A fun ride: Amtrak trains will now have guides to tell passengers about sights along the way

The National Park Service initiative is getting renewed support from Amtrak's top management. Eleven Amtrak routes in 2023 will once again feature live commentary from guides about the regions, landmarks, and historic sites the trains pass through, reports Trains.

Photo: IStock

The program, which is run by volunteers sponsored by the National Park Service at the regional level, began in 2000 and has enriched travel and made it more interesting on many long-distance trains. This program is run on trains that pass through national parks and historical sites. That is, where there is something to tell passengers.

There were cutbacks in 2018 when Amtrak stopped offering free overnight stays on some longer routes and the program was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. It partially resumed in 2021 and 2022 but returned with a busy schedule and new offers after a meeting between Amtrak and Park Service personnel from around the country at Amtrak headquarters in January.

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The new route crosses the city of New Orleans between Jackson, Mississippi and Hammond, Louisiana as part of the Medgar Evers memorial days. “The program will focus on civil rights efforts and also tell the story of Emmett Till,” says Park Service Volunteer Partnership Coordinator James Mikulka, who leads the program.

A notable restart occurred on New York State's Adirondack Scenic Route between Saratoga Springs and Westport. This segment is selected to facilitate same-day round-trip travel for volunteers based at a sponsoring National Park Service site.

Here is a complete list of routes and days of the week when guides are offered on trains:

Website: amtrak.com

“While both organizations continue to face challenges in returning to pre-pandemic service levels in both personnel and facilities, Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner and National Park Service Director Chuck Sams expressed their vision for how Trails and Rails will improve quality passenger services,” says Mikulka.

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“Senior Amtrak management rode the trains to observe a couple of the Trails and Rails programs and liked what they saw. They also gave back free food and drinks to our Trails and Rails volunteers for programs over six hours long, which is basically everyone,” he added.

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