This page lists Amtrak’s current Long-Distance train schedules and breaks down what cities the train services each day. With Amtrak’s service reduction, it can be harder to plan a trip, so this page helps sort out when you can catch the train from where you are starting. This page will update as things change, daily downloadable schedules coming soon.
Amtrak train is returning to seven days a week service; click here for more info. The Cardinal and the Sunset Limited will remain their three days a week service as they did before the pandemic.
These reductions affected all long-distance trains except the Auto Train and the daily Silver Service between New York and Miami. Two Silver Service trains (Silver Star and Silver Meteor) alternate running to maintained daily service between New York and Miami (but for some intermediate stations in the Carolinas). Like the rest of the transportation industry dealing with COVID=19, Amtrak has taken a massive hit during the Covid-19 pandemic.
At this time, Amtrak.com is more helpful than the app for booking your next adventure if you are unsure what days the long-distance trains are running. The website will try to direct you to the next day of service, whereas the app does not assist with those issues (as of the publishing date).
Downloadable schedules are current as of publishing this article; Amtrak could change their schedules at any time. Downloadable timetables are under each table. These timetables/schedules are in a printable format.
Planning: Using Amtrak’s Long-Distance Train Schedules
To make it easier for you to plan, I came up with tables for each train; if you are not familiar with how the Amtrak system works, this could be handy for you.
Here is how to use this page on Amtrak’s Long-Distance Train Schedules
Find the trains you want; the California Zephyr is an excellent example because I often use that train. If I want to take the Zephry west out of Chicago to Omaha, NE, I see that my only options are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but what if you are leaving from Grand Junction, CO? I can look at the chart to see that stations between Lincoln, NE, and Salt Lake City, UT, now have service on Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Sundays.
Amtrak’s Long-Distance Train Schedules: Routes and Days of Operations
Auto Train #52/#53 Schedule is staying the same
Service between Sanford, FL and Lorton, VA. There is no change to the frequency of this train.
| Direction | City Sections | Days of Operation |
|---|---|---|
| #52 Northbound | Sanford, FL – Lorton, VA | Daily |
| #53 Southbound | Lorton, VA – Sanford, FL | Daily |
California Zephyr #5/#6 Daily service returns May 24, 2021
Service between Chicago, IL, and Emeryville, CA, with connecting bus service to San Francisco, CA.
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #5 Westbound | Chicago- Omaha, NE | Monday | Wednesday | Saturday |
| Lincoln, NE – Salt Lake City, UT | Tuesday | Thuresay | Sunday | |
| Elko NV – Emeryville | Wednesday | Friday | Monday | |
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
| #6 Eastbound | Emeryville, CA – Elko, NV | Tuesday | Thursday | Saturday |
| Salt Lake City, UT – McCook, NE | Wednesday | Friday | Sunday | |
| Holdrege, NE – Chicago, IL | Thursday | Saturday | Monday |
Cardinal #50/#51 This train maintains its pre-pandemic three day a week service
Service between Chicago and New York Penn, NY. The Cardinal has been three day a week service before these changes.
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #50 Westbound | Chicago, IL – Indianapolis, IN | Tuesday | Thursday | Saturday |
| Connersville, IN – New York, NY | Wednesday | Friday | Sunday | |
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
| #51 Eastbound | New York, NY – Maysville, KY | Sunday | Wednesday | Friday |
| Cincinnati, OH – Chicago, IL | Monday | Thursday | Saturday |
Capitol Limited #29/#30 Daily service returns on May 31, 2021
Service between Chicago, IL and Washington D.C.
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #29 Westbound | Washington, D.C. – Pittsburg, PA | Wednesday | Friday | Sunday |
| Alliance, OH – Chicago, IL | Thursday | Saturday | Monday | |
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
| #30 Eastbound | Chicago, IL – Toledo, OH | Monday | Thursday | Saturday |
| Alliance, OH – Washington D.C. | Tuesday | Friday | Sunday |
City of New Orleans #58/#59 Daily service returns on May 31, 2021
Service between Chicago, IL and New Orleans, LA.
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #58 Northbound | New Orleans, LA- Memphis, TN | Wednesday | Friday | Sunday |
| Newbern-Dyersburg, TN – Chicago, IL | Thursday | Saturday | Monday | |
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
| #59 Southbound | Chicago, IL – Effingham, IL | Monday | Thursday | Saturday |
| Centralia, IL – New Orleans, LA | Tuesday | Friday | Sunday |
Coast Starlight #11/#14 Daily service returns on May 24, 2021
Service between Los Angeles, CA, and Seattle, WA.
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #11 Southbound | Seattle, WA – Klamath Falls, OR | Monday | Wednesday | Saturday |
| Dunsmuir, CA – Los Angeles, CA | Tuesday | Thursday | Sunday | |
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
| #14 Northbound | Los Angeles, CA – Sacramento, CA | Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
| Chico, CA – Seattle, WA | Tuesday | Thursday | Saturday |
Crescent #19/#20 Daily service returns on June 7, 2021
Service between New Orleans, LA and New York, NY.
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #19 Southbound | New York, NY – Danville, VA | Tuesday | Friday | Sunday |
| Greensboro, NC – New Orleans, LA | Wednesday | Saturday | Monday | |
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
| #20 Northbound | New Orleans, LA – Spartanburg, SC | Tuesday | Thursday | Sunday |
| Gastonia, NC – New York, NY | Wednesday | Friday | Monday |
Empire Builder #7/#8/#27/#28 Daily service returns on May 24, 2021
Service between Chicago , IL, and Seattle, WA/Portland, OR,
This train runs as one train between Chicago and Spokane, #7/#27, going west and #8/#28 going east. In Spokane, this train spits with #7 going to Seattle and #27 going to Portland. Trains #8 leaves Seattle, and #28 leaves Portland and then joins together in Spokane as train #8/#28 to Chicago.
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #7/#27 Westbound | Chicago, IL – St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN | Monday | Thursday | Saturday |
| St, Cloud, MN – Sandpoint, ID | Tuesday | Friday | Sunday | |
| #7 Westbound | Spokane, WA – Seattle, WA | Wednesday | Saturday | Monday |
| #27 Westbound | Spokane, WA -Portland, OR | Wednesday | Saturday | Monday |
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
| #8 Eastbound | Seattle, WA – Ephrata, WA | Tuesday | Thursday | Saturday |
| #28 Eastbound | Portland, OR – Pasco, WA | Tuesday | Thursday | Saturday |
| #8/#28 Eastbound | Spokane, WA – Devils Lake, ND | Wednesday | Friday | Sunday |
| Grand Forks, ND – Chicago, IL | Thursday | Saturday | Monday |
Lake Shore Limited #48/#49/#448/#449 Daily service returns on May 31, 2021
Service between Chicago, IL, and Boston, MA/New York, NY.
This train runs as one train between Chicago and Albany-Rensselaer, NY, #49/#449, going east and #48/#448 going west. In Albany-Rensselaer, NY, this train spits with #48 going to New York and #448 going to Boston. Trains #49 leaves New York, and #449 leaves Boston and then joins together in Albany-Rensselaer, NY as train #49/#449 to Chicago.
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #48/#448 Eastbound | Chicago, IL – South Bend, IN | Monday | Thursday | Saturday |
| #48 Eastbound | Elkhart, IN – New York, NY | Tuesday | Friday | Sunday |
| #448 Eastbound | Elkhart, IN – Boston, MA | Tuesday | Friday | Sunday |
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
| #49 Westbound | New York, NY – Rochester, NY | Wednesday | Friday | Sunday |
| #449 Westbound | Boston, MA – Rochester, NY | Wednesday | Friday | Sunday |
| #49/#449 Westbound | Buffalo-Depew, NY – Chicago, IL | Thursday | Saturday | Monday |
Palmetto #89/#90 Daily service returns on June 7, 2021
Service between New York, NY, and Savanna, GA. The Palmetto is the only non-overnight long-distance train, so no sleepers or Flex/Traditional dining car.
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #89 Southbound | New York, NY – Savanna, GA | Monday | Thursday | Saturday |
| #90 Northbound | Savanna, GA – New York, NY | Wednesday | Friday | Sunday |
Silver Service Runs 7 Day Service With Amtrak’s Service Reductions
Amtrak’s Silver Service contains the Silver Meteor and Silver Star and runs between New York, NY, and Miami, FL. Even with Amtrak’s service reductions, these two trains offer daily service between those two cities. The other option is the daily Auto Train, although you need to bring your car to ride the Auto Train.
These routes are the same for the most part, but for a section between Rocky Mount, NC, and Savannah, GA, where the trains travel their regular route. The Silver Meteor parallels the coast, and the Star jogs inward for awhile. Click the button below to see the full network map.
Silver Meteor #97/#98 Daily service returns on June 7, 2021
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run | 4th Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #97 Southbound | New York, NY – Rocky Mount, NC | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday |
| Fayetteville, NC – Miami, FL | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| Directions | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run | 4th Run |
| #98 Northbound | Miami, FL – Florence, NC (Myrtle Beach) | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday |
| Fayetteville, NC – New York, NY | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday |
Silver Star #91/#92 Daily service returns on June 7, 2021
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #91 Southbound | New York, NY – Hamlet, NC | Sunday | Friday | Saturday |
| Camden, SC – Miami, FL | Monday | Saturday | Monday | |
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
| # 92 Northbound | Miami, FL – Jacksonville, FL | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| Savana, GA – New York, NY | Friday | Saturday | Monday |
Southwest Chief #3/#4 Daily service returns on May 31, 2021
Service between Chicago, IL, and Los Angeles, CA.
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #3 Westbound | Chicago, IL – Lawrence, KS | Monday | Thursday | Saturday |
| Topeka, KS – Kingman, AZ | Tuesday | Friday | Sunday | |
| Needles, CA – Los Angeles, CA | Wednesday | Saturday | Monday | |
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
| #4 Eastbound | Los Angeles, CA – Barstow, CA | Tuesday | Thursday | Saturday |
| Needles, CA – Garden City, KS | Wednesday | Friday | Sunday | |
| Dodge City, KS – Chicago, IL | Thursday | Saturday | Monday |
Sunset Limited #1/#2 This train maintains its pre-pandemic three days a week schedule
Service between New Orleans, LA, and Los Angeles, CA. The Sunset Limited ran three days a week before the pandemic.
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Westbound | New Orleans, LA – Houston, TX | Monday | Wednesday | Saturday |
| San Antonio, TX, – Yuma, AZ | Tuesday | Thursday | Sunday | |
| Palm Springs, AZ – Los Angeles, CA | Wednesday | Friday | Monday | |
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
| #2 Eastbound | Los Angeles, CA – Ontario, CA | Sunday | Wednesday | Friday |
| Palm Springs, CA -Sander, TX | Monday | Thursday | Saturday | |
| Del Rio, TX – New Orleans, LA | Tuesday | Friday | Sunday |
Texas Eagle #21/#22/#421/#422 Daily service returns on May 24, 2021 for trains #21 & #22
Service between Chicago, IL, and San Antonio, TX/Los Angeles, CA. A sleeper and coach car from 21/22 are added to the Sunset Limited in San Antonio as train 421/422.
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #21/ #421 Southbound | Chicago, IL – Poplar Bluff, MO | Tuesday | Friday | Sunday |
| Walnut Ridge, AR – San Antonio, TX | Wednesday | Saturday | Monday | |
| #421 Westbound Splits from #21 | San Antonio, TX – Yuma, AZ | Thursday | Sunday | Tuesday |
| Palm Springs, CA – Los Angeles, CA | Friday | Monday | Wednesday | |
| Direction | City Sections | 1st Run | 2nd Run | 3rd Run |
| #422 Eastbound | Los Angeles, CA – Ontario, CA | Sunday | Wednesday | Friday |
| Palm Springs, CA – Sanderson, TX | Monday | Thursday | Saturday | |
| Del Rio, TX – San Antonio, TX | Tuesday | Friday | Sunday | |
| #22 combines with #422 | San Antonio, TX – Little Rock, AR | Tuesday | Friday | Sunday |
| Walnut Ridge, AR – Chicago, IL | Wednesday, | Saturday | Monday |
I Hope This Helps You Figure Out Amtrak’s Long-Distance Train Schedules
I hope these Amtrak’s Long-Distance Train Schedules will help you plan your next Amtrak adventure. While traveling on the rails may be challenging right now, it is not impossible. During these times, thinking intermodality will help you.
Booking from Florida to Chicago could be tricky and reduced to one possible day for you to leave, but getting there is less challenging.
