There are Amtrak stations around the country, and they each take amtrack reservations in order to provide passenger train service to a wide array of destinations in the United States. Amtrak offers affordable amtrak fares in commuter trains and luxury cars for most destinations. In order to use the National Railroad Passenger Corporation to your advantage for your business it is important to stay up to date on the company’s latest news, trends and information.

It can be difficult to find the best news sources for a large corporation, like the National Railroad Passenger Corp. Most news sites are filled with information about all of the popular passenger railroad companies and not just amtrak travel updates. Consider the following when looking for the latest National Railroad Passenger Corporation news and trends:

1. Amtrak itself is often the best resource for news and information.

2. Business sites offer unbiased news details about Amtrak and Amtrak train station locations.

3. Blogs and news sites are ideal resources for Amtrak news, Amtrak tickets and company information.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Visit National Railroad Passenger Corp websites for the latest news

Amtrak constantly updates the news and press sections of its Website. These and other sections of its site are the ideal places to find the latest company news and information. For frequent Amtrak travelers the National Railroad Passenger Corporation also prints a magazine. It is full of news and information for its readers.

I recommend: For the lasts news releases check out the news page of the main Amtrak site. If you travel frequently on Amtrak trains, consider a subscription to Arrive Magazine. The website has a Travel News section where you can stay up-to-date with the latest Amtrak news, or read an entire issue online, for free.

Find Amtrak on popular business sites for a company profile and news updates

Business sites often offer company profiles of corporations in the United States. The best sites will also have a link to the latest news articles and trends about Amtrak and other companies in the passenger railroad industry.

I recommend: SmartBrief offers statistics, trends and the latest news for the National Railroad Passenger Corp. For a brief fact sheet and links to the best news sources, check out Hoovers. It has a profile of Amtrak that includes news links and informational sources.

Read blogs and specialty news sites about Amtrak and passenger rail trains

There are many news sites and blogs that are dedicated to the world of passenger trains. The best sites not only offer news and information, but they have facts about the latest discounts and rates that are available at an Amtrak station near you.

I recommend: RailServe.com is an informational site that offers the latest in Amtrak news. For another great source on Amtrak, check out Mahalo.com. Users can ask questions to gain additional news and information about the company. It also includes the top seven searched for Amtrak related sites for extra facts and news articles.

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK) may be a more preferable method of business travel. Rising fuel costs and air fares are pinching the budgets of business travel with each passing day. And the hassles brought on by heightened security measures add to the frustration. Because of this, some businesses may feel they have no choice but to seek alternate forms of travel.

Amtrak has been the United States' exclusive provider of passenger rail travel since 1979. While Amtrak passengers have their own problems to deal with (slow service at the top of the list), the lower costs may offset these complications. However, those traveling on Amtrak must prepare or their trip in numerous areas:

1. Locate the Amtrak stations for both departure and arrival.

2. Figure out both the fares and departure times.

3. Determine the travel to and from Amtrak stations.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Discover the location of Amtrak stations

Since Amtrak uses rails built before their existence, the stations had to be built for the route and not the other way around. And the locations aren't always easy to find, as the cities rarely promote them.

I recommend: Amtrak's main Stations page is linked with MapQuest to help users find the location of the station they need just by entering the correct city. It may also help to find out if your Amtrak station connects to the local airport, like in Washington, DC and Chicago-Milwaukee.

Get the train's departure time and purchase Amtrak tickets

Often, an Amtrak train has only one departure in a city per day. And the on-time arrival is far from perfect. The good news is that Amtrak fares are not only low by comparison to air travel, but stable, not fluctuating depending on time of purchase.

I recommend: Amtrak's home page has a direct link to getting the fares and departure times for your trip, all of which will be given during your online purchase. You can also consult with a travel agent who specializes in rail travel and can help plan business trips and Amtrak reservations accordingly.

Figure out transportation to and from your Amtrak station

Transporting Amtrak passengers to and from their locations may not be as different as transporting to and from the airports. The biggest difference may be the lack of taxi services immediately available from the Amtrak station.

I recommend: Research Amtrak's connection to local transit services, especially in high density areas such as California and the Northeast corridor. Contact the Amtrak station of departure and see if parking is available there and at what cost.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Remember that you will have to be very flexible in your schedule, as Amtrak train departure and arrival times may not occur as originally scheduled.

If your business travel takes you through an Amtrak station, then you're probably interested in saving money on National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak). Luckily, getting reduced Amtrak fares is fairly easy to do when you make your Amtrak reservations. You just have to know a few insider secrets of the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

You can use several methods to get discounted tickets from the National Railroad Passenger Corporation. So figure out which one will work best for you. Methods include:

1. Seeking out advertised or weekly specials on Amtrak travel;

2. Reducing the cost of riding an Amtrak train by using a promotional code or coupon;

3. And getting a standard passenger discount on your Amtrak tickets.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Save on your Amtrak ticket with advertised or weekly specials

Weekly specials can save you up to 90 percent on your Amtrak reservation. They are often available for routes in the middle part of the country and are typically for travel during non-peak times. Also, they are nonrefundable and can't be exchanged. Advertised specials also have restrictions. They are often for travel to tourist destinations or within a specific state or region. A popular advertised special gives you a companion ticket for 50 percent off the cost of the first ticket.

I recommend: The official website for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation posts the weekly specials that are available Tuesday through Friday. Railpax Magazine, from Arthouse Industries, lists Amtrak's current advertised specials.

Use a promotional code or coupon to save on Amtrak tickets

Amtrak routinely makes deals available by giving out promotional codes or coupons. You used to have to wait for Amtrak to send one of these coupons to you. But now, the Internet makes it easy for anyone to find and take advantage of these specials. All you have to do is look them up on a coupon website.

I recommend: Coupon Chief boasts that it is the largest source of coupons and promotional codes for Amtrak. Dozens of discounts are available that could save you up to 75 percent. PromotionCode.org also lists a large number of Amtrak coupon codes that can be used on many tickets.

Get a standard passenger discount for Amtrak tickets

Amtrak offers standard passenger discounts to a wide variety of people. For example, AAA members, students, members of the military and seniors over the age of 62 all get discounts of either 10 or 15 percent. These discounts are good for most travel on Amtrak and can't be combined with other promotions. Also, for most of the discounts, you must purchase your ticket at least three days in advance.

I recommend: RailServe.com lists all the standard passenger discounts that are offered by Amtrak and includes a link to more information about each discount. The North Carolina Department of Transportation also lists each discount and describes who qualifies.

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation or AMTRAK provides a unique way for business travelers to get around. When top planners are looking for options, rail travel should be considered along with the usual flight and driving choices. Rail travel can be an efficient way to get staffers to and from important meetings, to fieldwork destinations, or for other business purposes. Knowing about some of the key terms for how AMTRAK accommodates business customers can help planners make good decisions choosing travel accommodations.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Weekly specials

Weekly specials are one way to secure AMTRAK tickets for business at good rates. Check these specials continually on the website for deals that will help get staffers where they need to be.

I recommend: Get access to AMTRAK weekly specials at this Hot Deals page.

Passenger discounts

Passenger discounts are discounts applied by AMTRAK for inclusion in specific groups or organizations. Check to see if any of these discounts apply to business travelers.

I recommend: Find the offered discount types at this Passenger Discounts page.

U.S.A. rail passes

Rail passes are another option that AMTRAK provides for offering bulk value to business or personal travelers. Check out rail pass options for combining multiple trips under one pricing option.

I recommend: See rail pass info at this Rail Pass page.

Route Atlas

AMTRAK provides a route atlas online as a way to figure out where AMTRAK trains go. Use this handy online feature to plan a series of business trips and to understand the full route structure that AMTRAK provides to its passengers.

I recommend: Find out about destinations for AMTRAK at this Route Atlas page.

Advertised specials

Advertised specials are travel deals specifically promoted by AMTRAK. These offer additional resources for getting business deals that may work for allowing staffers to travel in railroad style to a desired destination.

I recommend: Take a look at this Advertised Specials page to see if it offers anything that works for upcoming business travel. Keep an eye on the page long-term as AMTRAK routinely offers special deals.

AMTRAK policies

AMTRAK maintains an array of policies regarding ticket refunds, terms and conditions of travel and much more. Review these carefully before setting up a business trip through AMTRAK, as the policies involved could have a big impact on how your employees use their trips.

I recommend: See the range of AMTRAK policies online at this Terms and Conditions page.