Amtrak provides eligible active and retired UTU/SMART TD members with passes which can be used to get free or reduced-rate travel aboard the passenger railroad.
UTU/SMART TD membership alone does not make the employee or retiree eligible for these travel privileges, and many restrictions apply.
To get an Amtrak pass, the employee or retiree must fill out an application form (referred to “NRPC Form 90”) that is supplied by his or her home railroad. When the form is completed, it should be returned to the railroad. The railroad then certifies the information supplied by the employee or retiree and forwards the application to Amtrak, which reviews the information and, if the member or retiree is eligible, issues an Amtrak Rail Travel Privilege Card.
Level of privileges is determined by employment dates and rail affiliation.
Questions regarding eligibility for passes should be directed to the member’s or retiree’s home railroad, not the UTU/SMART TD or Amtrak’s Travel Service Office.
Passes have no expiration date, and are good for the duration of the employee’s rail career. Upon retiring, however, the member should apply for a retirees’ pass by completing a new Form 90.
Also note that pink-colored Rail Travel Privilege Cards have no expiration date.
Update: July 1, 2015
Effective July 1, 2015, Amtrak will no longer provide pass privileges to Union Pacific Railroad (freight railroad) pass riders hired between May 1, 1971, and April 27, 1981. UP employees can read more details about pass eligibility by clicking on the link below.
Click here to read more from Union Pacific.
Please note that each carrier has their own rules specific to them and members should contact their employer for Amtrak Pass eligibility requirements.
Info for retirees from BNSF and its predecessor railroads:
Retirees wishing to apply for an Amtrak privileges should call 817-352-4983 to request an application by mail, then complete the application, and mail it to the address provided.
Upon approval, Amtrak will send the travel card to the address provided within four to six weeks.
Other questions? Please call 800-USA-RAIL (800-872-7245).
Additional details about pass eligibility for retirees of BNSF and its predecessor railroads is available on the BNSF website.