the parking lot. The station was rededicated on November 17, 2016.
Beaufort
Beaufort
Jasper
Charleston
Charleston
Hampton
Allendale ColletonDorchester
Bamberg
Barnwell
Berkeley
OrangeburgGeorgetown
Aiken
CalhounWilliamsburgClarendon
Edgefield
McCormickSumter
Saluda
Lexington
Richland
Marion
Horry
Florence
LeeGreenwoodAbbeville
Newberry DarlingtonFairfield
KershawDillon
Laurens
MarlboroChesterfield
Anderson
ChesterUnion
Oconee
Lancaster
Pickens York
CherokeeSpartanburg
Greenville
Shell Point
Mount Carmel
Oak Grove
BatesburgRed Bank
Murrells Inlet
Chappells
Bucksport
Oakland
Northlake
Joanna
Buffalo
Sans Souci Roebuck
Boiling Springs
India Hook
Reidville
Slater
Daufuskie Landing
Tillman Grays Hill
GarnettCoosawhatchie
Sheldon EdistoIsland
Early BranchCummings
Green Pond
Hendersonville Jacksonboro
Miley
MartinMillett
Ashton
Canadys
Wando
GroverDorchester
Oakley Huger
Graniteville
Bethera
Meriwether
Shulerville
Cross
ModocEureka
Pineville
Lone Star
Rimini
Fort Motte
Salters
Kirksey
Wateree
Verdery Epworth
Alcolu
Plantersville
Hopkins
Nesmith
Pocalla Springs
Cades Toddville
Richtex
Gluck
Rembert
Townville
Saint Charles
Kinards
Gresham
Princeton
RionMonticello
Wisacky
EffinghamCentenary
Longs
Galivants Ferry
SheltonWhite Oak
Lydia
Cassatt
EnoreeCross Anchor
Pee Dee
Liberty HillWestville
Cornwell
Mont Clare
Pauline
Lando
MarlboroLittle Rock
Cleveland
Tradesville
Catawba
Beaufort
Georgetown
Newberry
Conway North Myrtle Beach
ClintonLaurens
Seneca
Hartsville
Union Lancaster
Bennettsville
Lexington
Lake City
Camden
Marion
Darlington
Chester
Dillon
York
Allendale
Walterboro
Isle of Palms
Barnwell Moncks Corner
Abbeville
Surfside Beach
Belton
Walhalla
Fountain InnWoodruff
Mullins
Cheraw
Fort Mill
Hampton
Bamberg
Edgefield
Saint Matthews Manning
Saluda
Kingstree
Bishopville
Winnsboro
Pickens
Ridgeland
Saint George
McCormick
Chesterfield
Port Royal
EstillRavenel
Fairfax
New Ellenton
BlackvilleWilliston
Johnston
Andrews
Calhoun Falls
Ware ShoalsHonea Path
Timmonsville Loris
Great Falls
Travelers Rest
Wellford
Cowpens
Pageland
McColl
Landrum
Blacksburg Clover
Hardeeville
Kiawah Island
Folly Beach
Jackson
Ridgeville
Branchville
Bowman Holly Hill
Saint Stephen
Summerton
GastonEastover
IvaDue West
Prosperity
Johnsonville
Pamplico
Lamar
West Pelzer
Whitmire
Norris
Kershaw
Latta
Jonesville
Inman
Chesnee
Bluffton
Edisto Beach
Scotia Yemassee
Gifford
Meggett
Cottageville
UlmerKline
Williams
Ehrhardt
SnellingGovan
Hilda
Reevesville
Awendaw
Burnettown
Cope
Windsor
McClellanville
Rowesville
Springfield Neeses
Bonneau
Eutawville
Jamestown
Parksville
Perry
Santee
Wagener
Trenton
North
Cameron
Plum Branch
Pelion Swansea
Monetta
Lane
Troy
Greeleyville
Pawley's Island
Pinewood
Summit
Paxville
Lowndesville
Stuckey
Hodges
Starr
Turbeville
SilverstreetChapin
Cross Hill
Mayesville
Olanta
Waterloo
Pomaria
Elgin
Coward
Blythewood
Lynchburg
Ridgeway
Aynor
Gray CourtCarlisle
Bethune
Salem
SellersNichols
McBee
Heath Springs
Lockhart
Fort Lawn
Society Hill
Patrick
Lowrys
Jefferson
Blenheim
Pacolet MillsMcConnells
Sharon
Campobello
Mount Croghan
Smyrna
Hanahan
Summerville
North AugustaAiken
Orangeburg
Cayce
West Columbia
Greenwood
Irmo
ClemsonSimpsonville
Easley
Mauldin
Greer
Gaffney
Hilton Head Island
Mount Pleasant
Goose Creek
Sumter
Myrtle Beach
Anderson
Florence
Spartanburg Rock Hill
Charleston
North Charleston
Greenville
Columbia
TO CHARLOTTE
TO A
TLA
NTA
TO JACKSONVILLE
TO RALEIGH
TO FAYETTEVILLE
Savannah
Denmark
Charleston
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1
2
3
4
5 7
Crescent
Silver Star
Silv
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Palm
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AMTRAK ROUTES IN SOUTH CAROLINA
AmtrakUPBNSFCSX
NSCPCNOther
TRACK OWNERSHIP
Congressional District1