AMSTERDAM — At 5:40 p.m. on the last Sunday before Christmas, the Amtrak Maple Leaf train pulled away from the tiny rail station in Amsterdam and rolled eastward 45 minutes behind schedule.

However, the pass is not available to use on Acela trains, the Auto Train, the Maple Leaf line in Canada, or on the Thruway Bus Series 7000-7999. Beyond the USA Rail Pass, Amtrak offers two other ...