Amtrak prepares for Thanksgiving holiday

[BNSF 1088]

Amtrak prepares for Thanksgiving holiday
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Anticipating the busiest travel week of the year, Amtrak is planning ahead for Thanksgiving and encouraging customers to do the same, according to this release issued by th passenger carrier.
During Thanksgiving week, Amtrak expects to serve nearly 600,000 passengers nationwide. With ridership expected to be 80 percent higher than on a typical Wednesday, as many as 125,000 passengers will travel on Nov. 24, making it the busiest travel day of the year.

To best serve customers, Amtrak is requiring reservations on the majority of its trains operating in the Northeast and on Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner operating between Santa Barbara and San Diego. To meet demand, Amtrak will add nearly 60 trains to its national schedule. Amtrak will also increase capacity by adding cars to trains throughout its national network from Tuesday, Nov. 23 through Monday, Nov. 29.

Since reservations are required on the busiest rail corridors, Amtrak encourages all passengers to purchase their tickets in advance by logging onto www.amtrak.com, calling 1-800-USA-RAIL, or by visiting a travel agent or a staffed Amtrak station.

Amtrak Travel Facts

-- 7.5 tons of roast turkey will be served on long-distance trains November 21-27.

-- 125,000 travelers are expected to ride Amtrak the Wednesday (Nov. 24) before Thanksgiving.

-- As many as 40,000 extra seats will be added to Amtrak trains systemwide for Thanksgiving week.

Passenger Advice

To avoid problems and long lines during Thanksgiving travels, Amtrak is offering the following tips to customers:

-- Avoid the rush. The busiest Thanksgiving travel periods are Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday afternoons, and passengers can expect trains to be crowded at these times. Except on Thanksgiving Day, morning trains will not be as busy as those in the afternoon and evening.

-- Travel off-peak for best deals. By traveling on the Monday before and the Friday after Thanksgiving, customers can take advantage of off-peak pricing (except some Acela Express & Metroliner trains).

-- Arrive at the station early. During the holiday, Amtrak recommends passengers arrive at the station at least 45 minutes before departure time, and add another 30 minutes if purchasing tickets. Passengers can avoid waiting in station ticket lines by using Amtrak's automated Quik-Trak ticketing kiosks, where available. Suburban stations may also provide an alternative to busy city-center locations.

-- Have photo identification. Passengers are reminded that photo identification is required to purchase Amtrak tickets. All passengers 18 years and older must present a valid driver's license, passport, or other similar form of identification when purchasing tickets or checking baggage.

-- Baggage policy enforcement. Carry-on luggage is limited to two items per passenger, not including purses, briefcases, laptop computers and items needed for infants. Each piece of baggage must be tagged with the owner's name and address.

ABOUT AMTRAK

Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail services to more than 500 destinations in 46 states on a 22,000-mile route system. For schedules, fares and information, passengers may call 800-USA-RAIL or visit www.amtrak.com.

(The preceding release was issued by Amtrak on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2004.)

November 19, 2004