Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited

The Lake Shore Limited is a daily Viewliner long-distance train connecting Chicago with the East Coast. Unique among Amtrak routes, this train has two endpoints: New York City and Boston. To accommodate these destinations, it splits or merges in Albany, NY. (Explore this train’s intermediate stops to find the best options for your journey.)

Covering 959 miles between Chicago and New York and 1,018 miles between Chicago and Boston, the trip takes approximately 20 and 22 hours, respectively. However, you don’t have to travel from one end to the other—choose the stops that best suit your travel plans!

This post covers everything you need to know about Lake Shore Limited, including its schedule, accommodations, onboard services, and tips for choosing the best route and stops for your journey. Whether you’re planning a cross-country trip or a shorter ride, you’re in the right place!

Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited On-time Performance

While Amtrak wants to run trains on time, sometimes things happen outside its control. For most of this route, Amtrak uses tracks owned by freight railroads called host railroads. Amtrak is responsible for some delays, such as mechanical ones, but not for what happens once the trains leave the original station.

• The average on-time performance per passenger for the Lake Shore Limited
  • For February 2025, the average on-time performance per passenger was 66.3%, with an average delay of 72 minutes.
  • February 2024 to 2025: 74.3% on time, with an average delay of 60 minutes.

Late trains can make up some time.

The information in this section comes from the February 2025 Amtrak Host Railroad report.

The Host Railroad And Causes of Delays

The host railroads listed are those of 15 miles or more.

• CSX
• NS
• MNRR
• Amtrak and smaller railroads

Common causes of delays

• Freight train interference
• Routing delays
• Commuter and other passenger train interference

Coach Seating on the Amtrak Shore Limited

Here is what Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited provides for coach passengers:

• Comfortable reclining seats
• Ample legroom
• Fold-down tray
• Individual reading lights
• Foot and leg-rests
• 120v grounded (three-prong) electric outlets.
  • The outlet is on the wall; extension cords help.
• There are two bathrooms per car.
• There is overhead storage for your things, or you can put them on the luggage shelf at the end of the car.

Amtrak Lake Shore Limited Coach Seating Layout

Sleeper Accommodations on the Lake Shore Limited

These accommodations could be yours if you want to up your travel game!

All rooms include:

• Amtrak provides pillows, fresh linens, and towels for their passengers.
• Your reservation includes meals. Another nice perk is lounge access, available in Chicago, Boston South, and New York.
• A dedicated car attendant is there for your convenience and that of other passengers.
• The drapes in your room provide privacy and block out the hallway and outside lights.

Viewliner rooms offer extra luggage storage. Every room has a sink and fresh air vents for your convenience. Plenty of lighting options are available; each room has a fold-out table and cup holders.

Roomette passengers have access to a shower, while all other rooms have an ensuite.

The types of rooms you can book on the Lake Shore Limited

If you want more information, click on the links.

• Roomette
  • Ample space for one but cozy for two
• Bedrooms
  • Comfortable for two
• Accessible Rooms
  • A room for passengers with mobility issues and their travel companions.

Amtrak Lake Shore Limited Sleeper Car Layout

This diagram is for the original Viewliner sleeper car, which is still in use, but the new ones now have a bathroom at the end.

Luggage: checked and carry-on

You can check baggage on this train, and here is what you need to know:

• You can check up to two bags
• Bags must be 50 lbs or less
• Be seventy-five linear inches
• Amtrak charges for additional and oversized luggage.
• Not all locations can handle checked baggage.
  • Click the station links below to see if they offer checked baggage service.

Each passenger may carry on:

• One personal item, 25 lbs. (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

If you transfer to the Pacific Surfliner at some point along your journey, the baggage size for that train is up to 28 x 22 x 11 inches each.

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

Lake Shore Limited add-ons

There are a few things you can pay to add to your trip.

Bring your bike with you!

• 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/areas inside the baggage car (if available).

Bring your pet

• Amtrak allows dogs and cats up to 20 pounds.
  • That is the combined weight of the pet and carrier. or
  • For trips up to seven hours.
  • You cannot bring your fluffy friend if you are traveling the entire route.
  • You need to fill out paperwork before arriving at the stations to board.

Different rules apply if you have a service or comfort animal; not all animals qualify. Ensure you read and follow Amtrak’s service animal policy.

The Lake Shore Limited Broken Down By The Day

This graph breaks down the route by day, showing each day’s first and last stop.

Trains	Day 1	Day 2
#48 Eastbound	Chicago, IL – South Bend, IN	Elkhart, IN – New York, NY
#448 Eastbound	Chicago, IL – South Bend, IN	Elkhart, IN – Boston, MA
#49 Westbound	New York, NY – Rochester, NY	Buffalo-Depew, NY – Chicago, IL
#449 Westbound	Boston, MA – Rochester, NY	Buffalo-Depew, NY – Chicago, IL

Food offerings on the Lake Shore Limited

Read this section thoroughly.

Café car

• The café provides a range of hot and cold meals, snacks, and hot, cold, and alcoholic beverages.
• The car is available for customers throughout the day, from early morning until late at night.

However, please note that the car will not be available in Albany for at least part of the time. The train will join or separate the Boston and New York Sections at this stop, resulting in a power loss.

Where is the Café car on the Lake Shore Limited?

If you’re in coach class or a New York sleeper, head toward the front of the train to find the café between the coach cars and the Boston sleepers. If you’re in a Boston sleeper, walk towards the back of the train; it’s the next car.

The café car is on the Boston Section of the train, so it is unavailable between New York and Albany.

Passengers traveling from Albany to NYC in coach class should bring snacks, as no food will be available. However, they will have access to the café during the Albany-to-Chicago section of the journey.

Lake Shore Limited Café Car Layout

Please note that layouts may change, but this will give you an idea of what these cars look like.

Sleeping car passenger meals

Amtrak’s meal program for passengers is called Flex Dining. Passengers can enjoy their meals in their rooms or the dining car. The meals are already prepared and need to be warmed up. Hot and cold breakfast options, lunch, and dinner have the same menu options. Additionally, the meals come with complimentary beverages, and you can add dessert or other extras. Amtrak offers the first adult beverage with dinner for free, and you can purchase additional alcoholic beverages with any meal.

• Flex dining meals are warmed prepared meals.
• There are hot and cold breakfast options, and lunch and dinner have the same selections.
• Meals come with complimentary beverages and add-ons like dessert and more.

The sleeper lounge is located at the back of the train, behind the coach cars, and is for the New York sleepers.

Boston passengers traveling between Albany, New York, and Boston will have their meals served in their rooms during that section.

Meals sleeper car passengers receive

Please take note of the following information regarding meals on the Lake Shore Limited train:

Train	Day 1	Day 2
#48 Eastbound	No Meal	Breakfast & Lunch
#448 Eastbound	No Meal	Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner*
#49 Westbound	Dinner	Breakfast
#449 Westbound	Lunch* & Dinner	Breakfast

Amtrak Lake Shore Limited Schedule

This schedule is a guide; check with Amtrak or eticket for exact times. The information in this section comes from Amtrak.com, and I last verified this in July 2024.

Train 48/448 Eastbound Read Down	Communities Served by The Lake Shore Limited	Miles	Train 49/449 Westbound Read up
9:30p	Chicago, IL Union Station (CHI)	0	10:12a
Eastern	Time Zone Change	–	Cantral
11:59p	South Bend, IN (SOB)	84	9:07a
12:27a	Elkhart, IN (EKH)	101	8:43a
1:20a	Waterloo, IN (WTI)	156	7:51a
1:45a	Bryan, OH (BYN)	181	7:23a
2:55a | 3:15a	Toledo, OH (TOL)	234	6:13a | 6:33a
4:07a	Sandusky, OH (SKY)	281	5:13a
4:46a	Elyria, OH (ELY)	316	4:36a
5:38a | 5:50a	Cleveland, OH (CLE)	341	3:53a | 4:03a
7:24a	Erie, PA (ERI)	436	2:16a
9:05a	Buffalo, NY Depew Station (BUF)	528	12:39a
10:06a	Rochester, NY Louise M. Slaughter Station (ROC)	589	11:29p
11:28a | 11:42a	Syracuse, NY Regional Transportation Center (SYR)	668	9:51p | 10:05p
12:37p | 12:42p	Utica, NY (UCA)	722	8:50p
2:21p	Schenectady, NY (SDY)	800	7:33p
2:53p	Albany-Rensselaer, NY (ALB)	818	7:05p
448	Train to/from Boston Train 48/49 below		449
3:27p	Albany-Rensselaer, NY (ALB)	818	6:10p
4:30p	Pittsfield, MA (PIT)	867	4:42p
5:49p | 6:04p	Springfield, MA (SPG)	920	3:26p
7:32p	Worcester, MA Union Station (WOR)	974	2:06p
8:00p	Framingham, MA (FRA)	997	1:25p
8:26p	Boston, MA Back Bay Station (BBY)	1017	12:57p
8:32p	Boston, MA South Station (BOS)	1018	12:50p
48	Trains to/from New York		49
4:10p	Albany-Rensselaer, NY (ALB)	818	6:20p
4:55p	Rhinecliff, NY (RHI)	871	5:27p
5:13p	Poughkeepsie, NY (POU)	886	5:10p
5:53p	Croton-Harmon, NY (CRT)	927	4:26p
6:42p	New York, NY Moynihan Train Hall (NYP)	959	3:40p
Read Down	Communities Served	Miles	Read Up

Printable Amtrak Lake Shore Limited Schedule

You can use the button below or learn to print schedules from Amtrak.com, including custom schedules with all your trains and connection services.

Lake Shore Limited Schedule 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. The train may leave early from this stop.

* = Stations with Amtrak Connecting Services.

+ = Saturday and Sunday times