The US Transportation Department said Friday it released $1 billion in emergency funding for US passenger railroad Amtrak, which has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Amtrak said last week that daily ridership was down 96 percent and future bookings were 95 percent lower.

Amtrak has suspended its high-speed Acela service and cut about 50 percent of daily train trips nationwide.

Congress approved the funding last month as part of a $2.2 trillion bill to address the coronavirus.