Amtrak Restores Daily Service for 12 Routes
Amtrak has announced that it will restore twelve of its long-distance routes because of increased travel demand, and $1.7 billion in emergency funding from the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. The company is also reinstating 1,200 furloughed employees.
The newly reinstated routes had been canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The twelve new schedules will begin in May 2021.
The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill includes $1.7 billion in emergency funding for Amtrak, requires that Amtrak return daily service to long-distance routes within 90 days of the bill’s passage, as well as requiring Amtrak to bring back furloughed railroad workers.
“Offering daily long-distance service represents a vital step in our road to recovery,” said Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn. “Recognizing the immense value of our employees, we’d like to thank Congress for enabling service restoration and helping us recall furloughed employees.”
Travel Pulse reports that some newly restored routes are the California Zephyr, which travels between Chicago and San Francisco, stopping at Omaha, Denver and Salt Lake City; the Silver Meteor, which goes between New York and Miami, stopping at Savannah, Jacksonville and Orlando; or the Southwest Chief, which travels between Chicago and Los Angeles, stopping at Kansas City and Albuquerque along the way.
Daily service schedules are already available on all Amtrak booking services, including Amtrak.com and the Amtrak app. There are also several options to save on one of these Amtrak trains, such as 20% off when booking 14 days in advance, 10% off for seniors and 50% off for children.
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