View source for Commuter rail in North America

{{Short description|none}}
{{Redirect|Commuter railroad|commuter railroads in general|Commuter rail}}
[[File:ALP-45DP 4504 On Head of Train 1009, at Hoboken Terminal 6-1-12.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[NJ Transit]] has an extensive [[commuter rail]] system connecting [[New Jersey]] to [[New York City]] and [[Philadelphia]].]]
[[File:Post Avenue Bridge (37629083090).jpg|thumb|268x268px|[[Long Island Rail Road]] [[Commuter rail|commuter train]] in [[Westbury, New York]].]]
[[File:Metra loco 180 West Chicago.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Metra]] train in [[West Chicago]], IL.]]

[[Commuter rail]] services in the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[Cuba]], [[Mexico]], [[Panama]], and [[Costa Rica]] provide [[common carrier]] passenger transportation along railway tracks, with scheduled service on fixed routes on a non-reservation basis, primarily for short-distance (local) travel between a [[central business district]] and adjacent suburbs and regional travel between cities of a [[conurbation]]. It does ''not'' include [[rapid transit]] or [[light rail]] service.

==Services==
Many, but not all, newer commuter railways offer service during peak times only, with trains into the [[central business district]] during morning rush hour and returning to the outer areas during the evening rush hour. This mode of operation is, in many cases, simplified by ending the train with a special passenger carriage (referred to as a [[cab car]]), which has an operating cab and can control the locomotive remotely, to avoid having to turn the train around at each end of its route. Other systems avoid the problem entirely by using bi-directional [[multiple unit]]s.

Other commuter rail services, many of them older, long-established ones, operate seven days a week, with service from early morning to after midnight. On these systems, patrons use the trains not just to get to and from work or school, but also for attending sporting events, concerts, theatre, and the like. Some also provide service to popular weekend getaway spots and recreation areas. The [[Long Island Rail Road]] (LIRR) is the only commuter railroad that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in North America.
[[File:GO Transit cab car 300 a.JPG|thumb|left|A [[GO Transit]] [[Bombardier Inc.|Bombardier]] cab car at Toronto's [[Scarborough GO Station|Scarborough Station]].]]

Almost all commuter rail services in North America are operated by government entities or quasi-governmental organizations. Most share tracks or rights-of-way used by longer-distance passenger services (e.g. [[Amtrak]], [[Via Rail]]), freight trains, or other commuter services. The {{convert|600|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} [[railway electrification system|electrified]] [[Northeast Corridor]] in the United States is shared by commuter trains and [[Amtrak]]'s [[Acela Express]], regional, and intercity trains.

Commuter rail operators often sell reduced-price multiple-trip tickets (such as a monthly or weekly pass), charge specific station-to-station fares, and have one or two [[railroad station]]s in the central business district. Commuter trains typically connect to [[rapid transit|metro]] or bus services at their destination and along their route.

After the completion of [[SEPTA Regional Rail]]'s [[Center City Commuter Connection]] in 1981, which allowed through-running between two formerly separate radial networks, the term "regional rail" began to be used to refer to commuter rail (and sometimes even larger [[heavy rail]] and [[light rail]]) systems that offer bidirectional all-day service and may provide useful connections between suburbs and [[edge city|edge cities]], rather than merely transporting workers to a [[central business district]].<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/trr/1994/1433/1433.pdf#page=91 |volume=1433 |pages=81–112 |publisher=Transportation Research Board |title=Public Transportation: Bus, Rail, Ridesharing, Paratransit Services, and Transit Security |year=1994 |journal=Transportation Research Record}}</ref> This is different from the European use of "[[regional rail]]", which generally refers to services midway between commuter rail and [[intercity rail]] that are not primarily commuter-oriented.

Some transit lines in the NYC metropolitan areas have commuter lines that act like a regional rail network, as lines often converge at one point and pass as a main line to the destination station. They also pass through large business areas (ie Harlem, Jamaica, Stamford, Metropark), and some lines operate every 5–10 minutes during peak hours, and roughly every 15 minutes during off hours.

==Spread==
[[File:Boston South Station concourse in 2020.jpg|thumb|right|[[South Station]] in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]] is a major [[transportation hub]] for the [[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|MBTA]]'s [[MBTA Commuter Rail|commuter rail services]].]]

The two busiest passenger rail stations in the United States are [[Pennsylvania Station (New York City)|Pennsylvania Station]] and [[Grand Central Terminal]], which are both located in the Borough of Manhattan in New York City, and which serve three of the four busiest commuter railroads in the United States (the [[Long Island Rail Road]] and [[NJ Transit Rail Operations|NJ Transit]] at Penn Station, and the [[Metro-North Railroad]] and the [[Long Island Rail Road]] at Grand Central Terminal). The commuter railroads serving the [[Chicago]] area are [[Metra]] (the fourth-busiest commuter railroad in the United States) and the [[South Shore Line]] (one of the last surviving [[Interurban|interurbans]]). Other notable commuter railroad systems include [[SEPTA Regional Rail]] (fifth-busiest in the US), serving the [[Philadelphia]] area; [[MBTA Commuter Rail]] (sixth-busiest in the US), serving the [[Greater Boston]]-[[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]] area; [[Caltrain]], serving the area south of [[San Francisco]] along [[San Francisco Peninsula|the peninsula]] as far as [[San Jose, California|San Jose]]; and [[Metrolink (California)|Metrolink]], serving the 5-county [[Los Angeles]] area.

There are only three commuter rail agencies in Canada: [[GO Transit]] in [[Toronto]], [[Exo commuter rail|Exo]] in [[Montreal]] (eighth-busiest in North America), and [[West Coast Express]] in [[Vancouver]]. The two busiest rail stations in Canada are [[Union Station (Toronto)|Union Station]] in Toronto and [[Montreal Central Station|Gare Centrale]] in Montreal.

[[File:Tren suburbano en Bejucal.jpg|thumb|left|A suburban train in [[Bejucal, Cuba]]]]
Commuter rail networks outside of densely populated urban areas like the Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Montreal, and Toronto metropolitan areas have historically been sparse. Since the 1990s, however, several commuter rail projects have been proposed and built throughout the United States, especially in the [[Sun Belt]] and other regions characterized by [[urban sprawl]] that have traditionally been underserved by public transportation. Since then, commuter rail networks have been inaugurated in Dallas–Fort Worth, Los Angeles, San Diego, Minneapolis, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Orlando, among other cities. Several more commuter rail projects have been proposed and are in the planning stages.

==Rolling stock==
Commuter trains are either powered by diesel-electric or electric [[locomotive]]s, or else use [[Multiple unit|self-propelled cars]] (some systems, such as the New York area's [[Metro-North Railroad]], use both). A few systems, particularly around New York City, use electric power, supplied by a [[third rail]] and/or [[Overhead line|overhead catenary wire]], which provides quicker acceleration, lower noise, and fewer air-quality issues. Philadelphia's [[SEPTA Regional Rail]] uses exclusively electric power, supplied by overhead catenary wire.

[[Diesel-electric locomotive]]s based on the [[EMD F40PH]] design as well as the [[MPI MPXpress|MP36PH-3C]] are popular as motive power for commuter trains. Manufacturers of coaches include [[Bombardier Transportation|Bombardier]], [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries|Kawasaki]], [[Nippon Sharyo]], and [[Hyundai Rotem]]. A few systems use [[Diesel multiple unit|diesel multiple unit vehicles]], including [[WES Commuter Rail]] near Portland and Austin's [[Capital MetroRail]]. These systems use vehicles supplied by [[Stadler Rail]] or [[US Railcar]] (formerly [[Colorado Railcar]]).

==List of North American commuter rail operators==
{{See also|List of United States commuter rail systems}}
UC=Under construction.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Metropolitan area(s)
! Country
! System
! Province / State
! Number<br>of lines
! Avg. weekday<br />ridership<br />(Q4 2018)<ref>{{cite web |date=November 20, 2024 |title=Public Transportation Ridership Report: Fourth Quarter 2024 |url=https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-Q4-Ridership-APTA.1.pdf |access-date=September 7, 2025 |website=[[American Public Transportation Association]]}}</ref>
!Avg. weekday<br />ridership<br />(Q4 2024)<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uploads/2018-Q4-Ridership-APTA-3.pdf| title=Public Transportation Ridership Report: Fourth Quarter 2024 |access-date=September 7, 2025| website=[[American Public Transportation Association]]}}</ref>
!Electrified
|-
| [[San Jose, California|San Jose]]–[[Tri-Valley]]–[[Stockton, California|Stockton]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Altamont Corridor Express]] (ACE)
| [[California]]
| {{nts|1}} (2 UC)
| {{nts|6100}}
|3,100
|No
|-
| [[San Francisco]]–[[Gilroy, California|Gilroy]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Caltrain]]
| [[California]]
| {{nts|1}}
| {{nts|57000}} 
|25,800
| Overhead line, 25 kV 60 Hz AC ([[Caltrain Modernization Program|partially]], north of [[San Jose Diridon station|San Jose]])
|-
| [[Sacramento metropolitan area|Sacramento]]–[[San Francisco Bay Area]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| ''[[Capitol Corridor]]''<ref group="note" name="Amtrak" />
| [[California]]
| {{nts|1}}
| {{nts|5700}}
|
|No
|-
| [[San Diego]]–[[Oceanside, California|Oceanside]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Coaster (rail service)|Coaster]]
| [[California]]
| {{nts|1}}
| {{nts|4500}}
|2,400
|No
|-
| [[San Bernardino]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Arrow (rail service)|Arrow]]
| [[California]]
| {{nts|1}}
| {{nts|}}
|416
|No
|-
| [[Dallas]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Silver Line (DART)|DART Silver Line]]
| [[Texas]]
| {{nts|1}}
| 
| 
| No
|-
| [[Brunswick, Maine|Brunswick]]–[[Portland, Maine|Portland]]–[[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| ''[[Downeaster (train)|Downeaster]]''<ref group="note" name="Amtrak" />
| [[Maine]] / [[New Hampshire]] / [[Massachusetts]]
| {{nts|1}}
| {{nts|1300}}
|
|No
|-
| [[Montreal]]
| {{flag|CAN}}
| [[Exo commuter rail|Exo]]
| [[Quebec]]
| {{nts|5}}
| {{nts|83300}}
|77,210
|No
|-
| [[Ogden, Utah|Ogden]]–[[Salt Lake City]]–[[Provo, Utah|Provo]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[FrontRunner]]<ref name="UTA News">{{cite web |url=http://www.rideuta.com/news/2013/04/five-years-of-frontrunner/ |title=Five Years of FrontRunner |website=rideuta.com |publisher=[[Utah Transit Authority]] |date=April 25, 2013 |access-date=2014-01-08}}</ref>
| [[Utah]]
| {{nts|1}}
| {{nts|19200}}
|15,000
|No
|-
| [[Toronto]]–[[Greater Golden Horseshoe]]
| {{flag|CAN}}
| [[GO Transit]]
| [[Ontario]]
| {{nts|8}}
| {{nts|271000}}
|218,100
|[[GO Expansion|Planned]], On Hold
|-
| [[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]] / [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]] / [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]] / [[New London, Connecticut|New London]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[CT Rail]]
| [[Connecticut]] / [[Massachusetts]]
|2
|
|
|No ([[Hartford Line]])<br>Overhead line, 12 kV 25 Hz AC and 25 kV 60 Hz AC ([[Shore Line East]])
|-
| [[Havana]]
| {{flag|CUB}}
| [[Havana Suburban Railway]]
| [[Havana|La Habana]] / [[Artemisa Province|Artemisa]] / [[Mayabeque Province|Mayabeque]] / [[Matanzas Province|Matanzas]]
| {{nts|8}}
|
|
|No (Lines 1 to 7)<br>Overhead line, 600 V DC ([[Hershey Railway]])
|-
| [[Greater Metropolitan Area (Costa Rica)|Greater Metropolitan Area]]
| {{flag|CRI}}
| [[Interurbano Line (Costa Rica)|Interurbano Line]]
| [[San José Province|San José]] / [[Alajuela Province|Alajuela]] / [[Cartago Province|Cartago]] / [[Heredia Province|Heredia]]
| {{nts|3}}
|
|
|No
|-
| [[Mexico City]]–[[Toluca]]
| {{flag|MEX}}
| [[El Insurgente]]
| [[Mexico City]] / [[State of Mexico|Mexico]]
| {{nts|1}} 
| 
|10,000
|Overhead line, 25 kV 60 Hz AC
|-
| [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Harrisburg]]–[[Philadelphia]]–[[New York City]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| ''[[Keystone Service]]''<ref group="note" name="Amtrak">State sponsored Amtrak route with commuter rail focus</ref>
| [[Pennsylvania]] / [[New York (state)|New York]]
| {{nts|1}}
| {{nts|5000}}
|
|Overhead line, 12 kV 25 Hz AC
|-
| [[New York City]]–[[Long Island]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Long Island Rail Road]]
| [[New York (state)|New York]]
| {{nts|11}}
| {{nts|360000}}
|276,800
|Third rail, 750 V DC (only parts of the network)
|-
| [[Baltimore]]–[[Washington, D.C.]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[MARC Train]]
| [[Maryland]] / [[West Virginia]] / [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]]
| 3
| {{nts|23500}}
|14,000
|No ([[Brunswick Line]], [[Camden Line]])<br>Overhead line, 12 kV 25 Hz AC ([[Penn Line]])
|-
| [[Greater Boston|Boston]] / [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]] / [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[MBTA Commuter Rail]]
| [[Massachusetts]] / [[Rhode Island]]
| {{nts|12}} (1 UC)
| {{nts|121600}}
|109,300
|No
|-
| [[Chicago metropolitan area]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Metra]]
| [[Illinois]] / [[Wisconsin]]
| {{nts|11}}
| {{nts|277100}}
|168,600
|Overhead line, 1,500 V DC ([[Metra Electric District]])<br>No (Other lines)
|-
| [[Los Angeles]]–[[Southern California]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Metrolink (California)|Metrolink]]
| [[California]]
| {{nts|8}}
| {{nts|37600}}
|19,200
|No
|-
| [[New York City]] / [[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]] / [[Poughkeepsie, New York|Poughkeepsie]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Metro-North Railroad]]
| [[New York (state)|New York]] / [[Connecticut]]
| {{nts|8}} (1 UC)
| {{nts|315700}}
|254,900
|Overhead line, 12 kV 25 Hz AC ([[New Haven Line]]) <br>Third rail, 750 V DC (only parts of the network)
|-
| [[North Jersey|Northern New Jersey]]–[[New York City]] <br />[[Philadelphia]]–[[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[NJ Transit Rail Operations]]
| [[New Jersey]] / [[New York (state)|New York]] / [[Pennsylvania]]
| {{nts|12}} (1 UC)
| {{nts|238082}}<br>(FY2017)<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://data.nj.gov/widgets/rhyd-k92v|title=2017 New Jersey Transit Annual Report {{!}} NJOIT Open Data Center|website=data.nj.gov|access-date=2019-04-21}}</ref><ref group="note" name="NJ-Transit">This figure is from NJ Transit's Fiscal Year 2017, which covers the calendar period July 2016 to June 2017.</ref>
|172,000
|Overhead line, 25 kV 60 Hz AC<br>Overhead line, 12 kV 25 Hz AC (only parts of the network)
|-
| [[Albuquerque, New Mexico|Albuquerque]]–[[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[New Mexico Rail Runner Express]]
| [[New Mexico]]
| {{nts|1}}
| {{nts|2500}}
|2,800
|No
|-
| [[Minneapolis–Saint Paul]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Northstar Line]]
| [[Minnesota]]
| {{nts|1}}
| {{nts|2600}}
|500
|No
|-
| [[Panama City]]–[[Colón, Panama|Colón]]
| {{flag|PAN}}
| [[Panama Canal Railway]]
| [[Panamá Province|Panamá]] / [[Colón Province|Colón]]
| {{nts|1}}
| {{nts|1500}}<br>(2013)<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-panama-canal-idUSBRE92L19120130323 Panama Canal rail traffic hit by computer glitch], [[Reuters]], 22 March 2013.</ref>{{update inline|date=May 2019}}
|
|No
|-
| [[Denver metropolitan area|Denver]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[RTD Rail]]
| [[Colorado]]
| {{nts|4}}
| {{nts|28700}}
|32,000
|Overhead line, 25 kV 60 Hz AC
|-
| [[Santa Rosa, California|Santa Rosa]]–[[San Rafael, California|San Rafael]]
| {{flag|USA}}
|[[Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit]]
| [[California]]
| {{nts|1}}
| 
|3,400
|No
|-
| [[Chicago]]–[[South Bend – Mishawaka metropolitan area|South Bend]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[South Shore Line]]
| [[Illinois]] / [[Indiana]]
| {{nts|1}} (1 UC)
| {{nts|10900}}
|6,300
|Overhead line, 1,500 V DC
|-
| [[Delaware Valley|Philadelphia]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[SEPTA Regional Rail]]
| [[Pennsylvania]] / [[New Jersey]] / [[Delaware]]
| {{nts|13}}
| {{nts|126000}}
|77,700
|Overhead line, 12 kV 25 Hz AC
|-
| [[Everett, Washington|Everett]]–[[Seattle]]–[[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Sounder commuter rail|Sounder]]
| [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
| {{nts|2}}
| {{nts|18300}}
|6,900
|No
|-
| [[Greater Orlando]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[SunRail]]
| [[Florida]]
| {{nts|1}}
| {{nts|5600}}
|5,100
|No
|-
| [[Mexico City megalopolis|Mexico City]]
| {{flag|MEX}}
| [[Tren Suburbano]]
| [[Mexico City]] / [[State of Mexico|Mexico]]
| {{nts|1}} (2 UC)
| {{nts|195000}} (2017)<ref>{{cite web |title=EL TREN SUBURBANO HA TRANSPORTADO A 57 MILLONES DE PERSONAS EN EL 2017 |url=http://fsuburbanos.com/secciones/sala_prensa/noticias.php?id=203&page=2&anio= |website=Ferrocarriles Suburbano |publisher=Ferrocarriles Suburbanos |access-date=11 May 2019 |date=14 December 2017}}</ref>
|
|Overhead line, 25 kV 60 Hz AC
|-
| [[Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex|Dallas–Fort Worth]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Trinity Railway Express]]
| [[Texas]]
| {{nts|1}}
| {{nts|6800}}
|4,100
|No
|-
| [[Miami metropolitan area|Greater Miami]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Tri-Rail]]
| [[Florida]]
| 2
| {{nts|13900}}
|15,400
|No
|-
| [[Washington, D.C.]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Virginia Railway Express]]
| [[Virginia]] / [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]]
| {{nts|2}}
| {{nts|16800}}
|6,200
|No
|-
| [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[WeGo Star]]
| [[Tennessee]]
| {{nts|1}}
| {{nts|1100}}
|300
|No
|-
| [[Vancouver]]
| {{flag|CAN}}
| [[West Coast Express]]
| [[British Columbia]]
| {{nts|1}}
| {{nts|9900}} 
|6,100
|No
|-
| [[Portland metropolitan area|Portland]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[WES Commuter Rail]]
| [[Oregon]]
| {{nts|1}}
| {{nts|1600}}
|300
|No
|}

==List of under construction and planned systems==
There are several commuter rail systems currently under construction or in development in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Metropolitan Area
!Country
!Province/State
!System
!class="unsortable" | Official<br />site
!class="unsortable" | Other<br />sites
|-
| [[Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes|Aguascalientes]]
| {{flag|MEX}}
| [[Aguascalientes]]
| Tren Suburbano (no official name yet)
| 
|<ref>http://www.cddhcu.gob.mx/comisiones59legislatura/transportes/foro/Dr_Martinez.pdf{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://dgp.sct.gob.mx/fileadmin/user_upload/Documentos/Programas/Programa_Sectorial_2001-2006/CAP-08.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2008-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625190128/http://dgp.sct.gob.mx/fileadmin/user_upload/Documentos/Programas/Programa_Sectorial_2001-2006/CAP-08.pdf |archive-date=2008-06-25 }}</ref>
|-
| [[Guadalajara, Jalisco|Guadalajara]]
| {{flag|MEX}}
| [[Jalisco]]
| Tren Suburbano
| 
|<ref>http://www.notisistema.com/noticias/?p=130621{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.milenio.com/node/113320 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2009-01-11 |archive-date=2023-10-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231023140635/https://www.milenio.com/node/113320 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| [[Monterrey]]
| {{flag|MEX}}
| [[Nuevo León]]
| [[Tren Suburbano de Monterrey]]
| <ref>{{cite web |title=Tren suburbano |url=https://www.fideproesnl.gob.mx/?dt_portfolio=tren_suburbano |website=Fideproes |access-date=12 July 2024}}</ref>
| <ref>{{cite news |title=Monterrey commuter rail study |url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/monterrey-commuter-rail-study/57388.article |access-date=21 September 2020 |agency=Railway Gazette |date=18 September 2020}}</ref>
|-
| [[Alameda County]] / [[San Joaquin County]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[California]]
| [[Valley Link]]
|<ref>{{cite web |title=Tri-Valley - San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority |url=https://www.valleylinkrail.com/ |access-date=4 September 2020}}</ref>
|<ref>{{cite web|title=AB-758 Transportation: Tri-Valley-San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority.|url=https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB758|access-date=17 October 2017}}</ref>
|-
| [[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Alaska]]
| [[Alaska Railroad]] (existing long-distance railroad, proposed commuter service)
|<ref>{{cite web |title=Alaska Railroad |url=https://www.alaskarailroad.com/ |access-date=25 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Commuter Rail Studyand Operations Plan |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20021129200851/http://www.akrr.com/projects/pdf/commuter+study+fact+sheet.pdf |url=http://www.akrr.com/projects/pdf/commuter+study+fact+sheet.pdf |publisher=Alaska Railroad |date=January 3, 2002 |archive-date=29 November 2002 |access-date=25 September 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite report |title=South Central Rail Network Commuter Rail Study and Operations Plan |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20021129203109/http://www.akrr.com/projects/pdf/commuter_study.pdf |url=http://www.akrr.com/projects/pdf/commuter_study.pdf |publisher=Alaska Railroad |date=January 15, 2002 |archive-date=29 November 2002 |access-date=25 September 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/081103/loc_20030811027.shtml |title=Alaska Journal of Commerce: Colorado Railcar promotes self-propelled car in Alaska 08/11/03 |access-date=2006-07-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050511081013/http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/081103/loc_20030811027.shtml |archive-date=2005-05-11 }}</ref>
|- 
| [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] 
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[North Carolina]]
| [[Lynx Red Line]]
| <ref>{{cite web |title=Red Line Commuter Rail |url=https://www.charlottenc.gov/CATS/Transit-Planning/Red-Line |website=www.charlottenc.gov |access-date=12 July 2024}}</ref>
|
|-
|[[Cincinnati metropolitan area]]
|{{flag|USA}}
|[[Ohio]]
|[[Eastern Corridor Commuter Rail]]
|<ref>{{cite web |title=Eastern Corridor Program of Transportation Improvements |url=https://easterncorridor.org/ |access-date=13 March 2025 |date=19 December 2012}}</ref>
|
|-
| [[Detroit, Michigan|Detroit]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Michigan]]
| [[SEMCOG Commuter Rail]]
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.annarbordetroitrapidtransitstudy.com|title=Annar Borde Troitrapid Transitstud - Find Your True Transitstud Today!|website=www.annarbordetroitrapidtransitstudy.com|access-date=7 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408073422/http://www.annarbordetroitrapidtransitstudy.com/|archive-date=8 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Commuter Rail Transit Alternative 1 (CRT 1): Norfolk Southern Michigan Line |url=http://www.annarbordetroitrapidtransitstudy.com/news/pdfs/CRT01%20Board%20091505.pdf |access-date=December 24, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816070736/http://www.annarbordetroitrapidtransitstudy.com/news/pdfs/CRT01%20Board%20091505.pdf |archive-date=August 16, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Commuter Rail Transit/Bus Rapid Transit Alternative (CRT 2): Norfolk Southern Detroit Division |url=http://www.annarbordetroitrapidtransitstudy.com/news/pdfs/CRT02%20Board%20091505.pdf |access-date=December 24, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928025601/http://www.annarbordetroitrapidtransitstudy.com/news/pdfs/CRT02%20Board%20091505.pdf |archive-date=September 28, 2007 }}</ref>
|
|-
| [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[North Carolina]]
| [[GoTriangle#Commuter rail|GoTriangle commuter rail]] (no official name)
| <ref>{{cite web |title=Ready For Rail NC |url=https://www.readyforrailnc.com/ |publisher=GoTriangle |access-date=4 May 2021}}</ref>
| <ref>{{cite news |last1=Krueger |first1=Sarah |title=Durham gets update on commuter rail proposal |url=https://www.wral.com/durham-gets-update-on-commuter-rail-proposal/19658268/ |access-date=4 May 2021 |agency=WRAL |date=3 May 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Florida]]
| [[Jacksonville Transportation Authority#First Coast Commuter Rail|First Coast Commuter Rail]]
| <ref>{{cite web |title=First Coast Commuter Rail |url=https://gis.jtafla.com/portal/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=9813461a3590462892bcd0cc13d26161 |publisher=Jacksonville Transportation Authority}}</ref>
| 
|-
| [[Miami-Dade]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Florida]]
| [[Northeast Corridor Rapid Transit Project]]
| 
| 
|-
|[[Milwaukee]]
|{{flag|USA}}
|[[Wisconsin]]
|[[Proposed Kenosha–Racine–Milwaukee regional rail service|Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Commuter Rail]]
|
|<ref>{{cite web |date=August 2022 |title=Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Commuter Rail |url=https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/2022-08/WI-Kenosha-KRM-CR-PD-Profile.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705181858/https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/2022-08/WI-Kenosha-KRM-CR-PD-Profile.pdf |archive-date=5 July 2023 |website=Federal Transit Administration}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Quirmbach |first=Chuck |date=2022-08-22 |title=Where passenger rail may be headed in Wisconsin—eventually |url=https://www.wuwm.com/2022-08-22/newassenger-rail-may-be-headed-in-wisconsin-through-kenosha-racine-milwaukee |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| [[Minneapolis, Minnesota|Minneapolis]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Minnesota]]
| [[Dan Patch Corridor]] 
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.redrockrail.org/|title=redrockrail.org - Cocktail im Casino trinken|website=www.redrockrail.org|access-date=7 April 2018}}</ref>
|
|-
| [[Oklahoma City metropolitan area|Oklahoma City]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Oklahoma]]
| [[Transportation in Oklahoma City#Rail|Oklahoma City commuter rail]]
|
| <ref>{{cite news |last1=Crum |first1=William |title=OKC could finally get a commuter rail line connecting downtown to Will Rogers World Airport |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/04/24/rta-takes-major-step-toward-establishing-commuter-rail-network-okc/7333394002/ |access-date=10 July 2021 |work=The Oklahoman}}</ref>
|-
| [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[Arizona]]
| [[Proposed commuter rail in the Phoenix metropolitan area|Arizona Passenger Rail Corridor Study]]
| 
|
|-
| [[San Diego]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[California]]
| [[Purple Line (San Diego Trolley)|SANDAG Purple Line]]
| <ref>{{cite web |title=A Transformative Transportation Vision for the 2021 Regional Plan |url=http://sandag.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=f4e61292f3b545f39a2055cdc66940e9 |website=sandag.maps.arcgis.com |publisher=San Diego Association of Governments}}</ref>
|
|-
| [[San Luis Obispo]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[California]]
| Coast Rail Corridor Study
| <ref>{{cite web |title=SLOCOG Coast Rail Corridor Study |url=https://www.coastrailstudy.com/ |website=coastrailstudy.com |publisher=San Luis Obispo Council of Governments |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514165405/https://www.coastrailstudy.com/ |archive-date=14 May 2021 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|
|-
| [[Santa Cruz, California|Santa Cruz]]
| {{flag|USA}}
| [[California]]
| [[Santa Cruz Branch]]
| <ref>{{cite web |title=Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis |url=https://sccrtc.org/projects/multi-modal/transitcorridoraa/ |website=sccrtc.org |publisher=Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018185833/https://sccrtc.org/projects/multi-modal/transitcorridoraa/ |archive-date=18 October 2023}}</ref>
| 
|}
<!--{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
| style="background:#f4a442;"|
|Under construction
|}-->

==Former==
The following systems have ceased operations since the formation of Amtrak in 1971.
*''[[Cannonball (Milwaukee Road train)|Cannonball]]'' between [[Milwaukee Intermodal Station|Milwaukee]] and [[Watertown station (Wisconsin)|Watertown, Wisconsin]] (until 1972)<ref>{{Sanders-Heartland|page=184}}</ref>
*[[Cleveland commuter rail]], former [[Erie Lackawanna Railway|Erie Lackawanna]], later [[Conrail]], service between [[Tower City Center|Cleveland]] and [[Youngstown station (Erie Railroad)|Youngstown, Ohio]] (until 1977)
*[[Union Station (Providence)|Providence]] - [[Westerly station|Westerly]] service, New Haven, Penn Central and lastly Conrail service (until 1977)
*Los Angeles, California
**[[El Camino (train)|El Camino]], Los Angeles to San Diego (1978)
**[[CalTrain (Los_Angeles)|CalTrain]], Oxnard to Los Angeles (1982–1983)
*[[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]
**[[SEMTA Commuter Rail|SEMTA]] (1974–1983)
**[[Penn Central]], ''[[Michigan Executive]]'' between [[Detroit]] and [[Ann Arbor]] (until 1975 when service was commuted to Amtrak, operated until 1984)
*[[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]
**''[[Parkway Limited]]'', [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania|PA]] (1981)
**[[Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad]] service from [[Pittsburgh]] to [[Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania|Beaver Falls]], [[Pennsylvania]] (until 1985)<ref name="baer1980">{{cite web |last=Baer |first=Christopher T. |title=A GENERAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY ITS PREDECESSORS AND SUCCESSORS AND ITS HISTORICAL CONTEXT: 1980-1989 |url=http://www.prrths.com/newprr_files/Hagley/PRR1980.pdf |publisher=Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society |date=April 2015}}</ref>
**[[PATrain]], Pittsburgh, PA (1979–1989)
*[[Union Station (Toronto)|Toronto]] to [[Havelock railway station|Havelock]] service on the Canadian Pacific Havelock Subdivision (until 1991) and further on to Peterborough (until 1990)
*''[[Calumet (train)|Calumet]]'', [[Penn Central Transportation Company|Penn Central]], later [[Conrail]] service between [[Chicago]] and [[Valparaiso, Indiana]] (until 1979 when service was conveyed to [[Amtrak]], operated until 1991)<ref name="calumetends">{{Cite news |date=May 4, 1991 |title=Amtrak Ends Calumet Service |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25629154/amtrak_calumet_may_4_1991/ |access-date=January 12, 2019 |work=The Star Press |location=[[Muncie, Indiana]] |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
*''[[Champlain Flyer]]'', [[Burlington, Vermont]] (2000–2003)
*[[Rail transport in Honduras|City rail]], [[La Ceiba]], [[Honduras]] (until 2006)
*[[OnTrack]], [[Syracuse, New York]] (1994–2007)
*[[Rail transport in El Salvador|FENADESAL]] service from [[San Salvador]] to [[Soyapango]] and [[Apopa]], [[El Salvador]] (?–2000, 2004–2005, 2007–2013)

==See also==
{{Portal|Railways}}
<!-- Please keep entries in alphabetical order & add a short description [[WP:SEEALSO]] -->
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Interurban]]
* [[List of airport circulators]]
* [[List of metro systems]]
* [[List of suburban and commuter rail systems]]
* [[List of rail transit systems in the United States]]
* [[List of tram and light rail transit systems]]
* [[List of United States commuter rail systems by ridership]]
* [[Northeast Corridor]]
* [[Public transport]]
* [[Regional rail]]
* [[Transit (transportation)]]
* [[Transportation in New York City]]
{{div col end}}
<!-- please keep entries in alphabetical order -->

==Notes==
{{reflist|group="note"}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Commuter rail in the United States]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transport in Canada]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Mexico]]