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Rail Passengers Association LAUNCHES NEW PHOTO CONTEST: #ViewsOnATrain

November 9, 2018

This time last year, we announced our rebranding, a move that formally took us from being The National Association of Railroad Passengers to The Rail Passengers Association. Our former name was a mouthful and didn’t succinctly get to the point of who we are, and what we’re about.

Our old logo always had a train in it, even though we’re not a railway. Our new logo is the very window you look out of as a passenger.

We started our #ViewsFromATrain photo contest because we wanted you, the rail passenger, to be a part of our new identity. We’ve been astounded by the quality of the photo submissions that we’ve received! From the ocean views of the Pacific Surfliner, to the mountain snow on the Coast Starlight, to the Chicago skyline on the California Zephyr, you all have wowed us with the views you’ve seen from the train.

The original parameters of the contest required photos to be of something that could be seen through a window. However, we’ve received quite a few submissions that, though they didn’t necessarily adhere to the rules, really inspired us and ultimately led us to the decision to expand the contest.

We are now asking you to submit photos of #ViewsOnATrain. This could be of you preparing for your train journey; of your children admiring the view from a moving train; of the crowd waiting on a platform; or of you standing under the departures board at Grand Central.

Photos can be submitted via Instagram, Facebook or Twitter depicting your experience as “The Rail Passenger”. Rail Passengers Association executives will be judging the photos, and the winners’ images will be used as part of our new visual identity on our website, in our monthly newsletter, on social media, and more!

Grand prize winners will receive of 10,000 Amtrak Guest Rewards® points.

Runner-Up photos will also be awarded, including Rail Passengers gear.

When submitting your photos on social media, be sure to:

  • Use the hashtag #ViewsOnATrain, and
  • Tag @RailPassengers

Though these new images won’t be placed into our window logo, we still want to put your experience at the heart of our new identity and will use these images in other ways.

Feel free to get creative! Here are some tips for a great submission:

  • Use high-resolution, dynamic imagery
  • Tell a story through engaging content
  • Use travel-oriented imagery

We can’t wait to see your submissions!

To close out, we know that some of you may not currently be Rail Passengers Association members, so as an extra incentive for anyone who submits a photo or two for this contest, we’re offering a discounted one-year Rail Passengers Association membership.

Benefits to being a member include:

  • 10% Discount on most Amtrak® Fares;
  • 20% Discount on the Alaska Railroad;
  • 20% Discount on the Grand Canyon Railway;
  • 25% Discount on Avis reservations;
  • Up to 7 Amtrak Guest Rewards® points for every dollar you donate; and
  • Various, ever-changing “MemberDeals” which offer drastic discounts, special offers, and access to preferred seating and tickets to top attractions, theme parks, shows, sporting events, movie tickets, hotels and more.

So what are you waiting for? Jump on a train, take some photos, and send them our way.

** By submitting a photo for this contest you acknowledge that you have read and agree to the rules and regulations which are found on the Rail Passengers Association’s website, here.

Winning images can be found throughout our webpage, as well as on a few postcards we recently sent out. For those who missed them, here are what a few looked like:

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