Amtrak Means Energy Efficiency

As travelers, we all realize that we need to get from point A to point B, but we'd like be able to get to our destination without ruining the earth. The good news: we can balance our travel needs and also mitigate our impact on the environment when we travel by rail. So leave your car at home, and let Amtrak get you where you need to go.

More than just a convenient way to travel, Amtrak is also energy efficient. Traveling by rail contributes less per passenger mile to greenhouse gas emissions than either cars or airplanes. According to U.S. Department of Energy data, Amtrak is almost 14 percent more efficient than domestic airline travel and 31 percent more efficient than auto travel on a per-passenger-mile basis.

* BTU stands for British Thermal Unit, a standard unit of energy. Figures listed are from 2009 and refer to BTUs used per passenger mile.

Energy Efficiency Data Source: U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory Data on Fuel Efficiency - Transportation Energy Data Book (Edition 30), Table 2.12

In addition, Amtrak is a charter member of the growing Chicago Climate Exchange, the world's first legally-binding integrated greenhouse gas reduction and trading system. When Amtrak joined the Exchange in 2003, it committed to cutting diesel emissions by 6 percent by 2010. This represents the largest percentage of reduction committed to in the United States on a voluntary basis and is the first commitment made by a transportation company.

Sustainability Report - FY22

This is Amtrak’s ninth Sustainability Report, covering environmental, social and governance (ESG) activities during the last year. We produced this report with reference to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) 2023 Standards.

Download the Report

Travel Green

Amtrak is 46 percent more energy efficient than traveling by car and 34 percent more energy efficient than domestic air travel on a per-passenger-mile basis.