How Commuter Rail is Adapting to the Post-9-to-5 Era

You can’t take people where they’re going if you don’t meet them where they are. Because of that, all modes need to evolve. And right now is commuter rail’s moment.

Across North America, agencies are rethinking systems that were once built almost entirely around the traditional 9-to-5 commute and transforming them into more flexible regional rail networks designed for how people actually move today. Riders want more options, more frequency, more all-day connectivity — and agencies are realizing that if transit wants to take people where they’re going, it first has to meet them where they are.

This Week on The Podcast

Commuter rail is being reinvented—and at Virginia Railway Express (VRE), that shift starts with one big idea: becoming a true regional rail system. Katie Choe, CEO of VRE, joins Paul to explain how the agency is moving beyond its traditional peak-hour, commuter-focused model toward a more flexible, all-day, bi-directional network designed for today’s travel patterns.

COMING SOON: San Antonio

San Antonio has it all — the Alamo, a legendary River Walk, 300-year-old UNESCO missions, and a Fiesta celebration like nowhere else on earth. Host Paul Comfort rides VIA Metropolitan Transit, the largest bus-only transit system in a major U.S. city, to uncover the food, culture, and community that make this city one of America’s most unique. Full episode coming 5/14/26!

ICYMI: Special INSIDER Episode

In this quarterly Transit Unplugged Insider, Paul Comfort and Julie Gates break down the most important developments shaping public transportation right now—from Washington leadership changes to emerging mobility technology.