In an announcement made by the U.S. Department of Transportation on Thursday evening, it was revealed that more than 18,000 Amtrak employees are set to receive a $900 bonus before the year concludes.

The funds for these bonuses will be sourced from the bonus packages initially designated for Amtrak’s executive leadership team, according to the department’s statement. The federal administration has encouraged executives to forgo 50% of their bonuses, which were previously allocated based on what it described as the “misplaced priorities” of the former executive bonus framework.

Amtrak’s latest annual report highlighted record-breaking figures for the 2025 fiscal year, noting an impressive $2.7 billion in ticket sales from a historic 34.5 million passengers.

The decision to redirect bonuses to front-line workers has received praise from several unions representing train employees.

Mark Wallace, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen National union, expressed support for the move, stating, “These end-of-year bonuses will now benefit 18,000 front-line workers, rather than being confined to the executive ranks. This overdue acknowledgment of the employees who keep the railroad operational is a significant step forward.”

The announcement comes amid ongoing controversy over the Trump administration’s decision to limit $10,000 bonuses to air traffic controllers and technicians who had perfect attendance during the government shutdown — a measure that rewarded only 776 people, and left nearly 20,000 other workers without the payment.

The disparity was blasted by air traffic controller unions at the time of the announcement in November.

“We are concerned that thousands of air traffic controllers who consistently reported for duty during the shutdown, ensuring the safe transport of passengers and cargo across the nation, while working without pay and uncertain of when they would receive compensation, were excluded from this recognition,” the National Air Traffic Controllers Association union said in a statement.