Amtrak is announcing a buy one get one free ticket sale for passengers on its Acela and Northeast regional trains traveling along the corridor from Boston to Virginia.
The sale began yesterday and runs through Sept. 30 for Amtrak travel between Sept. 24 and Dec. 12, and it only covers Acela business class seats and Northeast regional coach class seats. The sale is not valid on Sundays and Fridays and blackout dates include Nov. 24, Nov. 25 and Nov. 30.
The sale is the latest effort by the financially fraying Amtrak to attract more passengers. Earlier this month, Amtrak CEO William J. Flynn informed a congressional hearing that the railroad will need nearly $5 billion in federal assistance to cover losses caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Flynn also stated Amtrak planned to decrease service on most of its long-distance trains and begin furloughing staff beginning Oct. 1, the start of its next fiscal year, unless federal aid was forthcoming.
“As difficult as these actions are, if we do not take such cost-saving measures and fail to receive supplemental funding, we anticipate burning nearly $250 million each month,” Flynn said. “At this rate of loss, we would be forced to take drastic measures, with long-lasting impacts on the company, on our employees and on our network.”
