Window Seat

Big cities by train

32 trains pass named big cities stretches with a cited source. Ranked by the number of those stretches; the stretch names and the direction and season each is in daylight are on the route pages.

MountainsPacific coastAtlantic coastGulf coastDesert and canyonBig riversPrairieSnowNational parksBig citiesSmall townsWine countryWildlife

45 routes, 520 stations, 44 route pages so far

Ranked by named stretches

RankRouteNamed stretches for big citiesCountDuration
1CarolinianNew York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station to CharlotteHudson River tunnels and the Meadowlands, Schuylkill River, Potomac River and the monuments, Charlotte skyline415 h 41 m
2Northeast RegionalRoanoke to BostonPotomac River and the monuments, Schuylkill River, Hudson River tunnels and the Meadowlands317 h 42 m
3PalmettoNew York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station to SavannahHudson River tunnels and the Meadowlands, Schuylkill River, Potomac River and the monuments318 h 19 m
4PennsylvanianPittsburgh to New York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn StationPittsburgh's Golden Triangle, Schuylkill River, Hudson River tunnels and the Meadowlands39 h 33 m
5Silver MeteorNew York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station to MiamiHudson River tunnels and the Meadowlands, Schuylkill River, Potomac River and the monuments328 h 29 m
6AcelaBoston to Washington Union StationHudson River tunnels and the Meadowlands, Schuylkill River26 h 59 m
7BorealisChicago Union Station to St. Paul-MinneapolisChicago River and the Merchandise Mart, Milwaukee and a glimpse of Lake Michigan27 h 31 m
8Capitol CorridorAuburn to San JoseSan Pablo Bay and the San Francisco skyline, Jack London Square24 h 26 m
9City of New OrleansNew Orleans Union Passenger Terminal to Chicago Union StationLake Pontchartrain and the bayou, Mississippi River at Memphis219 h 30 m
10CrescentNew York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station to New Orleans Union Passenger TerminalPotomac River and the monuments, Lake Pontchartrain trestle232 h 12 m
11Hiawatha ServiceChicago Union Station to MilwaukeeChicago River and the Merchandise Mart, Milwaukee and a glimpse of Lake Michigan21 h 29 m
12Keystone ServiceHarrisburg to New York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn StationSchuylkill River, Hudson River tunnels and the Meadowlands23 h 33 m
13Lincoln ServiceSt. Louis to Chicago Union StationMississippi River, Eads Bridge, and the Gateway Arch, Illinois and Michigan Canal to the Chicago skyline25 h 5 m
14Lincoln Service Missouri River RunnerKansas City to Chicago Union StationMississippi River, Eads Bridge, and the Gateway Arch, Illinois and Michigan Canal to the Chicago skyline211 h 20 m
15Pacific SurflinerLos Angeles to San DiegoLos Angeles River, San Diego22 h 57 m
16Texas EagleChicago Union Station to San AntonioMississippi River at St. Louis, Dallas skyline and the Trinity River232 h 36 m
17VermonterSt. Albans to Washington Union StationHudson River tunnels and the Meadowlands, Schuylkill River212 h 47 m
18WolverineChicago Union Station to PontiacChicago skyline and the Gary furnaces, Detroit River26 h 26 m
19Amtrak CascadesSeattle to EugeneSeattle departure and Boeing Field16 h 38 m
20Amtrak Mardi Gras ServiceMobile to New Orleans Union Passenger TerminalMobile14 h 43 m
21Blue WaterChicago Union Station to Port HuronChicago skyline and the Gary furnaces16 h 31 m
22California ZephyrChicago Union Station to EmeryvilleSan Pablo Bay and San Francisco Bay shore152 h 57 m
23CardinalChicago Union Station to New York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn StationPotomac River and the monuments127 h 33 m
24Carl SandburgChicago Union Station to QuincySouth Branch of the Chicago River14 h 22 m
25Coast StarlightSeattle to Los AngelesCarquinez Strait and Suisun Bay135 h 16 m
26Heartland FlyerOklahoma City to Fort WorthFort Worth14 h 2 m
27IlliniCarbondale to Chicago Union StationCalumet River and the Chicago skyline15 h 30 m
28Illinois ZephyrQuincy to Chicago Union StationSouth Branch of the Chicago River14 h 21 m
29Lake Shore LimitedChicago Union Station to BostonChicago skyline and the Lake Michigan shore122 h 2 m
30PiedmontRaleigh Union Station to CharlotteCharlotte skyline13 h 10 m
31SalukiCarbondale to Chicago Union StationCalumet River and the Chicago skyline15 h 30 m
32Sunset LimitedNew Orleans Union Passenger Terminal to Los AngelesHuey P. Long Bridge145 h 35 m

How this ranking works: a route scores one point for each named stretch tagged with this interest and cited to an operator route guide or a National Park Service description. Routes without three cited stretches have no page and are not ranked. What counts as a named stretch.

Also see

Mountains16 trains, 43 stretchesPacific coast4 trains, 6 stretchesAtlantic coast1 train, 2 stretchesGulf coast3 trains, 5 stretchesDesert and canyon3 trains, 17 stretchesBig rivers31 trains, 83 stretchesPrairie5 trains, 6 stretchesSnow1 train, 1 stretchNational parks3 trains, 5 stretchesSmall towns1 train, 1 stretchWine country8 trains, 9 stretchesWildlife8 trains, 13 stretches