Amtrak operates the Empire Builder, a daily long-distance passenger train that runs from Chicago to either Seattle or Portland via two portions west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the Great Northern Railway’s premier passenger train and was preserved by Amtrak when it took over interstate rail services in 1971. The trip takes 45-46 … Read more
The Downeaster is a 145-mile (233-kilometer) passenger train operated by Amtrak and monitored by the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), a Maine state agency. The train, named after Maine’s Down East area, performs five daily round trips from Boston’s North Station to Brunswick, Maine, with 10 intermediate stops. In fiscal 2023, the Downeaster … Read more
Amtrak operates the Coast Starlight, a long-distance passenger train that runs between Seattle and Los Angeles via Portland and the San Francisco Bay Area. The train, which has run continuously since Amtrak’s inception in 1971, was the first to provide direct service between Seattle and Los Angeles. The name is a combination of two previous … Read more
Amtrak operates the Crescent, a daily long-distance passenger train between New York City and New Orleans (“Crescent City”). The 1,377-mile (2,216-kilometer) route connects the Northeast and Gulf Coast via the Appalachian Piedmont, with major stops in Charlotte, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; and Birmingham, Alabama. The majority of the Crescent’s route is on the Norfolk Southern … Read more
The Carolinian is a daily Amtrak passenger train that connects New York City and Charlotte, North Carolina, with stops in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Raleigh, Cary, Durham, and Greensboro. The 704-mile (1,133-kilometer) route is the longest state-supported route in the Amtrak network. Northbound trains depart Charlotte at breakfast and arrive in New York in the … Read more
Amtrak operates the Cardinal, a long-distance passenger train that runs between New York Penn Station and Chicago Union Station via Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Charlottesville, Charleston, Huntington, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis. It is one of three trains that connect the Northeast to Chicago, alongside the Capitol Limited and the Lake Shore Limited. The 1,146-mile (1,844 km) voyage … Read more
The Capitol Limited is an Amtrak train that runs daily between Washington, D.C., and Chicago, covering 764 miles (1,230 kilometers) via Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Service began in 1981 and was named after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad’s Capitol Limited, which stopped operating in 1971 with the advent of Amtrak. It carries Amtrak train numbers 29 … Read more
Amtrak operates the Capitol Corridor, a 168-mile (270-kilometer) passenger rail service in Northern California that connects San Jose in the Bay Area and Auburn in the Sacramento Valley. The route is called for the two sites where most trains travel: San Jose (the initial state capital of California) and Sacramento (the present capital, which houses … Read more
Amtrak operates the California Zephyr, a long-distance passenger train that travels from Chicago to the San Francisco Bay Area (at Emeryville), stopping in Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Reno. At 2,438 miles (3,924 km), it is Amtrak’s longest daily route and second-longest overall after the Texas Eagle’s triweekly continuation from San Antonio to Los … Read more
The Berkshire Flyer is a seasonal Amtrak passenger train service that runs from New York City to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, via the Hudson Valley. Throughout the summer, the weekly train departs Penn Station on Friday afternoons and returns on Sundays. The route’s 2023 season began on May 26 and continued through October 9, marking the second … Read more
