Amtrak Adds Carbon Emission Savings Information on All Northeast Corridor Tickets

Data provides emissions savings compared to “other” modes of travel for the same trip, showing trains are one of the greenest ways to travel

WASHINGTON – Amtrak announced today, in conjunction with Earth Day 2021 that all passengers traveling on the Northeast Corridor (NEC), between Boston and Washington, D.C., will be provided their trip-specific carbon emissions savings. Savings are calculated two ways: first by showing riders how much they saved by not driving and second, how much they saved by not flying. That difference between train travel and each of these alternative modes is the passenger’s carbon emissions savings (Co2e) with taking Amtrak. On the NEC, travel with Amtrak produces 83% less emissions than driving alone and up to 73% less than flying.

“Climate change continues to be one of the world’s most pressing issues, and we want passengers to know that traveling on Amtrak can help lower their carbon footprint compared to traveling in another manner,” said Amtrak Vice President, Northeast Corridor Service Line Caroline Decker. “Adding this feature to our ticket reflects Amtrak’s commitment to sustainability, and provides our customers with real data on their carbon emissions savings when they ride an Amtrak train. We know that train travel is better for the environment and now we are able to quantify that savings for each NEC customer.”

Amtrak’s NEC trains are the country’s only all-electric trains, providing a more environmentally friendly way to travel as part of Amtrak’s goal to reduce its carbon footprint while safely and comfortably transporting travelers between cities and rural communities across America and through city center connections. Travelers will reduce their carbon footprint even further with Amtrak’s new Acela fleet, which will reduce current energy consumption by at least 20% due to the new trains being lighter.

This new feature will serve as a pilot program as Amtrak plans to introduce carbon emissions savings on all tickets across the national network in the future. The emissions calculations are generated from the EPA’s GHG Emission Hub, which multiplies the mode of travel factor (kg CO2e/pm) by passenger miles (pm) and equals total kgs of CO2e (per passenger). Since 2010, Amtrak has reduced emissions by 20% with a target to achieve 40% reduction by 2030. For more information on Amtrak’s approach to sustainability, please visit Amtrak.com/sustainability.