CO, Amtrak Sign First Domestic Air-Rail Codeshare

Continental Airlines and Amtrak in mid-March will launch the first major codeshare agreement in the United States linking a rail carrier with a domestic airline. Continental will place its code on Amtrak's Acela Regional and Keystone trains, connecting its Newark International Airport hub to New Haven, Conn., Philadelphia, Stamford, Conn., and Wilmington, Del.

The airport's new rail terminal will facilitate connections as Continental draws more travelers into his hub and potentially away from US Airways's Philadelphia stronghold. Amtrak currently operates 17 daily trains between Philadelphia and Newark. Amtrak and Continental also agreed to link frequent traveler programs.

Air-rail codeshares already exist outside of the United States, particularly in Europe where rail travel is not only cheaper, but also more suited to the close geographical proximity of major cities.

Amtrak last year signed Icelandair as its first airline codeshare partner cooperating at Baltimore/Washington International Airport.