Amtrak Information
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation which operated under the banner of Amtrak in the USA, is a railroad service that is publicly funded, operated and managed for the sole purpose of generating profits. Founded in 1971, Amtrak provides connection to more than 500 destinations, scattered across 46 states. According to the reports of 2015, Amtrak served nearly 31 million passengers and generated a revenue in excess of $2 billion. It is headquartered at the Union Station in the city of Washington.
Amtrak Train Schedule
The Amtrak is a vast network with approximately 300 trains running everyday across the 34,000 kilometer long stretch of rail lines. In such a vast network, listing out the schedule of each train is not possible. However, if you need information with regard to the train schedules to specific areas, you can check it out on this website: https://www.amtrak.com/train-schedules-timetables
Amtrak Fares, Tickets and Tips
Amtrak has various kinds of fares, which are put into three categories namely: Saver, Value and Flexible. However, one must keep a few things in mind with reference to the fares. The early one reserves one’s ticket, the cheaper it will be. Reservations start 11 months prior to the date of travelling. Fares vary seasonally. During holiday and peak seasons, they cost higher. One more thing to keep in mind if one is going towards the northeast is that, the fares for such places vary according to not only the particular day but also the time of the day.
Now we will get to know a little bit more about the three categories of fares:
● Saver: The cheapest tickets available, the price of which being they are non-refundable. But not everything is lost, one can store the value of the ticket as credit in an eVoucher which can be used for future travels on the Amtrak.
● Value: These tickets are slightly more flexible in comparison to the tickets of the Saver category. If cancelled 24 hours prior to the departure of the train from the place of origin, one is entitled to a full refund. However, if the cancellation is made within 24 hours of the departure of the train, a 10% fee will be deducted. Just like Saver tickets, the value of them can also be stored in eVouchers, if cancelled.
● Flexible: The holders of these tickets enjoy the privilege of options. They are entitled to 100% refund in case of cancellation and can also store the value in an eVoucher for future use.
For more information on fares and tickets, you can visit: https://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=Page&pagename=am%2FLayout&cid=1237437856314
Amtrak Map
Map of Amtrak showing its lines and stations. Click on the map to enlarge it.
Amtrak Services and Routes
| Routes | Major Cities Served | Regions |
| Acela Express – see Northeast Corridor timetables. | Boston – New York – Philadelphia – Washington, DC | Northeast |
| Adirondack | Montreal – Albany – New York | Northeast |
| Amtrak Cascades | Vancouver, BC – Seattle – Tacoma – Portland – Salem – Eugene | Northwest |
| Auto Train | Lorton, VA (Washington, DC) – Sanford, FL (Orlando) | Northeast |
| South | ||
| California Zephyr | Chicago – Denver – Salt Lake City – Emeryville / San Francisco | West |
| Midwest | ||
| California | ||
| Capitol Corridor | San Francisco – San Jose / Oakland – Sacramento / Auburn / Reno | California |
| Capitol Limited | Washington, DC – Pittsburgh – Cleveland – Chicago | Midwest |
| Northeast | ||
| Cardinal & Hoosier State | Chicago – Indianapolis – New York | Midwest |
| Northeast | ||
| Carolinian/Piedmont | New York – Raleigh – Charlotte | Northeast |
| South | ||
| City of New Orleans | Chicago – Memphis – Jackson – New Orleans | Midwest |
| South | ||
| Coast Starlight | Seattle – Portland – Los Angeles | West |
| Northwest | ||
| California | ||
| Crescent | New York – Washington – Atlanta – New Orleans | Northeast |
| South | ||
| Downeaster | Brunswick – Portland – Boston | Northeast |
| Empire Builder | Chicago – Milwaukee – St. Paul / Minneapolis – Portland / Seattle | West |
| Midwest | ||
| Northwest | ||
| Empire Service | New York – Albany – Buffalo – Toronto | Northeast |
| Ethan Allen Express | Rutland – Albany – New York | Northeast |
| Heartland Flyer | Oklahoma City – Fort Worth | West |
| Hiawatha | Milwaukee – Chicago | Midwest |
| Illinois / Missouri Services | Chicago – Quincy / Omaha, Carbondale, St. Louis / Kansas City | Midwest |
| Keystone Service | Harrisburg – Philadelphia – New York | Northeast |
| Lake Shore Limited | Chicago – Cleveland – Buffalo – Boston / New York | Midwest |
| Northeast | ||
| Maple Leaf | New York – Buffalo – Toronto | Northeast |
| Michigan Services | Chicago – Detroit – Pontiac / Chicago – Grand Rapids | Midwest |
| Northeast Corridor 1 | New York – Philadelphia – Baltimore – Washington | Northeast |
| South | ||
| Northeast Corridor 2 | Boston / Springfield – New Haven – New York – Philadelphia – Washington | Northeast |
| South | ||
| Northeast Corridor 3 | Boston – New York – Washington, DC – Charlottesville – Lynchburg – Richmond – Newport News – Virginia Beach – Norfolk | Northeast |
| South | ||
| Northeast Regional – see Northeast Corridor timetables. | Boston – Springfield / Providence – New York – Washington, DC – Richmond – Lynchburg – Newport News / Virginia Beach – Norfolk | Northeast |
| South | ||
| Pacific Surfliner | San Luis Obispo – Santa Barbara – Los Angeles – San Diego | California |
| Pennsylvanian | New York – Philadelphia – Pittsburgh | Northeast |
| San Joaquin | San Francisco – San Joaquin Valley – Fresno – Bakersfield | California |
| Silver Service / Palmetto | New York – Washington, DC – Charleston – Savannah – Jacksonville – Orlando – Tampa / Miami | Northeast |
| South | ||
| Southwest Chief | Chicago – Kansas City – Albuquerque – Los Angeles | West |
| Midwest | ||
| California | ||
| Sunset Limited | New Orleans – San Antonio – Los Angeles | West |
| South | ||
| California | ||
| Texas Eagle | Chicago – Dallas – San Antonio – El Paso – Tucson – Los Angeles | West |
| Midwest | ||
| South | ||
| California | ||
| Vermonter | St. Albans – Springfield – New York – Washington | Northeast |