Total numbers of trains on the rails, daily?

[caravanman]

Prompted by the number of Covid train cancellations here in the UK, I was interested to find out total train numbers.
Is there any approximate/very accurate way to tally up the passenger trains on an average day in the US?
So, what counts as a train for this purpose?
Amtrak, other normal commuter services that run on main lines, but not trams or light rail such as the metro, Chicago's "El", and similar, but including Metra type trains.
Any way to find out, except going through timetables?
I asked on a UK forum, and was told 19,202 UK passenger trains ran in just over 24 hours (+ 48 minutes) period yesterday...

 

[Seaboard92]

That is an interesting question. Are we talking about how many trainsets are used, or how many individual runs. If you are counting trainsets only the number would be low as places like Metra and New Jersey Transit will use the same trainset to run several roundtrips, and the same crew which limits the crew starts.

Amtrak is the easier one because they don't tend to do that type of operation except on the major corridors like the Surfliner, NEC, Cascades, Keystones, Downeaster, and Empires. The other ones are much easier to look at how many sets are in operation at any one time.

 

[caravanman]

I was thinking of individual normal scheduled train journeys, not the number of train sets. Mostly just to compare the number with that here in the UK. I thought maybe there was some online tally of trains running or cancelled, etc. No probs, not worth spending too much time to answer my idle curiosity.

 

[Seaboard92]

This sounds like a project I could enjoy doing actually. Especially counting crew starts and see who runs the most efficiently. It might take me a few months but challenge accepted.

 

[jis]

The most time consuming to figure out would be MBTA, LIRR, MNRR, NJT, SEPTA and probably METRA and Metrolink.

 

[jiml]

A lot easier if you eliminate all commuter trains under a certain distance.

 

[Cal]

The most time consuming to figure out would be MBTA, LIRR, MNRR, NJT, SEPTA and probably METRA and Metrolink.

Metrolink has clear, easy to read schedules which don't take long to count. And they don't run nearly as many trains as the others.

 

[jis]

Metrolink has clear, easy to read schedules which don't take long to count. And they don't run nearly as many trains as the others.

All of the commuter agencies have clear timetables. It is the sheer numbers and sometimes overlapping routes that can be confusing.

 

[Cal]

All of the commuter agencies have clear timetables. It is the sheer numbers and sometimes overlapping routes that can be confusing.

By clear, that's kind of what I meant. I've seen some other schedules that are just confusing to read.

 

[acelafan]

I am late to this thread, but I do have a rudimentary count of all Amtrak trains scheduled to run on a certain date, and then that count broken out by line (NE Regional, individual LD trains, etc) at this URL:

https://juckins.net/amtrak_status/archive/html/runs.php
Not exactly what you are looking for, but it does demonstrate Amtrak's curtailment of service during COVID-19 if you search March 2020.

 

[Qapla]

Another question is in determining what trains to count - where do trains like SunRail in Florida come in? SunRail is described as:

SunRail is a rail service moving people throughout the region by providing work and leisure travel opportunities; connecting communities. SunRail can make the daily commute fast, easy and affordable, as well as less stressful. The system currently operates over 49 miles with 16 stations through Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties.

Once determined, since it operates "round-trip" trainsets but lists each direction on a different schedule - do you count them as 20 trains (the same trainset goes in both directions) or do you count them as 40 trains since they use different train numbers? (southbound are odd numbered while northbound are even numbered)

 

[acelafan]

Another question is in determining what trains to count - where do trains like SunRail in Florida come in? SunRail is described as:


Once determined, since it operates "round-trip" trainsets but lists each direction on a different schedule - do you count them as 20 trains (the same trainset goes in both directions) or do you count them as 40 trains since they use different train numbers? (southbound are odd numbered while northbound are even numbered)

I count them by train numbers since that is my source data. So for example, the Southwest Chief (trains 3, 4) are 2 trains in my calculations.

 

[neroden]

Perhaps the question you're looking for is "how many departures from origination station per day"?

 

[Exiled in Express]

I'll ballpark about 10% of the UK total. NYC metro heavy rail commuters probably being the largest chunk.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_commuter_rail_systems_by_ridershipI had forgotten Nashville had a line and was totally unaware of Salt Lake and the lesser lines in the DFW Metroplex.