Amtrak Launches Carbon Offset Program For Passengers

Amtrak has launched a program that lets passengers offset the carbon emissions footprint generated by their train travel.

Offsets start at $3, a contribution which offsets 2,500 miles of Amtrak travel, or almost three round trips between Washington and Boston. All contributions are tax deductible and may be made online. Passengers may request that their donation support a specific offset type, such as tree planting, or choose to just make a donation towards the efforts of Carbonfund.org, Amtrak’s offset partner.

“By choosing to travel by rail, Amtrak passengers are already a step ahead because the carbon footprint generated by their trip is smaller than that of most other modes of transportation,” said Roy Deitchman, Vice President, Environmental Health & Safety for Amtrak. “Because it is more energy efficient, traveling by rail contributes less per passenger mile to greenhouse gas emissions than either cars or airplanes. Rail travel also helps to reduce highway congestion in major urban centers.”