Amtrak Provides Convenient And Flexible Options For Summer Travel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2013
ATK-13-045
Contact: Media Relations
202 906.3860
AMTRAK PROVIDES CONVENIENT AND FLEXIBLE
OPTIONS FOR SUMMER TRAVEL
Train service includes stops to popular destinations
WASHINGTON – Amtrak is expecting heavy ridership as the summer season kicks off
and passengers head to the rails for their family vacations.
Affordable fares, convenient service and unpredictable gas prices make America’s
Railroad® ideal for summer family travel. Passengers are encouraged to book early as advance
reservations indicate increased demand for July and August versus last summer.
To soak in the sun, ocean and military attractions, passengers can board Amtrak Virginia
for travel to Lynchburg, Richmond, Newport News and Norfolk. The daily Northeast Regional
service also provides a same-seat trip from Virginia to Richmond, Washington, D.C., Baltimore,
Philadelphia and cities north.
For a break from the highway, Auto Train offers a unique service for passengers to travel
from Lorton, Va., to Sanford, Fla., with their personal vehicles including cars, vans, SUVs,
motorcycles, small boats or jet-skis. Passengers can purchase an upgrade to Priority Vehicle
Offloading and their vehicle will be one of the first offloaded from the train.
In North Carolina, two new Thruway bus services offers connections between commuters
and the Palmetto train service. Travelers can take other Amtrak routes in the state to visit the
revolutionary Alamance Battleground in Burlington, and the first U.S. gold mine, outside of
Charlotte or the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer.
From Philadelphia, people can hop on the Keystone for a summer getaway to the historic
Lancaster County. Hourly departures whisk passengers through the rolling countryside of Central
Pennsylvania. If you crave the water, ride the Northeast Corridor to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor for
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great nightlife and famous Maryland crabs. Travelers can also access Kent Island, Salisbury and
Ocean City on Maryland’s Eastern Shore via Thruway bus service.
Midwesterners can enjoy the beach, just two blocks west of the New Buffalo, Mich.,
station served by eight daily trains from Chicago and locations in central and eastern Michigan.
They can explore summer music festivals in Milwaukee, Chicago and St. Louis or go to where
roots of jazz, rock and the blues are deep in Kansas City, Memphis or New Orleans.
Travel along the west coast for events in California like the Solstice Festival in Santa
Barbara, the Strawberry Festival in Oxnard and the state fair in Sacramento. The Rose Festival in
Portland, Ore., runs throughout the summer with spectacular floats and activities around the July
4 th holiday. And in Seattle, Seafair host numerous events around Puget Sound in July and
August.
For those planning summer vacations, Amtrak Vacations offers a variety of single-city
rail getaways and multi-city rail journeys across the United States and Canada. Visit
AmtrakVacations.com for complete travel packages including hotel accommodations,
sightseeing attractions, activities, dining and cruises.
Amtrak is upgrading its AmtrakConnect cellular-based Wi-Fi service to take advantage
of 4G technologies to improve performance and enhance the passenger experience on trains that
serve 75 percent of Amtrak passengers.
Purchase tickets using Amtrak eTicketing, at a staffed station or an Amtrak Quik-Trak SM
kiosk. Passengers can also book online, call 800-USA-RAIL or use a mobile device.
About Amtrak®
Amtrak is America’s Railroad®, the nation’s intercity passenger rail service and its high-speed rail operator. A
record 31.2 million passengers traveled on Amtrak in FY 2012 on more than 300 daily trains – at speeds up to 150
mph (241 kph) – that connect 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian Provinces. Amtrak operates
intercity trains in partnership with 15 states and contracts with 13 commuter rail agencies to provide a variety of
services. Enjoy the journey® at Amtrak.com or call 800-USA-RAIL for schedules, fares and more information.
Join us on facebook.com/Amtrak and follow us at twitter.com/Amtrak.
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