A Complete Guide for Traveling by Train in the United States

While not as popular as it was before the era of the family car and domestic air travel, train travel in the United States has rebounded in recent years. In fact, around six billion passenger miles are traveled in any one year by train.

Statistically more reliable than the country’s airlines and substantially more environmentally friendly, traveling by train offers spacious seating and relaxed nature that makes it many people’s number one choice. It’s a particularly good pick for those on vacation, since many trains pass through some of the country’s finest landscapes.

The first purpose-built passenger railroad in the United States began operating as far back as 1827, between Baltimore and the Ohio River. Except for a short period during World War I, railroads were entirely privately operated until 1971 when Amtrak came into the picture. Funded by a mix of federal and state subsidies, it was created to save long-distance and intercity passenger rail transportation.

Train companies in the United States

Amtrak remains responsible for the vast majority of passenger rail services in the United States. It serves over 500 destinations in 46 of the 48 contiguous states, averaging 300 individual services per day. Its area of highest coverage runs along the East Coast. Depending on how you count them, there are at least four transcontinental routes to choose between, usually starting or ending in Chicago.

These are all rail services operated by Amtrak in the United States:

• Acela: Boston–New York–Washington, DC
• Adirondack: Montreal–New York
• Amtrak Cascades: Vancouver–Seattle–Portland–Eugene
• Auto Train: Lorton–Sanford
• Blue Water: Chicago–Port Huron
• California Zephyr: Chicago–Emeryville
• Capitol Corridor: Auburn–Sacramento–Oakland–San Jose
• Capitol Limited: Chicago–Washington, DC
• Cardinal: Chicago–New York
• Carl Sandburg: Chicago–Quincy
• Carolinian: New York–Chicago
• City of New Orleans: Chicago–New Orleans
• Coast Starlight: Seattle–Los Angeles
• Crescent: New York–New Orleans
• Downeaster: Brunswick–Portland–Boston
• Empire Builder: Chicago–Spokane–Portland/Seattle
• Empire Service: New York–Albany–Niagara Falls
• Ethan Allen Express: New York–Rutland
• Heartland Flyer: Oklahoma City–Fort Worth
• Hiawatha: Chicago–Milwaukee
• Illini Service: Chicago–Carbondale
• Illinois Zephyr: Chicago–Quincy
• Keystone Service: New York–Philadelphia–Harrisburg
• Lake Shore Limited: New York/Boston–Albany–Chicago
• Lincoln Service: Chicago–St. Louis
• Maple Leaf: New York–Toronto
• Missouri River Runner: St. Louis–Kansas City
• Northeast Regional: Boston/Springfield–New York–Washington–Norfolk/Newport News/Roanoke
• Pacific Surfliner: San Luis Obispo–Goleta–Los Angeles–San Diego
• Palmetto: New York–Savannah
• Pennsylvanian: New York–Pittsburgh
• Pere Marquette: Chicago–Grand Rapids
• Piedmont: Raleigh–Charlotte
• Saluki: Chicago–Carbondale
• San Joaquins: Oakland/Sacramento–Bakersfield
• Silver Service: New York–Miami
• Southwest Chief: Chicago–Los Angeles
• Sunset Limited: New Orleans–Los Angeles
• Texas Eagle: Chicago–San Antonio
• Valley Flyer: Greenfield–Springfield–New Haven
• Vermonter: St. Albans–Washington, DC

• Wolverine: Chicago–Pontiac

  Several rail services cross the border into Canada, arriving in Montreal on the east side of the country and Vancouver on the west. Some of these services are operated by Canada’s VIA Rail. The Pacific coast of the U.S., Washington State, Oregon and California are all relatively well served by Amtrak trains, as the national route map testifies.

  There are currently no train lines crossing the United States’ southern border into Mexico, with the closest stations being El Paso and Del Rio in Texas. They sit right on the border between the two countries.

  Interestingly, Amtrak owns just 623 miles of track out of the 21,400 miles it uses, paying a small fee to freight companies for use of their infrastructure. By law, however, Amtrak services are given priority over freight trains.

  Other Intercity Rail Services
  Intercity services in Alaska are operated not by Amtrak but by Alaska Railroad, linking destinations including Anchorage, Fairbanks and Denali National Park.

  In south Florida, All Aboard Florida runs Brightline trains between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, with extensions under consideration to reach Orlando International Airport and Tampa via Walt Disney World. It also plans a high-speed line between California’s Victorville and Las Vegas.

  If Texas Central Railway plans go through, the Lone Star state will see Japanese shinkansen ‘bullet’ trains connect Dallas with Houston via the Brazos Valley in 90 minutes. With construction already underway, the scheduled operation date is the first half of 2026.

  Commuter Rail Services
  In the United States, one of the most popular forms of train transportation is the so-called commuter rail. That is a passenger rail transport system that connects a large city with the suburban areas in its vicinity. As the term suggests, commuter rail services are primarily used by professional adults who commute to and from the city for work. For that reason, the schedules for these trains are usually built around the early morning and late afternoon rush hours.

  In general, every major metropolitan area has its own transportation authority that governs and manages the regional commuter rail services. Some commuter rail lines are operated by Amtrak and sponsored by the respective state(s) that they serve. Currently, in the United States, there are 32 commuter rail systems across 27 states:

• A-train: Denton County (Texas)
• Altamont Corridor Express (ACE): San Jose–Tri-Valley–Stockton (California)
• Caltrain: San Francisco–San Jose (California)
• Capital MetroRail: Austin (Texas)
• Capitol Corridor*: Sacramento–San Francisco Bay Area (California)
• Coaster: San Diego–Oceanside (California)
• Downeaster*: Brunswick–Portland–Boston (Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts)
• FrontRunner: Ogden–Salt Lake City–Provo (Utah)
• Hartford Line: New Haven–Hartford–Springfield (Connecticut, Massachusetts)
• Keystone Service*: Harrisburg–Philadelphia–New York City (Pennsylvania, New York)
• Long Island Rail Road: New York City–Long Island (New York)
• MARC Train: Baltimore–Washington, DC (Maryland, West Virginia, District of Columbia)
• MBTA Commuter Rail: Boston–Worcester–Providence (Massachusetts, Rhode Island)
• Metra: Chicago (Illinois, Wisconsin)
• Metrolink: Greater Los Angeles (California)
• Metro-North Railroad: New York City–New Haven–Poughkeepsie (New York, Connecticut)
• NJ Transit Rail Operations: Northern New Jersey–New York City–Philadelphia–Atlantic City (New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania)
• New Mexico Rail Runner Express: Albuquerque–Santa Fe (New Mexico)
• Northstar Line: Minneapolis–Saint Paul (Minnesota)
• Regional Transportation District: Denver (Colorado)
• Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit: Santa Rosa–San Rafael (California)
• South Shore Line: Chicago–South Bend (Illinois, Indiana)
• SEPTA Regional Rail: Greater Philadelphia (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware)
• Shore Line East: New Haven–New London (Connecticut)
• Sounder: Everett–Seattle–Tacoma (Washington)
• SunRail: Greater Orlando (Florida)
• TEXRail: Fort Worth (Texas)
• Trinity Railway Express: Dallas–Fort Worth (Texas)
• Tri-Rail: Miami–South Florida (Florida)
• Virginia Railway Express: Greater Washington, DC (Virginia, District of Columbia)
• WeGo Star: Nashville (Tennessee)

• WES Commuter Rail: Portland (Oregon)

  *These services are operated by Amtrak with a commuter rail focus and sponsored by the respective state(s).