Amtrak—following unveiling of expanded passenger rail service including a second daily Pennsylvanian train between Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Philadelphia and New York—announced the creation of a new board-level System Expansion Committee, which will focus on growing passenger rail service across the country.

The committee’s initial members include:

• Robert Gleason, chair
• Elaine Clegg, vice chair
• Joel Szabat
• Chris Koos
• A designated U.S. Department of Transportation secretary representative.

“Expanding passenger rail service is essential to meeting growing demand, strengthening mobility and connecting more communities to economic opportunity,” Gleason said. “The creation of this committee reflects Amtrak’s commitment to working with states, host railroads and federal partners to advance new service opportunities and increase frequencies where investments and partnerships make growth possible.”

Approved by the Amtrak Board of Directors on July 30, the System Expansion Committee will serve as the board’s primary forum for advancing passenger rail growth. The new committee comes as Amtrak reports demand continues to grow across the network. During the first nine months of the 2026 fiscal year, Amtrak served 1.7 million more customers than in the same period last year and exceeded its year-to-date ridership plan.

This isn’t the first effort made to expand Amtrak services as the state of Wisconsin applied for a grant to expand service earlier this year.

The committee will oversee:

• Growing passenger rail service and frequencies
• Advancing corridor development opportunities
• Expanding state-supported service partnerships
• Ensuring infrastructure and fleet readiness
• Strengthening host railroad partnerships
• Developing sustainable funding strategies for growth

Amtrak says the System Expansion Committee reflects its continued focus on turning growing demand into real service expansion, building on recent milestones such as the launch of Borealis and the one-year anniversary of Amtrak Mardi Gras Service as Amtrak works to expands connectivity and transportation choice across America.