Amtrak's Southwest Chief

Welcome aboard the Amtrak Southwest Chief!
The Chief is one of Amtrak’s iconic Superliner trains. It offers an unforgettable journey, connecting the vibrant city of Chicago, IL, with the sun-drenched shores of Los Angeles, CA. This route spans 2,265 miles across eight states: Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The Southwest Chief provides a 43.5-hour adventure through America’s heartland and the breathtaking landscapes of the Southwest. With 32 stops, this route is a gateway to exploration and discovery.

Onboard, you’ll find a range of amenities designed for comfort and relaxation. Choose from cozy coach seating or private sleeper accommodations, and savor freshly prepared meals in the traditional dining car. Head to the Sightseer Lounge Car for unparalleled views, where panoramic windows showcase the Midwest’s sweeping plains and the Southwest’s rugged beauty. The lower-level café offers snacks and drinks to refresh you throughout your journey.

Important notes: The Southwest Chief does not offer Wi-Fi, and smoking or vaping is strictly prohibited on the train and at all stations.

This guide serves as your comprehensive resource for confidently planning your trip. I cover everything from accommodations and onboard amenities to the full schedule. Whether you’re a first-time rider or an experienced traveler, you’ll find all the information you need to make your journey on the Southwest Chief memorable.

An overview of the sights you can enjoy while traveling on the Southwest Chief

From start to finish, you can travel on the Southwest Chief for three days and two nights, passing through eight states. Most of this route follows tracks owned by Burlington Northern Santa Fe, aka BNSF.

The scenery includes fields, ranches, missions, pueblos, mountains, deserts, the Painted Desert, and the Red Cliffs of Sedona. You will journey through winding canyon passages only a few feet wider than the train!

As most of the route remains unchanged, you’ll experience some of the same views passengers enjoyed during the old Santa Fe Super Chief route.

The map can provide details about the areas you will see during the day and the locations you will pass through at night based on your direction.

The Amtrak Southwest Chief’s On-Time Performance

No one likes delays, but they happen, and not all are Amtrak’s fault. Amtrak uses tracks owned by freight and passenger railroads, and these railroads cause delays.

• The Southwest Chief’s on-time average performance per passenger is:
  • For March 2025, 32.4% had an average delay of 138 minutes.
  • The yearly average from March 2024 to 2025 is 34.9%, with an average delay of 130 minutes.

This section contains information from the Amtrak Host Railroad Report for March 2025. You can view the on-time performance of other Amtrak long-distance trains.

Here are the host railroads for the Southwest Chief:

• BNSF – 2205 miles
• NMDOT – 60 miles

Equipment used on the Southwest Chief

The Southwest Chief uses Superliner equipment (bi-level cars) for comfort and excellent views.

This train has:

• Coach Class Cars – Spacious reclining seats with leg rests and large windows.
• Sleeping Cars – Private accommodations, including Roomettes, Bedrooms, and Family Bedrooms
• Sightseer Lounge & Café Car—This scenic lounge features floor-to-ceiling windows, perfect for enjoying the stunning landscapes along the route. The lower level includes a café offering snacks and drinks.
• Dining Car – This car serves freshly prepared meals with communal seating for passengers on the train.

You can find more information about these cars later in this article.

Coach Class Seating on the Southwest Chief

The Southwest Chief coach seating offers:

• Comfortable reclining seats
• Foot and leg rest
• Ample legroom
• Fold-down tray
• Individual reading lights
• 120V ground (USA three-prong) electric outlets on the wall.
• Showers are not available for coach passengers.
• Those traveling overnight should bring a pillow and blanket.
• Most coach cars offer upper and lower seating
• The restrooms are on the lower level.

The Southwest Chief coach car layout

Sleeper Car (Rooms)

All rooms include:

• Fresh linens and towels
• Traditional Dining
• Lounge access in Chicago and Los Angeles
• Dedicated car attendant
• Curtains are on both sides to block out light and provide privacy.
• There is a table in the room between the chairs
• There are room lights, plus reading and night lights.

The room types are available on the Southwest Chief.

• Roomette
• Bedroom
• Family bedroom
• Accessible room

Southwest Chief Sleeper Car Layout

Luggage on the Southwest Chief.

Avoid surprises on your travel day by knowing what you can and cannot take aboard the Southwest Chief.

Accessibility on the Southwest Chief

You can enjoy this train in a few ways for those with mobility issues. When boarding or exiting the train, there is a wheelchair ramp onboard that staff can pull out as needed.

Regarding accommodations, coach class has lower-level seating, or you can book the accessible bedroom.

If you have mobility or other issues requiring assistance, please let Amtrak know when booking. There is a box to check on Amtrak.com and in the app, or you can call Amtrak.

There are several unstaffed stations along this route with no station staff to help, but these are often small. Some agents can help you to the best of their ability at staffed stations.

If you need a service or comfort animal, read Amtrak’s service animal policy before booking to ensure your animal qualifies and to see if additional reservations are required.

Southwest Chief Add-ons

You can add a few paid services to your trip aboard this train; make sure

Wi-Fi on the Southwest Chief

This train does not have Wi-Fi, and cell service will be intermittent along the route, so plan accordingly.

Amtrak does not have at-seat entertainment, but you can do a few things for entertainment on Amtrak.

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A Breakdown of the Southwest Chief Schedule by Day.

This section outlines the daily breakdown of the journey, including the first and last stops for each day.

Train	1st Day	2nd Day	3rd Day
#3 Westbound	Chicago, IL to Lawrence, KS	Topeka, KS to Kingman, AZ	Needles, CA to Los Angeles, CA
#4 Eastbound	Los Angeles, CA to Barstow, CA	Needles, CA to Garden City, KS	Dodge City, KS to Chicago, IL

Food Offerings on the Southwest Chief

The Southwest Chief has two food cars: a cafe and a dining car.

The Cafe Car

The café is located on the lower level of the Sightseer Lounge and is open to all passengers. It closes at night and during the attendant’s break, and announcements inform passengers of operating hours.

The Sightseer Lounge—the car with the large panoramic windows—is typically located near the center of the train, between the coach and dining cars.

The café offers a variety of snacks, hot and cold meals, and a selection of beverages, including alcoholic drinks. Both cash and cards are accepted.

The Dining Car

Traditional dining consists of chef-prepared meals with table service, options for kids, and a wide array of wine, beer, and spirits. Sleeping passengers can ask the sleeper car attendant to bring their meals to their rooms or make reservations in the dining car.

Meals are complimentary for customers with sleeping accommodations or at set prices for coach passengers. Amtrak can limit seating for coach passengers based on availability.

The Southwest Chief’s Scheduled Meals

For both legs of your journey, dinner will be your first meal aboard this train. Please refer to the table below for the dinner options in the Southwest Chief dining car.

Train	1st Day	2nd Day	3rd Day
#3 Westbound	Dinner	Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner	Breakfast & Lunch
#4 Eastbound	Dinner	Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner	Breakfast

Join the Travels with Kev Community!

🚂 Sign up for my newsletter and receive a free Quick Reference Guide to Amtrak Long-Distance Trains! Get details on train equipment, dining options, and more—in one handy, free guide. Enjoy the latest travel tips, Amtrak insights, and exclusive content delivered to your inbox.

💌 Support my work and help keep Travels with Kev on track! Join my Patreon at $5 or more to receive a limited-edition postcard featuring photos from my travels, or check out my Support Page for other ways to contribute, including my wishlist and one-time donations. Every bit of support keeps the journey going!

If you want to check me out on social media, the links are further down!

Don’t miss out—join the adventure today!

Amtrak Southwest Chief Schedule (Timetable)

The information below comes from Amtrak.com, but remember that it can change anytime.

Abbreviations

R = Receive passengers only; this means you can board the train, but you cannot buy a ticket on this train to this station.

D = Depart only; you can buy a ticket to this station, but not from this station.

C = Stations with Amtrak Connecting Services.

Printable Amtrak Southwest Chief Schedule

If interested, you can print routes and custom schedules from Amtrak.com. For instructions, see this post on printing Amtrak schedules.

The following printable schedule is for the Eastbound #4 train from Los Angeles, CA, to Winslow, AZ. I will update the PDF as soon as Amtrak does. Last checked in March 2025.

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