README for “Amtrak Routes 2016-Present” dataset. U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA); U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) [distributor] 2025-06-09 ---------------------------------------------------------------- LINKS TO DATASET ---------------------------------------------------------------- A. Dataset archive link: https://doi.org/10.21949/1403495 B. NTAD catalog dataset link (Current Year): https://doi.org/10.21949/1522014 ---------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY OF DATASET ---------------------------------------------------------------- The Amtrak Routes 2016-Present dataset is from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics’s (BTS's) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). This dataset is a single line representation of unique routes that are generated from the North American Railroad Network (Amtrak). It contains information on ownership, trackage rights, type, passenger, STRACNET, and geographic reference of the Amtrak system at 1:24,000 or better and the dataset covers all 50 states and the District of Columbia. ---------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------- A. General Information B. Sharing/Access & Policies Information C. Data and Related File Overview D. Methodological Information E. Data-Specific Information for: Amtrak Routes 2016-Present [datasets] F. Update Log ---------------------------------------------------------------- A. GENERAL INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 0. Title of Dataset: Amtrak Routes 2016-Present [dataset] 1. Description of Dataset: The Amtrak Routes 2016-Present dataset is from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS's) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). This dataset is a single line representation of unique routes that are generated from the North American Railroad Network (Amtrak). It contains information on ownership, trackage rights, type, passenger, STRACNET, and geographic reference of the Amtrak system at 1:24,000 or better and the dataset covers all 50 states and the District of Columbia. 2. Dataset archive link: https://doi.org/10.21949/1403495 3. Authorship Information: Principal Data Creator or Data Manager Contact Information Institution: U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Address: 1200 New Jersey Ave SE, Washington D.C. 20590 Contact: frapa@dot.gov Data Distributor Contact Information Name: National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD) Institution: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Office of Spatial Analysis and Visualization (OSAV) Address: 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington D.C. 20590 Email: ntad@dot.gov 4. Date of data collection and update interval: This dataset is updated as needed. This dataset is updated as needed. Dataset Manager is contacted to verify changes to data resulting in NTAD update. The metadata is updated in the same manner. For the most recent data, please visit the NTAD catalog at https://doi.org/10.21949/1522014 5. Geographic location of data collection: United States of America 6. Information about funding sources that supported the collection of the data: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) ---------------------------------------------------------------- B. SHARING/ACCESS & POLICIES INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 0. Recommended citation for the data: U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) [distributor]. Amtrak Routes 2016-Present [datasets]. 1. Licenses/restrictions placed on the data: These data are in the Public Domain. 2. Was data derived from another source?: Yes. The North American Rail Network was created using the preexisting FRA network 1:100k, the FRA Automated Track Inspection Program (ATIP) data, and the data provided to NGA by ORNL. The source data of the spatial features was based on FRA’s ATIP foot by foot coordinates, where it existed, and the NGA/ORNL spatial content. 3. This document was created to meet the requirements enumerated in the U.S. Department of Transportation's 'Plan to Increase Public Access to the Results of Federally-Funded Scientific Research' Version 1.1 << https://doi.org/10.21949/1520559 >> and guidelines suggested by the DOT Public Access website << https://doi.org/10.21949/1503647 >>, in effect and current as of December 03, 2020. ---------------------------------------------------------------- C. DATA & RELATED FILE OVERVIEW ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. File List for the Amtrak Routes 2016-Present dataset A. Filename: bts_NTAD_Amtrak_Routes_DMP_20250609.pdf Short description: A PDF file containing the Data Management Plan that was created for current and future management of the data and associated files. B. Filename: bts_NTAD_Amtrak_Routes_README_20250609.txt Short description: The README.txt file that includes human-readable information about the data, variable definitions, contact information, and other contextual information. The file you are reading now. C. File List for the Amtrak_Routes_NTAD2016_Present.zip collection. Ca. File List for NTADXXXX_SHP_Final_Amtrak_Routes_XXXX_XX_XX.zip collection Ca 1. Filename: amtrak_routes_XXXX_XX_XX.shp Short description: A shapefile containing the geospatial data for Amtrak Routes 2016-Present dataset. This includes associated files with extensions .prj, .dbf, .sbn, .sbx, .shx. Shapefile (SHP) folders are classified by NTAD publication year and data vintage date respectively. Data are classified by data vintage date. Ca 2. Filename: amtrak_routes_XXXX_XX_XX.shp.xml Short description: Text files containing key metadata and documentation information such as methodology, procedures, data dictionary, etc. Files are classified by data vintage date. Cb. File List for NTADXXXX_GDB_Final_Amtrak_Routes_XXXX_XX_XX.zip collection Cb 1. Filename: NTADXXXX_GDB_Final_Amtrak_Routes_XXXX_XX_XX.gdb.zip (Folder) Short description: Compressed file folders containing the geospatial data for Amtrak Routes 2016-Present dataset. File folders are classified by NTAD publication year and data vintage year or date respectively. Geodatabase (GDB) folders contain all the necessary components to view and otherwise interact with their data. Cb 2. Filename: Amtrak_Routes.xml Short description: Extensible Markup Language (XML) files containing key metadata and documentation information such as methodology, procedures, etc. Cb 3. Filename: Amtrak_Routes.xlsx Short description: Excel spreadsheet containing the dataset's data dictionary including attribute field names and definitions for fields and applicable values. ---------------------------------------------------------------- D. METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Description of methods used for collection/generation of data: The dataset was created by coding onto the FRA network then dissolving line attributes by name to create one line per attribute not broken into segments. 2. Instrument- or software-specific information needed to interpret the data: The shapefile data can be opened with Esri ArcGIS and any GIS software package. File geodatabase data can only be opened with Esri ArcGIS. The documentation files can be opened with any basic text editor. ---------------------------------------------------------------- E. DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Amtrak Routes data table Due to the size of the data, it is not described in detail here. Review the data dictionary present in the data folders for information on the data table. A. Number of variables (columns): The data dictionary found in Amtrak_Routes.txt or Amtrak_Routes.xlsx provides definitions for the variables B. Data Dictionary/Variable List: Because of the large number of variables, please refer to the Data Dictionary found within the file Amtrak_Routes.txt or Amtrak_Routes.xlsx for names, definitions, and formats of variables. C. Missing data codes: None ---------------------------------------------------------------- F. UPDATE LOG ---------------------------------------------------------------- This bts_Amtrak_Routes_20250609_README.txt file was originally created on 2025-05-28 by Dominic Menegus, Geographer, dominic.menegus@dot.gov [Note changes or update to the readme.txt file, e.g.:] 2025-06-09:Original file created 2025-10-27: Added DOI