Google Flights has started showing “trains to consider” alongside flights in a new partnership with Amtrak.
First announced earlier this year, Google Flights is offering train routes as an alternative to airlines. This functionality allows customers to find a more sustainable transportation option as well as perhaps finding something less expensive or closer to their destination.
In the US, this option surfaces routes and pricing directly provided by Amtrak, as the rail service announced recently.
Amtrak and Google have joined forces to help travelers choose more sustainable transportation options when searching for intercity travel. Thanks to a newly launched, direct data integration, travelers using Google can now view the most up-to-date Amtrak departure times, trip durations and fares directly on the Google Search results page. Amtrak’s new integration with Google also means that once customers select a train, they can click through to Amtrak.com to complete the booking for their chosen itinerary without needing to re-enter their trip details.
Amtrak says that choosing a train route over a flight can cut a customer’s carbon footprint by up to 72%.
Of course, train routes in the US often take considerably longer than flights, but this new option should make it far easier to make the comparison.
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