By Susan Miller
About Amtrak
Amtrak--a combination of "American" and "track"--serves 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. states and some Canadian provinces. Routes vary from some that run only three times per week to one in the Northeast that runs several times a day. Amtrak offers coach seats as well as bedrooms, suites and a smaller version of a bedroom called a roomette for overnight journeys. Some Amtrak routes have a dining car or other meal options available for different pricing levels.
History
When America's passenger rail lines started dying due to the increase in use of airplanes and cars, the government formed the Amtrak corporation on May 1, 1971, so Americans would still have the option of intercity train service. There are still only about half a dozen train companies operating in the U.S. that are not part of Amtrak.
Routes
Amtrak has more than 30 established routes, some between major cities, others across the country. They provide transportation or connections to just about every part of the country except in two states, Wyoming and South Dakota. One example of an established route is the California Zephyr, which travels daily between Chicago, Denver and Emeryville, California, near San Francisco.
Connections
On some of Amtrak's regular routes, the company works with bus services and other public transportation to provide connections from a train station to a nearby city or to your destination.
Deals
Amtrak offers regional tour packages, weekly specials and other deals you may be able to find by looking at the Amtrak website. You should also check with your local Amtrak station to find out if there are any deals they know about that aren't readily found on the website.
Other Discounts
Amtrak offers discounts to regular passengers, rail passes, group discounts and other specials. Check with your ticket agent to find out what the best deals are.
Resources
About the Author:
Susan Miller has been a professional journalist since 1990. She edited two weeklies for a chain of suburban newspapers and has written for the "Indianapolis Star," the "Indianapolis Business Journal" and several magazines, among other publications and websites. Miller studied design, photography and technology at Purdue University and Central Piedmont Community College.
Photo Credits:
Photo by Amtrak
