News Release National Railroad Passenger Corporation
60 Massachusetts Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002
www.amtrak.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ATK-06-088
Contact: Media Relations (202) 906-3860
November 13, 2006
Amtrak Prepares for Busy Thanksgiving Travel Week
Passengers urged to buy tickets now
WASHINGTON – Anticipating the busiest travel week of the year, Amtrak is planning ahead for Thanksgiving and encouraging customers to do the same. Amtrak is ready to welcome thousands of passengers aboard, especially in the Northeast Corridor between Washington and Boston, where more trains will be added during peak travel times. Amtrak urges passengers to purchase tickets now to avoid disappointment later, as some trains sell out early.
The week of Thanksgiving – Tuesday to Monday – is typically Amtrak’s busiest travel period of the year, during which the railroad handled nearly 600,000 passengers last year. Nationally, Amtrak anticipates about 125,000 passengers on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, a spike in ridership of about 80 percent over an average Wednesday – making it the busiest day of the year for Amtrak. Over the span of the holiday week, Amtrak will carry approximately 30 percent more passengers than during an average week.
Amtrak takes several steps to ensure that passengers have an enjoyable trip. In the Northeast, 53 extra trains will operate during the week, with most of the added trains running on the two busiest travel days, Wednesday, Nov. 22 and Sunday, Nov. 26.
All Amtrak trains in the Northeast require reservations, year-round – including Harrisburg-Philadelphia Keystone Service trains and New Haven-Springfield Shuttles. All-reserved trains eliminate the crowded conditions that formerly occurred on unreserved trains during the holiday, but passengers should purchase tickets as soon as possible to obtain space on preferred departures.
There are more frequencies to and from Chicago this Thanksgiving, due to a doubling of state-supported service in Illinois. Including the three Lincoln Service round-trips, there are now five round-trips on the Chicago-St. Louis corridor, via Springfield and Bloomington-Normal. Between Chicago and Carbondale, via Champaign-Urbana, there are now three-round-trips, two of them sponsored by the Illinois Department of Transportation. There are also now two state-supported round-trips on the Chicago-Quincy corridor, via Galesburg and Macomb, Ill.
Amtrak has also added service on trains in the western region during this period. In the Pacific Northwest, ten trains are being added to the Amtrak Cascades route between Portland and Seattle throughout the busy holiday travel week. Extra cars will be added to selected trains on the Amtrak San Joaquin route in California between Bakersfield, Sacramento and Oakland. And in Southern California, extra cars will be added on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner route (San Luis Obispo-Santa Barbara-Los Angeles and San Diego) and reservations will be required on these normally unreserved trains, Tuesday, November 21 through Monday, November 27.
Travel Tips
Amtrak offers the following tips for holiday passengers:
Avoid the Rush: Busiest travel days are Wednesday before and Sunday after Thanksgiving. Purchase tickets early using Amtrak.com, QuikTraksm ticket vending machines or ticket windows at staffed stations or calling 800-USA-RAIL. Allow plenty of time at stations prior to departure – at least 45 minutes if tickets need to be picked up.
Know the Limits: Note the limit of two carry-on bags per person (excluding laptops, purses, briefcases), and be sure all luggage is tagged with name and address.
Carry photo ID: Passengers are required to show valid photo identification when purchasing tickets. Make sure to carry valid photo ID at all times, as it may be requested aboard trains.
Passengers may obtain schedule information online at www.amtrak.com or by picking up a copy of Amtrak’s timetable. A special holiday timetable will be available in stations in the Northeast on November 8.
About Amtrak
Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail services to more than 500 destinations in 46 states on a 21,000-mile route system. For schedules, fares and information, passengers may call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com.