Amtrak, the U.S. passenger rail operator, hopes to drum up more business with discounts for group travel on both its Northeast Regional routes and its long-distance routes.
The new fares, which are for groups of up to four passengers, include a full fare for the first travelers, with the second ticket priced at 15%, the third at 60% and the fourth at 70%. The result is an average ticket priced at 62% of the full fare. All passengers must travel together on the same itinerary. Some trains are excluded, including the Acela Express and Auto Train.
The best bargain is actually for two travelers; their fares would average to under 58%. Amtrak calls the program Share Fares, and is marketing it with a new slogan—Get Carried Away.
