Amtrak, which is also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, was established in 1971 to provide a passenger rail service between cities in the United States.
This article explores the history and evolution of the Amtrak logo over the years.
The Genesis of the Amtrak Logo (1971 – 2000)
Lippincott & Margulies, the New York firm behind the original identity, gave Amtrak an arrow — or more precisely, a red arrowhead flanked by two blue boomerang shapes. It picked up a few nicknames over the years: “The Arrow,” “the Chevron,” “the Motion-mark.” The wordmark sat to its left in title case, black, straightforward.
The red, white, and blue was an obvious choice for a federally backed railroad trying to sell Americans on rail again. The arrow did the rest — speed, direction, forward momentum.
(2000 – Present)
The 2000 rebrand, handled by OH & Co., dropped the arrow entirely. In its place, three abstract stripes — tapering as they curve toward the horizon, suggesting rails receding into the distance. “AMTRAK” sits above in all-caps sans-serif.
The Elements of the Amtrak Logo
Font
The original Arrow logo utilised a customised version of the Helvetica typeface, which is known for its clean and minimalist sans serif design. In the current iteration, a broader sans serif typeface in capital letters is used.
Colour
The Arrow logo incorporated a colour scheme of red, blue, and white alongside black. This has been inspired by the colours of the United States flag, though the specific shades differed. In contrast, the contemporary version appeared in either dark blue or black against a white background.