Posted on 03/13/2010 5:48:08 AM PST by Willie Green
WASHINGTON – Amtrak has introduced a new Web site designed to show travelers how convenient it is to travel by train to visit the country’s national parks. With the theme “Parks in Your Backyard,” Amtraktoparks.com allows users to see the nearest Amtrak route to featured national park sites, each of which can be reached using public transportation from an Amtrak station.
Amtraktoparks.com offers a trip wizard which allows users to customize their search based on geographic location and personal interests Monuments/Memorials, Revolutionary History or Water Activities to name a few. Information on accommodations such camping sites and hotels is also provided. Once the user selects a national park, information on the park as well as which Amtrak route provides service to that park is shown. The site provides a direct link to Amtrak.com, allowing users to book rail travel.
Initially, the featured national parks include Glacier, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Everglades, Sequoia & Kings Canyon , Rocky Mountain and 50 others located along the Northeast Corridor and in the nation’s capital. These parks were selected due to their proximity to an Amtrak route. There are plans to add more national parks to the site.
Eight routes are currently highlighted on the site. They are Acela Express ( Washington – New York – Boston ), Northeast Regional ( Virginia Beach – Richmond – Washington – New York – Boston ), Silver Service ( New York – Miami ), Palmetto ( New York – Savannah ), Empire Builder ( Chicago – St. Paul – Portland/Seattle), San Joaquins ( Bakersfield - Sacramento – Oakland ), California Zephyr ( Chicago – Denver – San Francisco Bay Area), and Southwest Chief (Chicago – Albuquerque – Los Angeles ).
“This new website brings together two of America ’s favorite pastimes -- traveling by train and visiting national parks,” said Emmett Fremaux, Amtrak’s vice president of marketing and product development. “With more than 500 Amtrak stops in 46 states and the District of Columbia , a national park is as close as your backyard.”
“Passenger rail and national parks have rolled through history in tandem since the 1880s,” said Dean Reeder, National Tourism Director of the National Park Service. “By facilitating visitor access to the many wondrous experiences available in many of our nation’s parks, Amtrak helps us advance the values of sustainable tourism.”
In addition to the highlighted Amtrak routes, seven other routes are also included so users may see other Amtrak routes that offer service to stations near national parks. Those routes are the Capitol Limited (Washington – Pittsburgh – Chicago), City of New Orleans (Chicago – Memphis – New Orleans), Coast Starlight (Seattle – Portland – Los Angeles), Crescent (New York – Washington – Atlanta – New Orleans), Lake Shore Limited (New York/Boston – Albany – Chicago), Texas Eagle (Chicago – St. Louis – Dallas – Los Angeles), and Sunset Limited (New Orleans – Houston – Los Angeles).
Under the Find a Park function, users may view a complete list of national parks that are accessible by train. Another link provides details on special fares and Amtrak Vacations packages which include rail travel, hotel accommodations and tour tickets.
About Amtrak
As the nation’s intercity passenger rail operator, Amtrak connects America in safer, greener and healthier ways. Last fiscal year (FY 2009), the railroad carried 27.2 million passengers, making it the second-best year in the company’s history. With 21,000 route miles in 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian provinces, Amtrak operates more than 300 trains each day—at speeds up to 150 mph—to more than 500 destinations. Amtrak also is the operator of choice for state-supported corridor services in 15 states and for several commuter rail agencies. Visit Amtrak.com or call 800-USA-RAIL for schedules, fares and more information.
My family used Amtrak for a vacation to Sea World when we lived in California. We took the train from LA to San Diego and a shuttle bus to the park and back to the train station.
It was one of the easiest trips I had. Lots of room and the kids made friends with other kids in the same car. I would do something like that again.
It was one of the easiest trips I had. Lots of room and the kids made friends with other kids in the same car. I would do something like that again.
Sure is a more relaxing way to travel than having the kids crammed into the backseat of the car for 12 hours with all the luggage.
Besides visiting our National Parks, you can expolore other vacation packages at Amtrakvacations.com.
Be sure to thank the taxpayers, Willie. 93% of Amtrak’s routes regularly lose money.....
Watch the Travel Channel when they show ‘The American Orient Express’.
Fantastic train trip through several Western national parks.
Gourmet dining, etc.
Ain’t cheap though.
93% of Amtrak’s routes regularly lose money.....
That's because 97% of the track is privately owned by the freight carriers.
Why does that matter? Track use fees paid to the owners of the rail lines are just one of the costs of doing business and should be figured into the ticket price, not subsidized by the taxpayers. If Amtrak owned the lines they’d have to pay for their initial construction, plus ongoing maintenance and security issues. Use fees are just another expense of doing business, just like fuel, labor and maintenance. Passenger train travel is either efficient and competitive with other forms of travel, or it isn’t. The truth is it isn’t at all efficient or competitive with other forms of travel, as has been pointed out to you by dozens of Freepers in response to your various posts. Most of the commercial airports in the USA are owned by the municipalities that they serve, not the airlines, but both the airlines and the airports make money just about everywhere. It’s a tight, competitive market and that further adds to the high efficiency of air travel. Amtrak doesn’t compete with any other passenger trains, yet still can’t survive without taxpayer money. Kind of like TVA, PBS, Fannie, Freddie and all the other boondoggles where the gubmint tries to interfere with the free market.....
This is perfect for when the marxists end automobile travel to the parks.
Why does that matter?
It matters because the freight lines will not upgrade/maintain the tracks to provide faster and more timely, competitive passenger service although it is the heavier freight traffic that contributes most to track wear & tear.
National Parks could become re-education camps, how handy. Take the train, hop on, everyone!
I’ll keep my auto, thank you.
I was lucky as a kid to take a family train trip vacation when the railroads still prided themselves on top notch passenger service. We rode the California Zephir from Omaha to San Francisco, the California Daylight from San Fransisco to LA and the Union Pacific from LA back to Omaha. Very fond memories, but I doubt Amtrak would live up to those standards. As fed up as most of us are getting with the TSA and airlines, perhaps private passenger rail service could make a come back.
Well, then, Amtrak needs to build their own lines if they don’t like what is available. No, wait, they can’t do that. They don’t have any money, except what they can bilk out of the taxpayers. There is a very good reason why no one in the private sector is operating passenger trains anymore. It ain’t profitable because they ain’t efficient for moving people and they are very expensive to maintain. Forest, meet trees.....
“If you’re planning your summer vacation, consider seeing America’s beautiful National Parks by Amtrak!”
You’ll just love the stale food and overflowing toilets!
Or better sharing toilets with other people while taking the train cross country..
Well, then, Amtrak needs to build their own lines if they don’t like what is available. No, wait, they can’t do that. They don’t have any money, except what they can bilk out of the taxpayers.
IMHO, the Taxpayers should use eminent domain to seize ownership of the tracks.
That way the freight and passenger lines could share the taxpayer-owned rails just like the trucking and busing companies share the taxpayer owned Interstates. (Or just like the freight and passenger airlines share the taxpayer owned airports and air traffic control system. Or just like they way passenger cruise ships and freighters share taxpayer-owned harbors and ports.)
Privately owned transportation rights-of-way are an abomination and an offense against American's freedom.
Really? Where would I find that in the Constitution?
” 93% of Amtrak’s routes regularly lose money.....
That’s because 97% of the track is privately owned by the freight carriers.”
No, it’s because Amtrak is unionized.
Love standing in line at the next station - if you can hold it that long... the stench in the toliet area of the train car is only bested by the overflow around your sneakers.... :)
No, it’s because Amtrak is unionized.
So are the private freight carriers.
And they're the ones that control the tracks.
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