Amtrak is smashing ridership records. Is it ready to handle the World Cup?

The United States' rail system has a dedicated customer base, but remains a niche option for most this summer

Sebastian Caillat didn't know how fascinating the dental industry could be until he sat next to a dentist on an Amtrak ride from college in New York City to his childhood home in Washington DC in 2023. They spent the ride discussing the dentist's efforts to self-fund his own practice. Caillat was surprised to learn the extraordinary cost of dental technology equipment - but also how interesting a conversation about dental technology equipment could be.

In Caillat's view, that conversation represented the magic of Amtrak trains, a mode of transport that he says encourages social interaction. He also saw this dynamic play out last summer, when he rode from New York City to Philadelphia for a Club World Cup match between Palmeiras and Botafogo. Fans of the Brazilian clubs engulfed a train that traveled through New York City and New Jersey, an area home to more than 70,000 Brazilians.