Amtrak Celebrates America is the theme the railroad is sharing with attendees of the AARP Celebrates 2000 event, today through Thursday at the Orange County Convention Center. As a primary sponsor of the association's biennial event, Amtrak is focusing on building a stronger relationship with AARP members.

"With 20 million members nationwide, AARP represents some of Amtrak's most loyal customers," said Barbara Richardson, executive vice president of Amtrak. "And as we see our highways and skyways becoming even more congested, we want travelers of all ages to see Amtrak as an affordable and convenient alternative."

As a primary sponsor of AARP Celebrates 2000, Amtrak is hosting a booth in the event's exhibit hall with information for rail travelers of all ages. The Amtrak Celebrates America exhibit features the people and places of America from the passenger's point-of-view, including providing visitors with a glimpse of the breathtaking scenery seen through the windows of Amtrak.

Record Ridership

Just over 21 million customers traveled on board Amtrak last year, for a record third consecutive year of ridership growth. Of that total, 1.7 million took advantage of Amtrak's discount for seniors, representing 13% of total ridership. Since the beginning of fiscal year 2000 (Oct. 1, 1999), Amtrak has enjoyed a 2.2% increase in ridership for a total of 12,540,000 customers choosing Amtrak. Ridership has now increased for 13 consecutive quarters.

Promotional Fares

Amtrak offers promotional fares to make traveling by rail affordable. For travelers 62 and older, Amtrak offers a 15% discount on almost all coach fares, any time of the year. For families traveling together, children ages 2 to 15 ride half-price when accompanied by a full-fare paying adult. (Up to two children per adult.) And students, ages 15 and over, can receive a 15% discount on coach seating as members of the Student Advantage(R) program. Students may join Student Advantage by calling 1-800-96-AMTRAK. For more information on all of Amtrak's promotional fares, call 1-800-USA-RAIL.

Expanded Services

Earlier this year, Amtrak announced plans to expand passenger rail service in 21 states as part of its Network Growth Strategy (NGS), designed to preserve and expand the existing rail network and better serve customers.

As part of the NGS, next week Amtrak will introduce daily service on the Texas Eagle between Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, and San Antonio. Later this year, Amtrak will introduce daily service on the Crescent from New York to Dallas and for the first time, direct service from New York to Florida's east coast including Daytona Beach, St. Augustine, and Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Amtrak is also working to reintroduce service between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, connecting two of the most popular destinations in the U.S. In addition, the Pacific Surfliner will soon grace the California coast from San Diego to Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo, replacing the San Diegans. The Pacific Surfliner service will feature eight new trains with improved customer service amenities and upgraded stations along the route.

This summer Amtrak will unveil its Acela Express service between Washington, D.C., New York and Boston. The first high-speed train to operate in the U.S., Acela Express will reduce travel time between New York and Boston from the current four hours to three hours. And, between New York and Washington, the trip will be cut by as much as 30 minutes from today's competitive three-hour trip. With service that is already faster than flying, Acela Express will provide downtown to downtown service with travel times that are quicker than flying out of and into outlying airports.

Service Guarantee

When the U.S. celebrates Independence Day, July 4, Amtrak will celebrate by offering the travel industry's first satisfaction guarantee. The goal of this program is to achieve a level of customer service that no other U.S. transportation provider can surpass. Highlighting the corporation's focus on providing world-class customer service on every train, every day, all 25,000 Amtrak employees completed an intense training program as part of the comprehensive initiative. The guarantee represents one more step in Amtrak's transformation into a customer- focused, commercially-oriented and financially-viable business.

Amtrak operates a 22,000-mile intercity passenger rail system, serving more than 500 communities in 45 states. Under Amtrak's new leadership, the corporation is turning the corner to become a successful business enterprise. As part of its turnaround, Amtrak is focusing on growing public and private business partnerships, improving and guaranteeing consistency and quality of service, introducing high-speed rail in the Northeast, and developing other high-speed rail corridors nationwide. For more information about Amtrak, including schedules, fares, and reservations, visit Amtrak's Web site at www.amtrak.com.

National Railroad Passenger Corporation 60 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., Fourth Floor Washington, D.C. 20002-4285 www.amtrak.com

Publication date: 2000-05-15