Aaron Durand is more than a Twitter guru, he's also a life-long rail fan who recently enjoyed both passions while traveling on our Coast Starlight and Cascades trains. In fact, while friend and fellow photographer Jessica Zollman captured still images on her iPhone, he created this brief but beautiful micro-music video.

"A natural byproduct of being a rail fan are tunnels, trestles, and bends. I loved watching us pass through, over and around them all," he says. "For me, there are few things as pretty as light hitting rails."

During his 18-, 3- and 24-hour journeys, he spent time walking throughout the train, grabbing a snack in the cafe car, snapping photos and meeting fellow travelers.

"I met a cage fighter from Alaska on his way to Klamath Falls for the winter," Aaron says. "We met a charismatic gent at our dinner table on the way home who we wound up having the best time with. He was on his way to Mexico to watch dolphins. I swear."

For first-time train travelers, Aaron recommends one simple essential: bring a friend. "Traveling with a buddy was probably my favorite part," he says. "Also don't forget about the kind people of Amtrak! All of the staff on the train were exceptionally kind and charismatic."

Enjoy reading #AmtrakStories like this one? Share your own experiences with us for a chance to win prizes like free travel at AmtrakStories.com. For 31 days, we're highlighting our favorite travel stories in honor of the 31.6 million passengers who helped Amtrak reach its highest ridership record ever. 

This weekend the #AmtrakRivalry train leaves Chicago headed to East Lansing, Mich., to see the MSU Spartans take on the University of Michigan. And it will be chock full of football fans—from opposing teams. Yep, we’re doing it, folks!

But Michigan isn’t the only place for big #AmtrakRivalry games. Here’s the top college rivalries served by Amtrak.

6. Georgia Tech vs. Clemson University
ATL-iens can take the Crescent route up to Clemson, SC, to watch the Yellow Jackets and Tigers face-off. In fact, the route even serves another ACC team, the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va. While the Wahoos might not draw the football crowds of the other two Crescent teams, they do have the No. 1 women’s soccer team in the country.

5. Harvard vs. Yale
There’s brains on trains for this #AmtrakRivalry! Our Northeast Regional connects both Boston and New Haven, Conn. And if you really want to get fancy, you can ride the Acela Express, our high-speed train, to watch these two top schools battle it out at The Game, which dates back to 1875.

4. University of Oregon vs. Oregon State
This #AmtrakRivalry gets its kicks on the Cascades route which connects the rival towns of Eugene, Ore., home the of University of Oregon Ducks, and Albany, Ore., of Oregon State. Luckily for these schools, the views are so awesome along the route, that passengers might not even notice their rivals are onboard.

3. Notre Dame vs. Purdue University
These football powerhouses are such rivals, they can’t even share the same route through the state of Indiana. Purdue University in Lafayette, Ind., is served by the Hoosier State while Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., has the Lake Shore Limited and the Capitol Limited. Technically that’s 2-1 in favor of Notre Dame. Is it too bold to declare them the winner?

2. Alabama vs. Anyone
Our #AmtrakRivalry list wouldn't be complete without calling out the No. 1 football team in the country--the Crimson Tide of Tuscaloosa, Ala. Not only does our Crescent route serve the town, you can see the stadium from your seat on the train. Roll Tide!

1. Oklahoma University vs. University of Texas
They say everything is bigger in Texas, and the #AmtrakRivalry is no different. Austin, Texas, home of the hook ’em Horns, is on one of our longest routes, the Texas Eagle, which travels from Chicago all the way to LA. But the Sooners at Oklahoma University in Norman, OK, will not be out done. Their route, the Heartland Flyer, recently experienced record ridership growth for the year!

Is there an #AmtrakRivalry we missed? Be sure to let us know in the comments.

The #AmtrakRivalry train will travel Nov. 1 from Chicago Union Station to East Lansing, Mich., one day before in-state football rivals Michigan State University and the University of Michigan face off in East Lansing. Follow the action and show your own school spirit by using the hashtag #AmtrakRivalry!

To celebrate your opportunity to earn double Amtrak Guest Rewards points on select Cascades trips until Aug. 31, we asked our fans to tell us their favorite sights in one of the route's most popular cities--Seattle.

Our Cascades service travels multiple times a day between Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C. And from Pike Place Market to whale watching in Puget Sound, here are your favorite things to do (and see) in Seattle!

10. "Starbucks! Oh wait, that's everywhere."
--Christin Fowler

9. 1) Seattle Sounders Football Club 2) the market 3) The Space Needle 4) the gardens 5) the train station!
--Jason Sanford

8. "Ferry rides! So many to pick from all over Puget Sound with whale watching. The station isn't far from the Seattle Mariners and Seahawks arenas, either."
--Sherrie Haynie-Forwood Read More →

Claire was bored traveling by car between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., so she decided to leave the driving to us.

“I like riding trains because they’re glamorous,” she says. “But this was my first time on the Amtrak Cascades.”

Claire, who also logged the trip for her blog “Claire from YVR,” says the recent trip from Vancouver to Seattle was relaxing and allowed her to get work done while she traveled.

“The nice thing about the train is that you can get up and move around,” says Claire, who spent half her trip in her coach seat and the other half hanging out in the bistro car. “When I was in the bistro car, I had coffee and a morning breakfast sandwich, which I thought was priced really reasonably.” Read More →

We teamed up with travel writer, blogger, vlogger extraordinaire Eric White of GlassDuffle.com to send him to 6 cities in just 7 days–all by train.

The third video in his exclusive “West Coast Medley” series on YouTube offers some awesome water views between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., and introduces viewers to Ana, a superstar from the Cascades Bistro Car.

Our Cascades service runs between Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver multiple times a day. And according to Eric, the train feels "modern with sleek sliding doors between cars and a nifty geographical map of the region on the ceiling of the dining car."

Want to check it out yourself?

Be sure to book your tix two weeks in advance to enjoy 25% off!

When Michael stepped aboard our Cascades service planning to travel from Portland to Seattle in February 2009, he didn’t know then that the trip would change his life.

It wasn’t the adventure of train travel, but the chance meeting with the woman he would eventually propose to four years later, that made the Amtrak trip so memorable.

“It was a beautiful afternoon,” he recalls. “The sun was streaming in through the windows, and when you ride that train, you go up next to the Puget Sound and you have views of the water and the mountains.”

The scene was set, but it was Michael’s quick thinking that got him and fiancée Tess, a floral designer, seated together. Read More →

We teamed up with travel writer, blogger, vlogger extraordinaire Eric White of GlassDuffle.com to send him to 6 cities in just 7 days--all by train.

He'll be releasing exclusive videos each week detailing his Amtrak travels in a "West Coast Medley" series on YouTube. If you're ready for the ultimate wild ride, here's a teaser to get your engine going!

Head west, young man! Then keep going. In fact, go to the westernmost city in the Amtrak system for National Train Day on May 11.

The station in Eugene, Ore., along our beautiful Amtrak Cascades and Coast Starlight routes, will be hopping. Mayor Kitty Piercy will welcome members of nearby communities for a day of kid-friendly festivities and train equipment displays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sound fun? It is! But you can make it even better by taking the train to the festivities. The Amtrak Cascades runs between Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C., and operates daily service between Eugene and Seattle, via Portland. As a bonus, it's one of the most unique train sets in our system! Check 'em out here.

Even if you're not up for a westward adventure this National Train Day, there are 200 local events expected to happen all over the country. See what your community has planned here!

May 11 will be the sixth annual National Train Day, when folks across the country will be celebrating why trains matter to them, their towns, and their communities. In the mean time, let us know why trains matter to you in the comments section below!

A uniform says a lot about a brand. In the 1980s Air France picked Christian Dior to design its uniforms. Recently cosmetic chain Sephora had its designer duds showcased at FashionWeek, and even the U.S. Postal Service has made an appearance on the fashionista favorite Project Runway.

Amtrak has a long history of tradition behind its uniforms, and its colors and styles even convey different roles and rankings among its 6,000 uniformed employees across the country.

Read More →