Amtrak City of New Orleans: Schedule, Stops, & Route Guide

The Amtrak City of New Orleans is one of the most beginner-friendly overnight train routes in the country. This train runs daily between Chicago and New Orleans, connecting the Midwest to the Deep South on a schedule that mostly runs at night. Still, it offers some enjoyable daytime views along the way!

For many travelers, the timing enhances the appeal: board in the evening, get settled, and wake up in a completely different part of the country—whether you’re heading north or south.

For first-time Amtrak riders, this route hits a sweet spot:

• Sufficiently long to fully experience an overnight train journey.
• It’s straightforward enough to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
• An authentic alternative for traveling between Chicago and New Orleans.
  • Both the Chicago and New Orleans stations are downtown, so that you can grab pizza or beignets sooner!

Quick Overview

• Route: Chicago, IL → New Orleans, LA
• Distance: 934 miles
• Key Stops: Chicago, Memphis, Jackson, New Orleans
• Accommodations: Coach, roomettes, bedrooms, family room, accessible room
• Food: Café car for all; flexible dining for sleeper passengers

A podcast designed to help you plan your trip to New Orleans

If you’re considering a visit to New Orleans, explore the Beyond Bourbon Street Podcast and website.

The podcast and website offer insider tips for New Orleans and suggestions for activities beyond Bourbon Street. A travel guide is also available!

About Amtrak’s City of New Orleans Route

The City of New Orleans is not the most scenic Amtrak route, but the destinations make it worth the ride.

When traveling south, the views start after Memphis, where, depending on the time of year, the sun begins to rise. The train takes you through various cities, and you can get off the train in Jackson, MS, for a smoke break.

One of my favorite sights, whether traveling north or south, is the Lake Pontchartrain Bridge, the world’s longest bridge. The upper level of the train offers a stunning view, making it feel like it is traveling on water.

When this train began service, the Illinois Central operated it, departing from what is now Millennium Station in Chicago. In the 1970s, Amtrak relocated all its Chicago trains to Union Station, which required them to reverse their routes to access the old Illinois Central (now CN) tracks.

When arriving at or departing from Union Station, please note that it may take 15-20 minutes to reach the station, and this is included in the scheduled arrival or departure time.

In both directions, you mainly see parts of Louisiana and Mississippi; traveling north, you see parts of northern Illinois.

The neatest part of this train is going over the Lake Pontchartrain Bridge! Especially if you are at the top of the train, it can feel like you are on a boat traveling over the water, because that is all you see from both sides.

Route Guide for Amtrak’s City of New Orleans

Over a decade ago, Amtrak produced route guides for many of its trains, and I can retrieve them for you. If you’re interested, you can download them to your device or print them out.

City of New Orleans On-Time Performance

In June 2026, the City of New Orleans reported a Customer On-Time Performance (OTP) of 30.2%, well below the trailing 12-month average of 69.1%. Both figures are still below Amtrak’s minimum standard of 80% for long-distance trains.

In June, passengers who arrived late experienced an average delay of 121 minutes. Over the past 12 months, the average delay for late passengers was 81 minutes.

The City of New Orleans operates along CN’s Illinois Central route between Chicago and New Orleans.

• CN-Illinois Central: Temporary slow orders were the largest host-responsible delay category in June, followed by freight train interference.

In June, the customer’s On-Time Performance (OTP) was noticeably lower than the route’s average over the past 12 months. Passengers are advised to allow extra time when making separate train reservations, catching flights, boarding cruises, picking up rental cars, or planning other time-sensitive activities after their arrival.

These preliminary figures are derived from Amtrak’s June 2026 Host Railroad Report. Customer On-Time Performance (OTP) measures whether passengers arrived at their destination on time, rather than whether the train reached every scheduled station.

Equipment used for the Amtrak City of New Orleans

The Amtrak City of New Orleans operates with Superliner equipment, featuring bi-level cars designed for comfort and great views. Onboard, you’ll find:

• Coach Class: Spacious reclining seats with leg rests and large windows.
• Sleeping Cars: Private accommodations, including Roomettes, Bedrooms, and Family Bedrooms.
• Sightseer Lounge: A scenic lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a stunning view of the landscapes along the route.
  • This car is located between the coach cars and the café car.
• Café Car: Located on the lower level of the Sightseer Lounge, it is open to all passengers; it closes overnight.
  • The café car is situated between the Sleeper Lounge Car and the coach cars.
• Sleeper Lounge: The lounge car is specifically designed for sleeper car passengers. Here, you can pick up your flex dining meals or have them delivered directly to your room. Beverages may be available beyond those included with your meals, but options may be limited. The lounge car is conveniently located next to the sleeper cars, and the Sightseer Lounge is adjacent to it.

You can learn more about each of these cars in this article.

How to Buy Amtrak City of New Orleans Tickets

You can purchase Amtrak tickets through the Amtrak website or Amtrak app, by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL, at staffed Amtrak stations, or from ticket kiosks where available. You can also check with local or online travel agents.

For many travelers, using the Amtrak website or app is the easiest option. The Amtrak app lets you store your eTicket, or you can print the PDF ticket Amtrak emails you. Conductors can also scan your eTicket directly from the email on your phone or another electronic device.

I recommend buying your ticket in advance, especially when traveling on weekends, during holidays, or at other busy times. Some trains, accommodations, and services can sell out quickly. It’s also a good idea to book early if you plan to travel with a bicycle or a pet, or if you want one of the limited premium accommodations on the train.

Coach Class on Amtrak’s City of New Orleans

The Amtrak City of New Orleans coach class features:

• Comfortable reclining seats with ample legroom
• No middle seats!
• A fold-down tray
• Seatback pocket
• Leg and footrests
• Individual reading lights
• 120V grounded (three-prong) electric outlets on the wall under the windows
• Upper and lower seating
• Above-seat luggage storage is available, with shelving on the lower level.
• The bathrooms are on the lower level.

Coach Class Travel Tips from Kev’s Experience

Over my decade of train travel, I have discovered a few things that make the coach-class trip more enjoyable.

I always bring a water bottle, snacks, and extra money for the café car. I’ll explain more about the café later.

An extension cord is essential! While the coach has wall outlets, there’s only one standard double outlet per pair of seats, so you will have to share one with your seatmate. An extension cord lets you plug in multiple devices at once. Additionally, if you have an aisle seat, you can access power without disturbing your seatmate.

A blow-up pillow, another pillow, and a blanket can make sleeping or napping more comfortable. A bulky hoodie can also work if you don’t need it.

Some entertainment helps, too! While the windows can work, I often bring other things, such as puzzle books and magazines, my iPad for movies and shows, and my iPhone for music and podcasts. If you want more Amtrak entertainment ideas, check out that post.

Coach car layout

Sleeper accommodations on Amtrak’s City of New Orleans

All rooms include:

• Complimentary meals
• Lounge access in Chicago and New Orleans
• Dedicated car attendant
• At least one outlet in the room
• A place to hang garments
• Amtrak supplies:
  • Hangers, pillows, fresh linens, blankets, and towels
• Access to showers: Amtrak provides soap.
• Coffee and juice in the morning, with water bottles in your room.
• Seats by day, beds by night.

Amtrak Sleeper Car Tips

Traveling thousands of miles on Amtrak has taught me valuable lessons, and I’d like to share them with you.

Storage in these rooms is limited, so pack lightly and efficiently. If you need more space, storage is on the car’s lower level. 

While Amtrak often provides water bottles and includes meals, I prefer to have backups. Additionally, I enjoy bringing snacks, and money for the café never hurts.

Amtrak provides pillows and blankets, but consider bringing a blow-up pillow for extra comfort. This small addition can make a big difference, especially if you are a side sleeper. You can always check whether they have additional pillows. 

An extension cord is also necessary! Most rooms have only one wall outlet. If you bring one, you will have power where you need it and can charge multiple devices at once. 

Types of rooms offered aboard the City of New Orleans

• Roomette
  • Amtrak’s smallest rooms are excellent for one person and cozy for two.
  • Rooms 1-10 are located on the upper level, while rooms 11-14 are on the lower level.
• Bedroom
  • Twice the size of a roomette, with an in-room restroom and shower.
  • All rooms are on the upper level.
• Family bedroom
  • Provides seating and berths for two adults and two children
  • Each sleeper car has one of these rooms located on the lower level.
• Accessible room
  • Accommodates passengers with mobility issues and their travel companions
  • You will find the accessible bedrooms on the lower level of the train.

Amtrak City of New Orleans sleeper car layout

Transdorms on Amtrak’s City of New Orleans

Another sleeping car you may encounter is the Amtrak Transdorm. These cars serve a few purposes. One is for the crew, and the other is for revenue passengers. This car lets crews enter the baggage car from inside the train rather than climb outside.

Wi-Fi and the City of New Orleans

The City of New Orleans does not have Wi-Fi or entertainment systems. But you can look out the windows. Here are some entertainment ideas for Amtrak passengers.

Amtrak City of New Orleans add-ons

You can add a few things to your next adventure on this train!

Bikes

• Space is available for standard full-size bicycles
  • Up to 50 lbs; 70 inches x 41 inches x 8.5 inches.
  • Amtrak stores bikes in designated bike racks or areas inside the baggage car.
  • For more information, check out Amtrak’s bicycle policy.

Pets and service animals

• Amtrak allows dogs and cats.
  • Up to 20 pounds, including the combined weight of the pet and the carrier
  • For trips of up to seven hours.
  • You must complete the paperwork for your fluffy friend before boarding the train.
    • Get the paperwork and more information from Amtrak’s pet policy page.

If you have a service or comfort animal, you need to check out Amtrak’s service animal policy to see if your critter qualifies and, if they do, what you need to do for them to ride with you.

Luggage on this train

Click the station links below to see if they offer checked baggage service. Your departure and destination stations must provide this service for checked baggage.

• The City of New Orleans also allows checked baggage
  • Each passenger may bring two bags, each weighing up to 50 pounds and measuring up to 75 linear inches, free of charge.
  • Additional and oversized luggage is charged.
  • Not all locations can handle checked baggage.

Each passenger may carry on:

• One personal item, up to 25 pounds (12 kg), and 14 x 11 x 7 inches
• Two carry-on pieces of luggage, 50 lbs. (23 kg) and 28 x 22 x 14 inches each

Charges apply to additional and oversized luggage; see Amtrak’s carry-on bag policy for more information.

Accessibility on Amtrak’s City of New Orleans train

A wheelchair ramp is available to assist passengers with wheeled mobility devices during boarding and disembarkation. The train has lower-level coach seating and accessible bedrooms. If you have a service animal, review Amtrak’s service animal requirements in the “pets” section above.

A look at the City of New Orleans route by the day

This table shows the route, including the first and last stops for each day.

Food on Amtrak’s City of New Orleans

The café is located on the upper level, in the center of the train. Sleeper passengers also get their food from this car.

Café car

• The café features
  • Various hot and cold meals
  • Snacks
  • Hot, cold, and adult beverages
• The café is available for all customers from early morning until late at night.
• It may close during break times.
• This car is between the coach and the sleeping cars in the middle of the train.

You are allowed to bring food and drinks on board the train. However, due to FDA regulations, you cannot eat any food you brought on the train in the café car.

You may eat in your seat, in your room, or in the lounge car. If you are traveling in coach class, you may not drink any alcohol you brought. However, if you have a sleeper room, you may enjoy the alcohol in your room or your travel companion’s room.

Flex dining

• Flex Dining is a complimentary dining option offered to sleeper car passengers.
  • You can eat your meals in your rooms or in the sleeper lounge
  • Meals are prepared off-site and warmed on the train.
  • Selections for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  • Complimentary nonalcoholic beverages.
  • Those of legal age may receive a complimentary adult beverage with dinner.
  • You can purchase additional adult beverages.

The Amtrak City of New Orleans Scheduled Meals:

This table shows the meals you will receive aboard the City of New Orleans, organized by day. If you head south, you will receive dinner before or after departing from Chicago!

Keep Travels with Kev on Track

In 2026, Travels with Kev turns 10 years old — and I appreciate everyone who has ridden along over the years.

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Amtrak’s City of New Orleans schedule

Amtrak.com provides this schedule, and Amtrak reserves the right to alter it at any time. Always refer to the “e-ticket” in your app or log into the website to verify the times before leaving for the station.

The most recent verification of these times occurred on October 13, 2025.

Until September 29, 2026, the train will run two hours earlier than listed due to CN track work.

Abbreviations

Printable Amtrak City of New Orleans Schedule

You can download this PDF and print custom schedules. This article helps you print custom-made Amtrak schedules for your trip or entire routes.

Transferring to other Amtrak long-distance trains.

Some Amtrak adventures may involve connecting to other Amtrak trains; I cover transferring to long-distance trains.

If you have difficulty connecting between the City of New Orleans and other trains, you may need to stay overnight in the area before transferring. If you need to connect with an overnight stay, you may need to book separate one-way or multi-city tickets.

Eastbound Trains

Westbound