America’s Railroad Celebrates Holiday Season with Model Train Under National Christmas Tree

Amtrak gifts and electronic rail-themed cookie-grams also available

WASHINGTON – As Amtrak connects families and friends for the holidays, America’s Railroad is also celebrating the season with a model train circling the National Christmas Tree, offering a variety of Amtrak related gifts at the Amtrak Store, and providing a chance to send customized rail-themed electronic cookie grams.

As part of the national tradition of the National Christmas Tree, Amtrak worked with the National Park Service, the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, and the National Christmas Tree Railroad, to have an Amtrak model train circle the 28-ft. evergreen located at President’s Park just south of the White House through January 1, 2013.

The Amtrak model train is a G scale (1:22.5) and includes two GE Genesis P42 diesel locomotives and four single-level Amfleet passenger cars plus a café car. The model represents Amtrak’s Midwest Corridor service, as well as the Northeast Regional service south of Washington, D.C. where the trains operate using this type of equipment.

For holiday gift-giving, Amtrak offers a wide variety of merchandise including a Christmas tree ornament, apparel, toys, collectibles, posters and calendars at the online Amtrak Store. Also offered are Amtrak Travel certificates or eCertificates for last minute gifts.

New this year on the AmtrakGuestRewards.com site is an electronic cookie-gram where visitors can decorate a rail-themed cookie and send the image with holiday greetings electronically to friends and family. The sender will receive a cookie recipe from a chef on the Amtrak Culinary Advisory Team.

About Amtrak®:
Amtrak is America’s Railroad®, the nation’s intercity passenger rail service and its high-speed rail operator. A record 31.2 million passengers traveled on Amtrak in FY 2012 on more than 300 daily trains – at speeds up to 150 mph (241 kph) – that connect 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian Provinces. Amtrak operates intercity trains in partnership with 15 states and contracts with 13 commuter rail agencies to provide a variety of services. Enjoy the journey® at Amtrak.com or call 800-USA-RAIL for schedules, fares and more information. Join us on facebook.com/Amtrak and follow us at twitter.com/Amtrak.