Amtrak Prepares for Increased Thanksgiving Travel

Traveling to Bakersfield on Amtrak for Thanksgiving? Book early because it is Amtrak’s busiest week.

Amtrak is preparing to accommodate the surge of Thanksgiving holiday travelers with extra trains and capacity on several routes nationwide, including adding cars on the San Joaquins route that serves Bakersfield. Tickets sell out quickly, so passengers are encouraged to plan ahead and book tickets early.

In addition, San Joaquins passengers will need to make reservations for travel between November 18 and November 26.

"With more than 500 destinations nationwide, Amtrak customers can avoid traffic and enjoy free Wi-Fi on most trains, plenty of leg room and no middle seat as they travel to visit family and friends," said Amtrak President & CEO Richard Anderson.

Amtak’s San Joaquins connect Bakersfield with Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay area, and several Central Valley locations with multiple trains daily. Connecting Amtrak coach service provides links from Bakersfield to southern California, beach communities, Palm Springs and Las Vegas.

Last year, Amtrak had its largest passenger count to date during the Thanksgiving week with more than 777,000 riders on its trains across the country, and its busiest day in history with more than 160,000 customers on the Sunday following Thanksgiving.

Amtrak’s Bakersfield station, the fifth busiest in California, is located at 601 Truxtun Avenue downtown. It is just steps away from Visit Bakersfield where visitors can find free maps, personal assistance and coupons for family-friendly local attractions.

Related Stories