Window Seat

Big rivers by train

31 trains pass named big rivers 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 riversCountDuration
1California ZephyrChicago Union Station to EmeryvilleMississippi River crossing, Missouri River crossing, Gore Canyon and the upper Colorado River, Glenwood Canyon, De Beque Canyon, Ruby Canyon, Suisun Bay and the Carquinez Strait752 h 57 m
2Maple LeafNew York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station to TorontoHudson Highlands, Catskill and the Saugerties Lighthouse, Hudson Valley, Mohawk Valley and the Erie Canal, Niagara Falls and the border crossing512 h 28 m
3VermonterSt. Albans to Washington Union StationConnecticut River at Brattleboro, Pioneer Valley, Connecticut River to Springfield, Delaware River bridges, Susquehanna River512 h 47 m
4CardinalChicago Union Station to New York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn StationOhio River, New River Gorge, Potomac River and the monuments, Susquehanna River427 h 33 m
5CrescentNew York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station to New Orleans Union Passenger TerminalSusquehanna River, Potomac River and the monuments, Coosa River, Tombigbee River432 h 12 m
6Southwest ChiefChicago Union Station to Los AngelesMississippi River at Fort Madison, Missouri River, Rio Grande, Continental Divide, and the red cliffs, Colorado River at Needles443 h 57 m
7Texas EagleChicago Union Station to San AntonioMississippi River at St. Louis, Arkansas River at Little Rock, Red River, Balcones Fault and the Brazos River432 h 36 m
8AdirondackMontreal Central to New York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn StationHudson Valley, Catskill and the Saugerties Lighthouse, Hudson Highlands311 h 5 m
9CarolinianNew York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station to CharlotteDelaware River bridges, Susquehanna River, Potomac River and the monuments315 h 41 m
10Empire ServiceNew York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station to Albany-RensselaerHudson Highlands, Catskill and the Saugerties Lighthouse, Hudson Valley32 h 31 m
11Ethan Allen ExpressBurlington to New York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn StationHudson Valley, Catskill and the Saugerties Lighthouse, Hudson Highlands37 h 2 m
12Lincoln Service Missouri River RunnerKansas City to Chicago Union StationEagle Bluffs Conservation Area, Missouri River bluffs at Jefferson City, Mississippi River, Eads Bridge, and the Gateway Arch311 h 20 m
13Northeast RegionalRoanoke to BostonPotomac River and the monuments, Susquehanna River, Delaware River bridges317 h 42 m
14PalmettoNew York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station to SavannahDelaware River bridges, Susquehanna River, Potomac River and the monuments318 h 19 m
15Silver MeteorNew York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station to MiamiDelaware River bridges, Susquehanna River, Potomac River and the monuments328 h 29 m
16AcelaBoston to Washington Union StationDelaware River bridges, Susquehanna River26 h 59 m
17Amtrak CascadesSeattle to EugeneColumbia River, Columbia and Willamette crossings26 h 38 m
18BorealisChicago Union Station to St. Paul-MinneapolisUpper Mississippi River, Lake Pepin and Red Wing27 h 31 m
19Capitol CorridorAuburn to San JoseAmerican and Sacramento rivers and the Yolo Bypass, Suisun Bay and the Carquinez Strait24 h 26 m
20City of New OrleansNew Orleans Union Passenger Terminal to Chicago Union StationMississippi River at Memphis, Cairo and the Shawnee Hills219 h 30 m
21Coast StarlightSeattle to Los AngelesColumbia River crossing, Carquinez Strait and Suisun Bay235 h 16 m
22Missouri River RunnerSt. Louis to Kansas CityEagle Bluffs Conservation Area, Missouri River bluffs at Jefferson City25 h 40 m
23PennsylvanianPittsburgh to New York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn StationPittsburgh's Golden Triangle, Delaware River at Trenton29 h 33 m
24Sunset LimitedNew Orleans Union Passenger Terminal to Los AngelesHuey P. Long Bridge, Yuma dunes and the Colorado River245 h 35 m
25Valley FlyerGreenfield to New HavenPioneer Valley, Connecticut River to Springfield22 h 55 m
26Amtrak Hartford LineSpringfield to New HavenConnecticut River at Springfield11 h 21 m
27Empire BuilderChicago Union Station to SeattleUpper Mississippi River146 h 24 m
28FloridianMiami to Chicago Union StationPotomac Valley on the B&O line146 h 40 m
29Keystone ServiceHarrisburg to New York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn StationDelaware River at Trenton13 h 33 m
30Lake Shore LimitedChicago Union Station to BostonMohawk Valley and the Erie Canal122 h 2 m
31Lincoln ServiceSt. Louis to Chicago Union StationMississippi River, Eads Bridge, and the Gateway Arch15 h 5 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 stretchesPrairie5 trains, 6 stretchesSnow1 train, 1 stretchNational parks3 trains, 5 stretchesBig cities32 trains, 56 stretchesSmall towns1 train, 1 stretchWine country8 trains, 9 stretchesWildlife8 trains, 13 stretches