There’s something unquestionably romantic about long-distance train travel. But it can also be productive. At least that’s what the latest crop of writers selected to take part in Amtrak’s so-called Residency Program are hoping.

The 24 writers, chosen from among a pool of about 600 applicants, get a free roundtrip ticket on one of Amtrak’s long-distance routes and a private sleeper car equipped with a bed, desk, and outlets.

Sounds sweet, right? Of course, some critics complainthat the federally-subsidized train service operates many of its long-distance routes at a massive deficit and so has no business giving away free tickets, regardless of how great the publicity is. To them, we say: Bah humbug!

Somerville writer/meditation teacher Susan Piver is one of the writers picked to ride the rails, and she’s excited.

“Trains are the best place to write,’’ says Piver. “I’m not the first person to think that.’’

Piver said she wrote much of her first book, “The Hard Questions: 100 Essential Questions to Ask Before You Say I Do,’’ on a train when she lived in New York and her husband was in Arlington. She plans to use the Amtrak experience to work on her next book, which she said concerns the Four Noble Truths in Buddhism transposed onto relationships and love.

“I might call it the ‘Four Noble Truths of Love,’ but that sounds kind of sappy so maybe that won’t be it,’’ she said.

So where’s Piver headed? She said she’s thinking about taking Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, which runs between Chicago and Los Angeles. The Amtrak website makes it sound majestic: “You’ll be mesmerized by this region’s beauty and allure. We’ll take you across the mighty Mississippi through eight states — past wheat fields and ranches, missions and pueblos, mountains and deserts. Carving through curving canyon passages only a few feet wider than the train itself, you’ll see spectacular landscapes and pristine vistas not visible from Interstate highways. . . . On this century-old railway, you’ll be entertained by cowboys, musicians and a mock early 1900s-style train robbery.’’

Jeez, how’s Piver supposed to get any writing done? She’s clearly not worried about that.

“I think the reason why it’s so effective has to do with the combination of the movement and the solitude and the proximity of other people,’’ she said.