AMTRAK RESTORES 12 LONG DISTANCE ROUTES TO DAILY SERVICE

Amtrak
By Shreder 9100 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0

 

Slated to debut this summer, new schedules offer the most departures since June 2020

WASHINGTON โ€“ As part of its COVID-19 recovery efforts, Amtrak announces full restoration of daily service for 12 long distance routes following pandemic-related schedule reductions in 2020. Providing customers significantly more departures for the upcoming summer travel season, the new schedule has been updated on all Amtrak reservation systems, includingย Amtrak.comย and theย Amtrak app.

Due to COVID relief funding, Amtrak will sustain and restore operations and recall the more than 1,200 furloughed employees through the remainder of FY21 and into FY22. The funding is pending President Bidenโ€™s signature on the final bill.

โ€œOffering daily long distance service represents a vital step in our road to recovery,โ€ said Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn. โ€œRecognizing the immense value of our employees, weโ€™d like to thank Congress for enabling service restoration and helping us recall furloughed employees.โ€

The daily schedules will commence in May 2021 and be grouped into three phases:

May 24 May 31 June 7
California Zephyrย (Chicago โ€“ Omaha โ€“ Denver โ€“ Salt Lake City โ€“ San Francisco) Capitol Limitedย (Washington DC โ€“ Pittsburgh โ€“ Cleveland โ€“ Chicago) Crescentย (New York โ€“ Washington DC โ€“ Atlanta โ€“ New Orleans)
Coast Starlightย (Seattle โ€“ Portland โ€“ Sacramento โ€“ Oakland โ€“ Los Angeles City of New Orleansย (Chicago โ€“ Memphis โ€“ Jackson โ€“ New Orleans) Palmettoย (New York โ€“ Washington DC โ€“ Charleston โ€“ Savannah)
Empire Builderย (Chicago โ€“ St. Paul-Minneapolis โ€“ Spokane โ€“ Portland/Seattle) Lake Shore Limitedย (New York/Boston โ€“ Albany โ€“ Buffalo โ€“ Chicago) Silver Meteorย (New York โ€“ Savannah โ€“ Jacksonville โ€“ Orlando โ€“ Miami)
Texas Eagleย (Chicago โ€“ St. Louis โ€“ Dallas โ€“ San Antonio โ€“ Los Angeles) Southwest Chiefย (Chicago โ€“ Kansas City โ€“ Albuquerque โ€“ Los Angeles) Silver Starย (New York โ€“ Raleigh โ€“ Jacksonville โ€“ Orlando โ€“ Tampa โ€“ Miami)

Destinations listed above do not represent an exhaustive list of all route stops

All destinations and scheduled departure/arrival times served by the long distance network will be maintained. Additionally, Amtrak will continue to operate theย Auto Trainย daily and theย Cardinalย andย Sunset Limitedย trains tri-weekly, as it has been done historically.

The schedule restoration is a critical part of Amtrakโ€™s strategy for investing in long distance service. Other components include:

  • The debut of the new Viewliner II sleeping cars on the Silver Service, the first addition to the Amtrak sleeper fleet in over two decades
  • Upgraded bedding, towels and linens in private rooms aboard the Auto Train, with additional routes rolling out starting in summer
  • Fully-refreshed Amfleet II cars for Coach class routes along East Coast, including new seating cushions, carpets, curtains and LED reading lights
  • Multi-year interior refresh program for Superliner and Viewliner I equipmentโ€”including new seating cushions, carpet and curtainsโ€”beginning to enter service this summer
  • New Amtrakย ALC-42 diesel-electric locomotivesย with higher performance and lower emissions will begin to replace the current long distance engine fleet this year
  • Improved lounge experience for all private room customersโ€”including the debut of the Metropolitan Lounge in theย Moynihan Train Hallย at New York Penn Station
  • Enhancements to theย Auto Trainย customer experience

From New York City to the California coast; from Florida beaches to the Sierra Nevada; and from the Windy City to heart of the Big Easy, Amtrakโ€™s world-famous long distance routes offer countless itineraries to over 500 destinations from coast to coast. Customers traveling aboard these trains can expect the following:

  • Private Rooms: For a truly unique experience,ย private roomsย offer the perfect option for customers seeking privacy and space on a short trip and added comfort and amenities when traveling overnight. All customers traveling in private rooms enjoy complimentary lounge access in stations and meals onboard. Amtrak recently launchedย the addition of private rooms on select Northeast Regional trainsย operating overnight between Washington, D.C., New York and Boston.
  • Best Baggage Policy in Travel: Customers can bring up to two checked bags, two carry-on bags and two personal items, free.
  • Destination: National Parks Amtrak offers access to and through several U.S. National Parks, including Glacier National Park and Harpers Ferry.ย Amtrak Vacationsย also offers numerous National Parks-themed packages to choose from.
  • Several Ways to Save: Saver Fares are available on each route and customers can save 20% over the standard Coach fare when booked 14 days in advance.ย Kids ride for 50% offย every day whileย seniors can save 10%. Customers can be among the first to learn about upcoming flash sales and other ways to save byย subscribingย to emails from Amtrak Guest Rewards or following @Amtrak on social media.

Visitย Amtrak.comย or theย Amtrak appย for more information on schedules and fares. For information on enhanced COVID safety measures, please visitย Amtrak.com/coronavirus.

Source: Amtrak

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