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Amtrak's Original Routes

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Amtrak's Original Routes
Posted by nanaimo73 on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 10:52 AM

 

This is a summary of the routes served by Amtrak when it began operating on May 1st, 1971, and focuses on the ownership of the track used at the time. For information on traveling with Amtrak, please see their Website.

I am listing each route by the current ownership of the track and May 1971 ownership (in blue), as well as mileage by state, and a discription of changes to the route since 1971. This is followed by a summary of the long distance passenger trains operated by some of the freight railroads after May 1971.

The passenger trains that were being operated by America's Railroads on April 30, 1971 are covered by this Trains article. Amtrak's original system was made up of 19,233 route miles covering 43 States and the District of Columbia. By the end of 1971, the system had grown to 21,528 miles. At the present time Amtrak now has a system of 21,157 miles, in 46 States. I have a summary of today's Amtrak system covered on Amtrak's Current Routes. Since 1971, Amtrak has abandoned a total of 14,075 miles, and these are covered on Amtrak's Abandoned Routes.

There is a very good article on Amtrak's history on Wikipedia 

The routes are covered in this order-
Western Long Distance Trains
1 -Coast Starlight Seattle to San Diego 1,503 miles
   -Coast Daylight Oakland to San Diego 608 miles 
2 -Empire Builder Seattle to Chicago 2,289 miles
3 -San Francisco Zephyr Oakland to Chicago 2,408 miles
4 -Super Chief, El Capitan Los Angeles to Chicago 2,227 miles
5 -Sunset Limited Los Angeles to New Orleans 2,033 miles
6 -Texas Chief Chicago to Houston 1,369 miles
7 -San Diegan Los Angeles to San Diego 129 miles
Central Trains
8 -Abraham Lincoln, The Limited Chicago to St. Louis 282 miles
9 -City of New Orleans Chicago (Central Station) to New Orleans 921 miles
10-Wolverine, St. Clair Chicago to Detroit 279 miles
Eastern Long Distance Trains
11-Broadway Limited, New York section Chicago to New York 912 miles
12-Broadway Limited, Washington Section Chicago to Washington 858 miles
13-National Limited, New York section Kansas City to New York 1,334 miles
14-National Limited, Washington Section Kansas City to Washington 1,276 miles
15-James Whitcomb Riley Chicago (Central Station) to Cincinnati 304 miles
16-George Washington, New York section Cincinnati to Washington 602 miles
17-George Washington, Newport News section Cincinnati to Newport News
     654 miles
18-South Wind, St. Petersburg section Chicago (Central Station) to
     St. Petersburg 1,474 miles
19-South Wind, Miami Section Chicago (Central Station) to Miami 1,589 miles
20-Silver Meteor New York to Miami 1,365 miles
21-Champion New York to St. Petersburg 1,267 miles
22-Silver Star, St. Petersburg section New York to St. Petersburg 1,274 miles
23-Silver Star, Miami section New York to Miami 1,389 miles
24-Lake Shore route train New York Grand Central Terminal to Buffalo 436 miles
25-Northeast Corridor Washington to Boston 457 miles
26-Springfield line New York to Springfield 129 miles
1971 Expansion
27-Lake Shore Chicago to New York 962 miles (May 10, 1971)
28-Bay State New York to Boston 227 miles (May 17, 1971)
29-North Coast Hiawatha Seattle to Chicago 2,300 miles (June 5, 1971)
30-West Virginian Washington to Parkersburg 351 miles (September 8, 1971)
31-Illinois Zephyr Chicago to West Quincy 262 miles (November 14, 1971) 

 

Western Long Distance Trains

1-Coast Starlight / Coast Daylight 
   Seattle to San Diego 1,503 miles.
Current line ownership...Seattle, WA -186 miles BNSF- Portland, OR
   -524 Union Pacific- Tehama, CA -111 California Northern- Davis, CA
   -552 Union Pacific- Mission Tower, CA -1 Metrolink- Los Angeles, CA
   -4 Metrolink- Redondo Jct., CA -22 BNSF- Fullerton, CA -41 Metrolink-
   San Clemente, CA -62 San Diego Northern- San Diego, CA
1971 ownership...  Seattle, WA -186 Burlington Northern- Portland, OR
   -1 Union Pacific- East Portland Junction -1,186 Southern Pacific-
    Mission Tower, CA -1 L. A. Union Passenger Terminal- Los Angeles, CA
   -1 Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal- Mission Tower, CA
   -127 Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe- San Diego, CA
Station stops...Seattle WA, Tacoma WA, East Olympia WA, Centralia WA,
   Kelso WA, Vancouver WA, Portland OR, Salem OR, Eugene OR,
   Klamath Falls OR, Dunsmuir CA, Redding CA, Davis CA, Oakland CA,
   San Jose CA, Salinas CA, San Luis Obispo CA, Santa Barbara CA, Oxnard CA,
   Glendale CA, Los Angeles CA, Fullerton CA, Santa Ana CA, San Clemente CA,
   Oceanside CA, Del Mar CA, San Diego CA
   More Station Photos
Mileage by State...Washington 177, Oregon 348, California 977
Route Changes...The Coast Starlight began as a triweekly train, until November
   1971 when it became daily. During the other 4 days of the week, the schedule
   south of Oakland was covered by the Coast Daylight. The southern terminus
   was changed from San Diego to Los Angeles during April 1972 and on April 25,
   1982 the route was changed between Tehama and Davis to serve Sacramento.
   The current version of the Coast Starlight operates on 1,264 of the original
   1,503 mile route. A further 128 miles south of Los Angeles is now covered by
   the Pacific Surfliners, leaving 111 miles between Davis and Tehama without
   Amtrak at this time. 
Photos   Wikipedia

 

2-Empire Builder
   Seattle to Chicago 2,289 miles
Current line ownership... Seattle, WA -1,878 BNSF- Division Street, MN
   -19 Canadian Pacific or BNSF- St. Croix Tower, MN -360 Canadian Pacific-
   -Rondout, IL -32 Metra- Chicago, IL
1971 ownership... Seattle, WA -1,878 Burlington Northern- Division Street, MN
   -19 Canadian Pacific or Burlington Northern- St. Croix Tower, MN
   -392 Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific- Chicago, IL
Station stops...Seattle WA, East Auburn WA, Ellensburg WA, Yakima WA,
   Pasco WA, Spokane WA, Sandpoint ID, Troy MT, Libby MT, Whitefish MT,
   Belton MT, Glacier Park MT, Cut Bank MT, Shelby MT, Havre MT,
   Glasgow MT, Wolf Point MT, Williston ND, Minot ND, Rugby ND,
   Devils Lake ND, Grand Forks ND, Fargo ND, Breckenridge MN, Morris MN,
   Willmar MN, Minneapolis MN, Red Wing MN, Winona MN, La Crosse WS,
   Tomah WS, Wisconsin Dells WS, Portage WS, Columbus WS, Milwaukee WS,
   Glenview IL, Chicago IL
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...Washington 424, Idaho 102, Montana 668, North Dakota 430,
   Minnesota 382, Wisconsin 235, Illinois 48
Route changes...On February 28, 1978 the Empire Builder was routed over the
   Milwaukee Road and the Minnesota Transfer west of Division Street to serve the
   Midway Station rather than the GN Minneapolis Station. On October 2, 1979 the
   route was changed between Minneapolis and Fargo to the ex NP Staples line from the
   ex GN Willmar line. Also during the late 1970s the Milwaukee Road was used for
   several months over Snoqualmie Pass. The fourth change was on October 27, 1981
   when the train moved over to the ex GN line over Stevens Pass between Spokane
   and Seattle from the ex NP Stampede Pass line. The Empire Builder, including the
   Portland section, still uses 1,789 of the original 2,189 mile route. Amtrak Cascades
   use an addition 21 miles south from Seattle.
Photos   Wikipedia   1971schedule

 

3-San Francisco Zephyr
   Oakland to Chicago 2,408 miles
Current line ownership... Oakland, CA -1,370 Union Pacific- Denver, CO
   - 1,037 BNSF - Roosevelt Road, IL - 1 Amtrak - Chicago, IL
1971 ownership... Oakland, CA -420 Southern Pacific- Weso (Winnemucca), NV
   -181 Southern Pacific (westward) or Western Pacific (eastbound)-
   -Alazon (Wells), NV -179 Southern Pacific- Ogden, UT -590 Union Pacific-
   -Denver, CO -1,037 Burlington Northern- Roosevelt Road, IL
   - 1 Chicago Union Station - Chicago, IL
Station stops...Oakland CA, Sacramento CA, Reno NV, Sparks NV, Carlin NV,
   Elko NV, Ogden UT, Evanston WY, Green River WY, Rock Springs WY,
   Rawlins WY, Laramie WY, Cheyenne WY, Greeley CO, Denver CO,
   Fort Morgan CO, Akron CO, McCook NE, Holdrege NE, Hastings NE, Lincoln NE,
   Omaha NE, Creston IA, Osceola IA, Ottumwa IA, Mount Pleasant IA,
   Burlington IA, Monmouth IL, Galesburg IL, Aurora IL, Chicago IL
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...California 229, Nevada 432, Utah 165, Wyoming 447, Colorado 267,
   Nebraska 387, Iowa 274, Illinois 204
Note- 3 miles in and out of Cheyenne were duplicated. 
Route changes...Between April 25, 1976 and April 25, 1982 the main route used
   was through Council Bluffs, rather than crossing the Missouri at Plattsmouth. On
   October 27, 1979 the San Francisco Zephyr stopped running into Cheyenne, using
   a line from Speer to Borie. The train was renamed the California Zephyr on April 24,
   1983 and began running over the D&RGW between Denver and Ogden on July 15,
   1983. The rise of the Great Salt Lake caused the CZ to be routed over the former
   Western Pacific from Salt Lake City to Alazon beginning on October 30, 1983. The
   western terminus has changed over the years, starting with the earthquake in 1989
   which damaged the 16th Street station. The Jack London Square Station opened in
   1994, and then Emeryville became the most recent endpoint. The California Zephyr
   currently uses 1,627 miles of the San Francisco Zephyr's 2,408 mile route, and
   Amtrak also uses the 5 miles between Emeryville and Oakland with other services.
Photos   1976schedule

 

4-Super Chief, El Capitan
   Los Angeles to Chicago 2,227 miles
Current line ownership...Los Angeles, CA.- 1 Metrolink - Mission Tower, CA
   -15 abandoned- Arcadia, CA -41 Metrolink- San Bernardino, CA -1,718 BNSF-
   -Santa Fe Jct, KS -9 Kansas City Terminal- Sheffield Jct, MO -26 BNSF-
   -CA Jct, MO -29 Norfolk Southern- WB Jct, MO -382 BNSF- 35th Street, IL
   -2 abandoned- Bridgeport, IL -2 Canadian National- 21st Street, IL -2 Amtrak-
   -Chicago, IL
1971 ownership...Los Angeles, CA -1 Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal-
   -Mission Tower, CA -1,774 Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe- Santa Fe Jct, KS
   -9 Kansas City Terminal-Sheffield Jct, MO-26 Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe-
   -CA Jct, MO-29 Norfolk and Western-WB Jct, MO-384 ATSF-Bridgeport, IL
   -2 Illinois Central-21st Street, IL-2 Chicago Union Station-Chicago, IL
Station stops...Los Angeles CA, Pasadena CA, Pomona CA, San Bernardino CA,
   Barstow CA, Needles CA, Kingman AZ, Flagstaff AZ, Winslow AZ, Gallup NM,
   Albuquerque NM, Lamy NM, Las Vegas NM, Raton NM, Trinidad CO,
   La Junta CO, Lamar CO, Garden City KS, Dodge City CO, Hutchinson KS,
   Newton KS, Emporia KS, Kansas City MO, La Plata MO, Fort Madison IA,
   Galesburg IL, Chillicothe IL, Streator IL, Joliet ILChicago IL
   More Station Photos
Mileage by State...California 321, Arizona 386, New Mexico 430, Colorado 181,
   Kansas 457, Missouri 201, Iowa 20, Illinois 231
Route changes...The first change for the Super Chief was actually a name change,
   becoming the Southwest Limited on May 19, 1974. The train then became the
   Southwest Chief on October 28, 1984. On October 1, 1979 the train started
   operating through Topeka, between Kansas City and Emporia. On January 14, 1994
   the train was routed through Fullerton from the Pasadena line. The third change
   took place on August 1, 1996, moving over to the former BN between Chicago and
   Cameron, just west of Galesburg. The Southwest Chief is now using 1,888 miles of
   the 2,227 mile Super Chief route. The three sections which are no longer used lie in
   California, Kansas and Illinois. 
Photos   Wikipedia   1976schedule

 

5-Sunset Limited
   Los Angeles to New Orleans 2,033 miles
Current line ownership...Los Angeles, CA -1 Metrolink- Mission Tower, CA
   -1,753 Union Pacific- Beaumont, TX -2 Kansas City Southern-Tower 31, TX
   -69 Union Pacific - Iowa Jct, LA - 196 BNSF - West Bridge Jct, LA
   -5 New Orleans Public Belt- East Bridge Jct, LA -2 Canadian National-
   -Southport Jct, LA -1 Kansas City Southern- KCS Jct, LA
   -4 New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal- New Orleans, LA
1971 ownership...Los Angeles, CA -1 Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal-
   -Mission Tower, CA -1,752 Southern Pacific- Beaumont, TX
   -1 Missouri Pacific - Mill Street, TX -2 Kansas City Southern- Tower 31, TX
   -265 Southern Pacific- West Bridge Jct, LA -5 New Orleans Public Belt-
   -East Bridge Jct, LA-2 Illinois Central-Southport Jct, LA-1 Kansas City Southern
   -KCS Jct, LA -4 New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal- New Orleans, LA
Station stops...Los Angeles CA, Alhambra CA, Pomona CA, Indio CA, Yuma AZ,
   Phoenix AZ, Tucson AZ, Lordsburg NM, Deming NM, El Paso TX, Alpine TX,
   Sanderson TX, Del Rio TX, San Antonio TX, Houston TX, Beaumont TX,
   Lake Charles LA, Lafayette LA, New Iberia LA, New Orleans LA
   More Station Photos
Mileage by State...California 253, Arizona 430, New Mexico 170, Texas 933,
   Louisiana 247
Route changes...The Sunset Limited was extended east to Miami on April 4, 1993.
   On June 3, 1996 the Sunset Limited stopped serving Phoenix and began running
   on the freight route to the south. The eastern terminus was cut back to Sanford
   during 1997 and then extended to Orlando during 1998. Due to Hurricane Katrina,
   the Sunset has been suspended east of New Orleans since August 2005. At this
   time the Sunset Limited still uses 1,825 miles of the 2,033 mile 1971 route.
1971 Schedule   Photos   Wikipedia

 

6-Texas Chief
   Chicago to Houston 1,369 miles
Current line ownership...Chicago, IL-2 Amtrak-21st Street, IL-2 Canadian National-
   -35th Street, IL -2 abandoned- Bridgeport, IL -382 BNSF- WB Jct, MO-
   -29 Norfolk Southern- CA Jct, MO -26 BNSF- Sheffield Jct, MO
   -9 Kansas City Terminal- Santa Fe Jct, MO -879 BNSF- Rosenberg, TX
   -37 Union Pacific-Houston, TX-1 Union Pacific-Houston Union Station 
1971 ownership...Chicago, IL -2 Chicago Union Station- 21st Street, IL
   -2 Illinois Central- 35th Street, IL -384 Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe-
   -WB Jct, MO - 29 Norfolk and Western - CA Jct, MO
   -26 Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe-Sheffield Jct, MO-9 Kansas City Terminal-
   -Santa Fe Jct, MO -879 Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe- Rosenberg, TX
   -37 Southern Pacific - Houston, TX - 1 Houston Belt and Terminal -
   -
Houston Union Station 
Station stops...Chicago IL, Joliet IL, Streator IL, Chillicothe IL, Galesburg IL,
   Fort Madison IW, La Plata MO, Marceline MO, Carrollton MO, Kansas City MO,
   Lawrence KS, Topeka KS, Emporia KS, Newton KS, Wichita KS,
   Arkansas City KS, Ponca City OK, Perry OK, Guthrie OK, Oklahoma City OK,
   Norman OK, Purcell OK, Pauls Valley OK, Ardmore OK, Gainesville TX,
   Fort Worth TX, Cleburne TX, McGregor TX, Temple TX, Bellville Yard TX,
   Houston TX
   More Station Photos
Mileage by State...Illinois 231...Iowa 20...Missouri 201...Kansas 282...
   Oklahoma 248...Texas 387
Route changes...The Texas Chief was renamed the Lone Star on May 15, 1974.
   Amtrak's Lone Star was the last passenger train using Houston's Union Station,
   until July 31, 1974. The Lone Star ended service south of Fort Worth on
   October 1, 1979 and the rest of the train ended on October 8, 1979. On
   January 28, 1973 Amtrak began an extension of the Texas Chief south of
   Fort Worth to Laredo, named the Inter-American. This train left the Texas Chief
   route at Milano and served San Antonio. The junction point was moved from
   Milano to Temple on October 26, 1975. Only 633 miles of the original 1,369 mile
   route still see Amtrak service. This includes 2 miles in Chicago and 37 miles
   running west from Houston, on the Sunset Limited route. The Texas Chief has
   been replaced by the Texas Eagle, which has a 129 mile overlap between
   Fort Worth and Temple. Another 465 miles between Cameron, Illinois and Newton,
   Kansas sees use by the Southwest Chief.
Photos   1971schedule

 

7-San Diegan
   Los Angeles to San Diego 129 miles
Current line ownership... Los Angeles, CA - 4 Metrolink - Redondo Jct, CA
   -22 BNSF-Fullerton, CA-41 Metrolink-San Clemente, CA-62 San Diego Northern
   -San Diego, CA
1971 ownership...Los Angeles, CA -1 Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal-
   -Mission Tower, CA -128 Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe- San Diego, CA
Station stops...Los Angeles CA, Fullerton CA, Santa Ana CA, San Clemente CA,
   Oceanside CA, Del Mar CA, San Diego CA
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...California 129
Name change...The San Diegans were renamed Pacific Surfliners, beginning in April
   2000. They now continue northwest of Los Angeles through Santa Barbara to
   San Luis Obispo. The Los Angeles to San Diego route continues to host Amtrak,
   although ownership has changed and it has been upgraded several times. 
Wikipedia

 

Central Trains

8-Abraham Lincoln, The Limited 
   Chicago to St. Louis 282 miles
Current line ownership...Chicago, IL - 2 Amtrak - 21st Street, IL
   -35 Canadian National- Joliet, IL -238 Union Pacific- WR Tower, IL
   -7 Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis-St. Louis, MO
1971 ownership...Chicago, IL -2 Chicago Union Station- 21st Street, IL
   -273 Illinois Central-WR Tower, IL-7 Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis-
   -
St. Louis, MO
South of Joliet to Pequot, IL Amtrak can use 18 miles of BNSF (Illinois Central).
Station stops...Chicago IL, Joliet IL, Pontiac IL, Bloomington IL, Lincoln IL,
   Springfield IL, Carlinville IL, Alton IL, St. Louis MO
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...Illinois 278, Missouri 4
Changes...On October 14, 1971 these trains were extended north to Milwaukee,
   although this did not last long. Service using St. Louis Union Station ended in
   1978. Current service between Chicago and St. Louis consists of the Texas Eagle,
   which runs to San Antonio, and Lincoln Service. Most of these trains now
   use MacArthur bridge rather than Merchants bridge. The rest of the route remains
   the same, however the names of the owners of the track have changed constantly
   since 1971.
Photos

 

9-City of New Orleans
   Chicago (Central Station) to New Orleans 921 miles
Current line ownership...Chicago Central Station, IL -916 Canadian National-
   -Southport Jct, LA - 1 Kansas City Southern - KCS Jct, LA -
   -4 New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal- New Orleans, LA
1971 ownership...Chicago Central Station, IL - 916 Illinois Central -
   -Southport Jct, LA -1 Kansas City Southern- KCS Jct, LA -
   -4 New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal-
New Orleans, LA
Station stops...Chicago IL, Homewood IL, Kankakee IL, Rantoul IL,
   Champaign-Urbana IL, Mattoon IL, Effingham IL, Centralia IL, Carbondale IL,
   Cairo IL, Fulton KY, Dyersburg TN, Memphis TN, Batesville MS, Grenada MS,
   Winona MS, Durant MS, Canton MS, Jackson MS, Hazlehurst MS,
   Brookhaven MS, McComb MS, Hammond LA, New Orleans LA
   More Station Photos
Mileage by State...Illinois 361, Kentucky 43, Tennessee 134, Mississippi 295,
   Louisiana 88
Route and name changes...The City of New Orleans was operated by Amtrak from
   May 1, 1971 until renamed the Panama Limited on November 14, 1971. The
   Panama Limited name lasted almost 10 years, and then switched back to the
   City of New Orleans on February 1, 1981. Chicago Central Station was used until
   March 6, 1972 when the train's northern terminal was switched to Union Station,
   joining Amtrak's other trains in the Windy City. On September 10, 1995 the route
   was changed south of Memphis to Jackson through Yazoo City, which was
   Illinois Central's mainline. The City of New Orleans is now operating on 711 miles
   of the 921 mile May 1971 route.
Photos   Wikipedia   1971schedule

 

10-Wolverine, St. Clair
   Chicago to Detroit 279 miles
Current line ownership...Chicago, IL - 2 Amtrak - 21st Street, IL -
   -38 Norfolk Southern - Porter, IN - 98 Amtrak - Kalamazoo, MI -
   -135 Norfolk Southern- Townline, MI -4 Amtrak- CP West Detroit, MI-
   -1 Conrail - Detroit, MI - 1 Canadian Pacific - Detroit, MI
1971 ownership...Chicago, IL -2 Chicago Union Station- 21st Street, IL -
   -277 Penn Central -
Detroit, MI
Station stops...Chicago IL, Niles MI, Kalamazoo MI, Battle Creek MI, Jackson MI,
   Ann Arbor MI, Detroit MI
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...Illinois 14, Indiana 45, Michigan 220
Changes...Amtrak's Chicago to Detroit service began on May 1, 1971 running on
   Penn Central's former New York Central line. The middle portion, between Porter,
   IN, and Kalamazoo, MI, was not wanted by Conrail and was acquired by Amtrak
   during 1976. The New York to Buffalo Empire State Express was extended across
   Ontario to Detroit on October 31, 1974, initiating through service. The ESE was
   renamed the Niagara Rainbow later but was abolished on April 28, 1979. On
   August 3, 1980 the Chicago to Detroit St. Clair was renamed the Lake Cities and
   was extended to Toledo from Detroit. Amtrak used the former Michigan Central
   Station in Detroit until Jan 5, 1988. The Wolverine and the Twilight Limited were
   extended from Detroit north to Pontiac, MI, on May 4, 1994, as was the Lake Cities
   on April 5, 1995. The current Amtrak network uses all but the last mile of this route,
   to the former Michigan Central Station.
Photos

 

Eastern Long Distance Trains

11-Broadway Limited, New York section splitting at Harrisburg
   Chicago to New York 912 miles
Current line ownership...Chicago, IL-2 Amtrak-21st Street, IL-21 Norfolk Southern-
   -Pine Junction, IN - 3 abandoned - Tolleston, IN -
   -251 Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern- Crestline, OH -440 Norfolk Southern-
   -Harrisburg, PA - 195 Amtrak - New York, NY
1971 ownership...Chicago, IL -2 Chicago Union Station- 21st Street, IL -
   -910 Penn Central-
New York, NY
Station stops... Chicago IL, Gary IN, Fort Wayne IN, Lima OH, Crestline OH,
   Canton OH, Pittsburgh PA, Johnstown PA, Altoona PA, Harrisburg PA,
   Lancaster PA, Paoli PA, North Philadelphia PA, Trenton NJ, Metropark NJ,
   Newark NJ, New York NY
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...Illinois 14, Indiana 154, Ohio 251, Pennsylvania 434,
   New Jersey 57, New York 2
Changes...The Broadway Limited was Amtrak's only New York to Chicago train
   on May 1, 1971. The Washington section split off at Harrisburg until it was
   rerouted to go through Philadelphia on November 30, 1975. This was replaced by
   the Capitol Limited on October 1, 1981, running on the B&O through Cumberland.
   On November 11, 1990 the Broadway Limited was routed across Indiana and
   Ohio on the former B&O mainline, until it was cancelled on September 10, 1995.
   Today the Lake Shore Limited serves the Chicago-New York run, using the first 23
   miles from Chicago to Pine Junction. The eastern half of the route from Pittsburgh
   to New York City sees the Pennsylvanian, while the Capitol Limited runs on 85
   miles between Pittsburgh and Alliance. The last passenger train on the 362 miles
   between Alliance and Pine Junction ran during November 1990.  
Photos   Wikipedia    1976schedule

 

12-Broadway Limited, Washington Section splitting at Harrisburg
   Chicago to Washington 858 miles
Current line ownership...Chicago, IL - 2 Amtrak - 21st Street, IL -
   -21 Norfolk Southern- Pine Junction, IN -3 abandoned- Tolleston, IN -
   -251 Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern-Crestline, OH-440 Norfolk Southern-
   -Harrisburg, PA - 10 Amtrak - Royalton, PA - 56 Norfolk Southern -
   -Perryville, MD - 75 Amtrak - Washington, DC
1971 ownership...Chicago, IL -2 Chicago Union Station- 21st Street, IL -
   -852 Penn Central -
Washington, DC 
Station stops...Chicago IL, Gary IN, Fort Wayne IN, Lima OH, Crestline OH,
   Canton OH, Pittsburgh PA, Johnstown PA, Altoona PA, Harrisburg PA,
   Baltimore MD, Capital Beltway MD, Washington DC
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...Illinois 14, Indiana 154, Ohio 251, Pennsylvania 350,
   Maryland 83, District of Columbia 6
Changes...The Washington section was rerouted to join the New York section at
   Philadelphia, rather than Harrisburg, on November 30, 1975. This was replaced by
   the Capitol Limited on October 1, 1981, running through Cumberland, Maryland.
   Just over half of the 1971 route is now used by Amtrak, 440 miles in total. The
   Capitol Limited runs between Chicago and Pine Junction, and Alliance and Pittsburgh.
   Pittsburgh to Royalton is covered by the Pennsylvanian, and the Perryville to
   Washington leg is part of the Northeast Corridor.  
Photos   Wikipedia   1971schedule

 

13-National Limited, New York section splitting at Harrisburg
   Kansas City to New York 1,334 miles
Current ownership..Kansas City, MO - 6 Kansas City Terminal -
   -Rock Creek Junction -274 Union Pacific- Grand Avenue, MO -
   -2 Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis- St. Louis, MO -2 abandoned-
   -East St. Louis, IL - 236 CSX - Indianapolis, IN - 109 abandoned -
   -Dayton, OH - 5 Norfolk Southern - Clement, OH - 40 abandoned -
   - London, OH -25 Norfolk Southern- Columbus, OH -32 Ohio Central-
   -Newark, OH -108 Columbus and Ohio- Gould, OH -10 Norfolk Southern-
   -Weirton, WV-29 abandoned-Walkers Mill, PA-9 Pittsburgh and Ohio Central
   - CP2 (Esplen), PA -252 Norfolk Southern- Harrisburg, PA -195 Amtrak-
   -New York, NY
1971 ownership..Kansas City, MO - 6 Kansas City Terminal -
   -Rock Creek Junction, MO - 274 Missouri Pacific - Grand Avenue, MO -
   -4 Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis -
East St. Louis, IL -
   -1,050 Penn Central-
New York, NY 
Station stops...Kansas City MO, Warrensburg MO, Sedalia MO,
   Jefferson City MO, Kirkwood MO, St. Louis MO, Effingham IL, Terre Haute IN,
   Indianapolis IN, Richmond IN, Dayton OH, Columbus OH, Pittsburgh PA,
   Wilkinsburg PA, Greensburg PA, Latrobe PA, Johnstown PA, Altoona PA,
   Tyrone PA, Huntingdon PA, Lewistown PA, Harrisburg PA, Lancaster PA,
   Paoli PA, North Philadelphia PA, Trenton NJMetropark NJ,
   Newark NJ, New York NY
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...Missouri 283, Illinois 157, Indiana 151, Ohio 256,
   West Virginia 7, Pennsylvania 441, New Jersey 57, New York 2
Changes...The National Limited connected New York and Kansas City, running
   through Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and St. Louis. There was a separate Washington
   section east of Harrisburg, which was rerouted to connect through Philadelphia
   on October 28, 1978. Between Columbus and St Louis, the former Pennsylvania
   route was used, although the former New York Central line was available for
   detours. The National Limited lasted just over 8 years, until it was cancelled on
   October 1, 1979. The Broadway Limited continued to serve the route east of
   Pittsburgh, and the rest of the route to St Louis lost passenger service. Amtrak
   continued running between St. Louis and Kansas City by extending a Chicago to
   St Louis train to Kansas City, which was given the name Ann Rutledge.
   The Ann Rutledge still occupies the 282 miles linking Kansas City and St. Louis,
   while a variety of Amtrak trains use 9 miles through Indianapolis and the 447
   miles east of Esplen. Between St. Louis and Esplen lie 596 miles now without
   passenger service.   
Photos   1975schedule

 

14-National Limited, Washington Section splitting at Harrisburg
   Kansas City to Washington 1,276 miles
Current ownership...Kansas City, MO - 6 Kansas City Terminal -
   -Rock Creek Junction - 274 Union Pacific - Grand Avenue, MO -
   -2 Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis- St. Louis, MO-2 abandoned-
   -East St. Louis, IL - 236 CSX - Indianapolis, IL - 109 abandoned -
   -Dayton, OH - 5 Norfolk Southern - Clement, OH - 40 abandoned -
   -London, OH -25 Norfolk Southern- Columbus, OH -32 Ohio Central-
   -Newark, OH - 108 Columbus and Ohio River - Gould, OH -
   -10 Norfolk Southern- Weirton, WV -29 abandoned- Walkers Mill, PA -
   -9 Pittsburgh and Ohio Central- CP2 (Esplen), PA -252 Norfolk Southern-
   -Harrisburg, PA - 10 Amtrak - Royalton, PA -56 Norfolk Southern-
   -Perryville, MD-75 Amtrak-Washington, DC
1971 ownership..Kansas City, MO - 6 Kansas City Terminal -
   -Rock Creek Junction, MO - 274 Missouri Pacific - Grand Avenue, MO -
   -4 Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis -
East St. Louis, MO -
   -992 Penn Central-
Washington, DC 
Station stops...Kansas City MO, Warrensburg MO, Sedalia MO,
   Jefferson City MO, Kirkwood MO, St. Louis MO, Effingham IL, Terre Haute IN,
   Indianapolis IN, Richmond IN, Dayton OH, Columbus OH, Pittsburgh PA,
   Wilkinsburg PA, Greensburg PA, Latrobe PA, Johnstown PA, Altoona PA,
   Tyrone PA, Huntingdon PA, Lewistown PA, Harrisburg PA, Baltimore MD,
   Capital Beltway MD, Washington DC
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...Missouri 283, Illinois 157, Indiana 151, Ohio 256,
   West Virginia 7, Pennsylvania 333, Maryland 83, District of Columbia 6
Changes...The Washington section of the National Limited joined the New York
   section at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and operated as one combined train west
   to Kansas City. The junction point was moved from Harrisburg to Philadelphia on
   October 28, 1978. Cancellation came on October 1, 1979, and the Washington
   to Pittsburgh line continued to be served by the Broadway Limited. Four
   segments of the 1971 route are still carrying Amtrak, Kansas City-St. Louis,
   downtown Indianapolis, Esplen-Royalton, and Perryville-Washington, 628 miles
   altogether. 
Photos   1971schedule

 

15-James Whitcomb Riley
   Chicago (Central Station) to Cincinnati 304 miles
Current line ownership...Chicago Central Station, IL -55 Canadian National-
   -Kankakee, IL -75 Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern- Lafayette, IN -
   -54 abandoned - New Augusta, IN - 38 CSX - Shelbyville, IN -
   -82 Central Railroad of Indiana- Cincinnati, OH
1971 ownership...Chicago Central Station, IL - 55 Illinois Central -
   -
Kankakee, IL -56 Penn Central- Templeton, IN -19 Norfolk and Western-
   -
Lafayette, IN - 174 Penn Central - Cincinnati, OH
Station stops...Chicago IL, Homewood IL, Kankakee IL, Lafayette IN,
   Indianapolis IN, Cincinnati OH
   More Station Photos
Mileage by State...Illinois 88, Indiana 196, Ohio 20
Changes...The James Whitcomb Riley operated between Chicago and Cincinnati
   from 1971 until October 30, 1977, when the route was taken over by the
   Cardinal. The original route was on the former New York Central through
   Indianapolis. The train entered Chicago on Illinois Central's line north of Kankakee.
   This necessitated the use of Chicago Central Station until March 6, 1972, when
   the trains switched to Union Station. On the eastern end, Amtrak used Cincinnati
   Union Station until October 28, 1972, when the Riley moved to their new River
   Station. The George Washington was the connecting train to the east, although
   the schedule was not designed to make this easy. This route has been a series of
   headaches for Amtrak over the years, and today only 54 miles between Chicago
   and Kankakee, as well as a 3 mile segment through Indianapolis, remain as part
   of the system. 
1971schedule

 

16-George Washington, Washington section splitting at Charlottesville
   Cincinnati to Washington 602 miles
Current line ownership...Cincinnati, OH - 391 CSX - Clifton Forge, VA -
   -126 Buckingham Branch- Orange, VA -76 Norfolk Southern- AF, VA -6 CSX-
   -RO, VA -2 Norfolk Southern- CP Virginia, DC -1 Amtrak- Washington, DC
1971 ownership...Cincinnati, OH -517 Chesapeake and Ohio- Orange, VA -
   -76 Southern-
AF, VA -6 Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac- RO, VA -
    -3 Penn Central-
Washington, DC
Station stops...Cincinnati OH, Ashland KY, Huntington WV, Charleston WV,
   Prince WV, Hinton WV, White Sulphur Springs WV, Clifton Forge VA,
   Staunton VA, Charlottesville VA, Alexandria VA, Washington DC
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...Ohio 2, Kentucky 150, West Virginia 211, Virginia 237,
   District of Columbia 2
Changes...Amtrak's George Washington connected Washington, DC, with Cincinnati,
   running on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. The eastern terminus was moved
   to Boston from November, 1971 until April, 1972 before returning to Washington.
   Cincinnati Union Station was used on the west end until October 28, 1972,
   replaced by the new River Road Station. James Whitcomb Riley and the George
   Washington operated as separate trains in the early years of Amtrak, and on
   October 30, 1977 both names were replaced by the Cardinal. The Cardinal was
   cancelled on September 30, 1981 and then it returned to service on
   January 8, 1982. The entire line between Cincinnati and Washington is covered
   by the current Cardinal.
1971schedule

 

17-George Washington, Newport News section splitting at Charlottesville
   Cincinnati to Newport News 654 miles
Current line ownership...Cincinnati, OH - 391 CSX - Clifton Forge, VA -
   -191 Buckingham Branch- Richmond, VA -72 CSX- Newport News, VA
1971 ownership...Cincinnati, OH - 654 CSX - Newport News, VA
Station stops...Cincinnati OH, Ashland KY, Huntington WV, Charleston WV,
   Prince WV, Hinton WV, White Sulphur Springs WV, Clifton Forge VA,
   Staunton VA, Charlottesville VA, Richmond VA, Williamsburg VA,
   Newport News VA
   More Station Photos
Mileage by State...Ohio 2, Kentucky 150, West Virginia 211, Virginia 291
Changes...Amtrak's service to Newport News beginning in 1971 was with a
   section of the George Washington from Cincinnati, which split from the
   Washington, DC, section at Charlottesville. On June 14, 1976 the Newport News
   section became the Colonial, running between Newport News and New York.
   Currently Amtrak uses the name Regional Service for their trains to Newport News,
   which use the 1971 route between Richmond and Newport News. The Cardinal
   runs over the line between Cincinnati and Gordonsville, while the 76 miles
   between Richmond and Gordonsville do not host Amtrak's trains.
1971schedule

 

18-South Wind, St. Petersburg section splitting at Jacksonville
   Chicago (Central Station) to St. Petersburg 1,474 miles
Current line ownership...Chicago Central Station, IL -55 Canadian National-
   -Kankakee, IL -75 Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern- Lafayette, IN -
   -54 abandoned - New Augusta, IN - 15 CSX - Indianapolis, IN -
   -107 Louisville and Indiana- Louisville, KY -1,168 CSX- St. Petersburg, FL
1971 ownership...Chicago Central Station, IL-55 Illinois Central-Kankakee, IL-
   -251 Penn Central-
Louisville, KY-490 Louisville and Nashville-Montgomery, AL
   -678 Seaboard Coast Line - St. Petersburg, FL 
Station stops...Chicago IL, Homewood IL, Kankakee IL, Lafayette IN,
   Indianapolis IN, Louisville KY, Bowling Green KY, Nashville TN, Decatur AL,
   Birmingham AL, Montgomery AL, Dothan AL, Thomasville GA, Valdosta GA,
   Waycross GA, Jacksonville FL, De Land FL, Sanford FL, Winter Park FL,
   Orlando FL, Lakeland FL, Tampa FL, Clearwater FL, St. Petersburg FL
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...Illinois 88, Indiana 217, Kentucky 147, Tennessee 133,
   Alabama 351, Georgia 212, Florida 326
Changes...The South Wind ran between Chicago Union Station and Florida, through
   Indianapolis, Nashville and Birmingham. South of Jacksonville the train split into
   two parts, a St. Petersburg section through Orlando and a Miami Section through
   Ocala. During November 1971 the South Wind was renamed the Floridian. The
   original route between Chicago and Indianapolis used the Illinois Central and Penn
   Central through Kankakee, which changed to a Penn Central route through
   Logansport on January 23, 1972. Chicago Central Station was used until March 6,
   1972 when the Floridian switched to Union Station. Between Chicago and Nashville
   the Floridian switched to the L&N route through Evansville on August 1, 1974,
   missing Indianapolis and Louisville. On April 27, 1975 the Floridian went back to a
   Penn Central across Indiana through Louisville, although this did not include
   Indianapolis. The Floridian was cancelled on October 8, 1979. Amtrak currently
   uses 339 miles of the 1,474 mile 1971 route, Chicago-Kankakee, through
   Indianapolis, and Folkston-Tampa. 
1971schedule

 

19-South Wind, Miami Section splitting at Jacksonville
   Chicago (Central Station) to Miami 1,589 miles
Current line ownership...Chicago Central Station, IL -55 Canadian National-
   -Kankakee, IL -75 Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern- Lafayette, IN -
   -54 abandoned - New Augusta, IN - 15 CSX - Indianapolis, IN -
   -107 Louisville and Indiana- Louisville, KY -1,016 CSX- Coleman, FL -
   -54 abandoned - Auburndale, FL - 147 CSX - Mangonia Park, FL -
   -66 Tri-Rail Commuter - Miami, FL
1971 ownership...Chicago Central Station, IL-55 Illinois Central-Kankakee, IL-
   -251 Penn Central-
Louisville, KY-490 Louisville and Nashville-Montgomery, AL
   -793 Seaboard Coast Line- Miami, FL 
Station stops...Chicago IL, Homewood IL, Kankakee IL, Lafayette IN,
   Indianapolis IN, Louisville KY, Bowling Green KY, Nashville TN, Decatur AL,
   Birmingham AL, Montgomery AL, Dothan AL, Thomasville GA, Valdosta GA,
   Waycross GAJacksonville FL, Winter Haven FL, Sebring FL,
   West Palm Beach FL, Delray Beach FL, Deerfield Beach FL, Fort Lauderdale FL,
   Hollywood FL, Miami FL
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...Illinois 88, Indiana 217, Kentucky 147, Tennessee 133,
   Alabama 351, Georgia 212, Florida 441
Changes...The South Wind, renamed to the Floridian during November 1971,
   operated from Chicago to Jacksonville, where it split into two sections. The
   St. Petersburg section through Orlando used the former Atlantic Coast Line,
   while the Miami section through Ocala used the former Seaboard Air Line route.
   The Floridian was cancelled on October 8, 1979. Four segments of this route
   are still used by Amtrak, 54 miles Chicago-Kankakee, 1 mile in Indianapolis,
   42 miles Folkston-Jacksonville, and 213 miles between Auburndale and Miami.
1971schedule

 

20-Silver Meteor
   New York to Miami 1,365 miles
Current line ownership...New York City, NY -226 Amtrak- CP Virginia, DC -
   -2 Norfolk Southern - RO, VA - 616 CSX - Richmond Hill, GA -
   -17 Riceboro Southern - Riceboro, GA - 60 abandoned - Seals, GA -
   -19 First Coast Railroad-Yulee, FL-158 CSX-Coleman, FL-54 abandoned-
   -Auburndale, FL -147 CSX- Mangonia Park, FL -66 Tri-Rail Commuter-
   -Miami, FL
1971 ownership...New York City, NY - 228 Penn Central - RO, VA -
   -112 Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac -
Richmond, VA -
   -1,025 Seaboard Coast Line-
Miami, FL 
Station stops...New York NY, Newark NJ, Trenton NJ, North Philadelphia PA,
   Philadelphia PA, Wilmington DE, Baltimore MD, Washington DC,
   Alexandria VA, Richmond VA, Petersburg VA, Rocky Mount NC, Wilson NC,
   Fayetteville NC, Florence SC, Charleston SC, Yemassee SC, Savannah GA,
   Thalmann GA, Jacksonville FL, Waldo FL, Ocala FL, Wildwood FL,
   Winter Haven FL, Sebring FL, West Palm Beach FL, Delray Beach FL,
   Deerfield Beach FL, Fort Lauderdale FL, Hollywood FL, Miami FL
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...New York 2, New Jersey 57, Pennsylvania 49, Delaware 22,
   Maryland 90, District of Columbia 8, Virginia 186, North Carolina 181,
   South Carolina 220, Georgia 114, Florida 436
Changes...The Silver Meteor began under Amtrak as one of the four New York to
   Florida trains. The Meteor and the Champion ran through Charleston, while the
   combined Silver Stars traveled through Columbia. This allowed passengers on
   both routes access to Miami as well as the Tampa area. During the early years
   the Meteor also had a different route south of Savannah through Georgia. On
   September 30, 1979, the train changed to the route of the Silver Star,
   through Jessup. Todays version of the Silver Meteor uses the same route
   between New York City and Savannah, as well as south of Auburndale to Miami.
Photos   Wikipedia

 

21-Champion
   New York to St. Petersburg 1,267 miles
Current line ownership...New York City, NY -226 Amtrak- CP Virginia, DC -
   -2 Norfolk Southern - RO, VA - 1,039 CSX - St. Petersburg, FL
1971 ownership... New York City, NY - 228 Penn Central - RO, VA -
   -112 Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac -
Richmond, VA -
   -927 Seaboard Coast Line -
St. Petersburg, FL 
Station stops...New York NY, Newark NJ, Trenton NJ, Philadelphia PA,
   Wilmington DE, Baltimore MD, Washington DC, Alexandria VA, Richmond VA,
   Petersburg VA, Rocky Mount NC, Wilson NC, Fayetteville NC, Florence SC,
   Charleston SC, Yemassee SC, Savannah GA, Jacksonville FL, De Land FL,
   Sanford FL, Winter Park FL, Orlando FL, Lakeland FL, Tampa FL,
    Clearwater FL, St. Petersburg FL
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...New York 2, New Jersey 57, Pennsylvania 49, Delaware 22,
   Maryland 90, District of Columbia 8, Virginia 186, North Carolina 181,
   South Carolina 220, Georgia 126, Florida 326
Changes...The Champion functioned as the St. Petersburg leg of the Silver Meteor
   during the 1970s, running through the Carolinas on the coastal route serving
   Charleston. Currently Amtrak passengers must change trains to travel between
   Charleston and the Tampa area. The Champion's entire route is still part of
   Amtrak's network, except for the 46 miles between Tampa and St. Petersburg.
1971schedule

 

22-Silver Star, St. Petersburg section splitting at Jacksonville
   New York to St. Petersburg 1,274 miles
Current line ownership...New York City, NY -226 Amtrak- CP Virginia, DC -
   -2 Norfolk Southern-RO, VA-141 CSX-Collier, VA-71 abandoned- Norlina, NC
   -56 CSX- Raleigh, NC -8 abandoned- Cary, NC -770 CSX- St. Petersburg, FL
1971 ownership...New York City, NY - 228 Penn Central - RO, VA -
   -112 Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac-
Richmond, VA -
   -934 Seaboard Coast Line -
St. Petersburg, FL 
Station stops...New York NY, Newark NJ, Trenton NJ, North Philadelphia PA,
   Philadelphia PA, Wilmington DE, Baltimore MD, Washington, Alexandria VA,
   Quantico VA, Fredericksburg VA, Richmond VA, Petersburg VA, Raleigh NC,
   Hamlet NC, Camden SC, Columbia SC, Savannah GA, Jacksonville FL,
   De Land FL, Sanford FL, Winter Park FL, Orlando FL, Lakeland FL,
   Tampa FL, Clearwater FL, St. Petersburg FL
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...New York 2, New Jersey 57, Pennsylvania 49, Delaware 22,
   Maryland 90, District of Columbia 8, Virginia 207, North Carolina 168,
   South Carolina 202, Georgia 143, Florida 326
Changes...Amtrak's Silver Star has been linking New York City with Miami and the
   Tampa Bay region for 35 years. The route has been stable north of Jacksonville,
   with the one change occurring between Richmond and Raleigh on October 26,
   1986. South of Jacksonville, the Silver Stars ran through Orlando to St. Petersburg
   and through Ocala to Miami, crossing each other in Auburndale. January 31, 1984
   saw the end of service to St. Petersburg, with Tampa becoming the end of the
   route. The current Silver Star heads south from Jacksonville through Orlando to
   Tampa, and then backtracks to Auburndale to reach Miami. Three segments of the
   1971 route are no longer used by Amtrak, 127 miles between Petersburg and
   Raleigh, and 46 miles between Tampa and St. Petersburg, and 3 miles in Columbia.
Photos   Wikipedia

 

23-Silver Star, Miami section splitting at Jacksonville
   New York to Miami 1,389 miles
Current line ownership...New York City, NY -226 Amtrak- CP Virginia, DC -
   -2 Norfolk Southern-RO, VA-141 CSX-Collier, VA-71 abandoned- Norlina, NC
   -56 CSX- Raleigh, NC -8 abandoned- Cary, NC -618 CSX- Coleman, FL -
   -54 abandoned - Auburndale, FL - 147 CSX - Mangonia Park, FL -
   -66 Tri-Rail Commuter-Miami, FL
1971 ownership... New York City, NY - 228 Penn Central - RO, VA -
   -112 Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac -
Richmond, VA -
   -1,049 Seaboard Coast Line-
Miami, FL 
Station stops...New York NY, Newark NJ, Trenton NJ, North Philadelphia PA,
   Philadelphia PA, Wilmington DE, Baltimore MD, Washington, Alexandria VA,
   Quantico VA, Fredericksburg VA, Richmond VA, Petersburg VA, Raleigh NC,
   Hamlet NC, Camden SC, Columbia SC, Savannah GA, Jacksonville FL,
   Winter Haven FL, Sebring FL, West Palm Beach FL, Delray Beach FL,
   Deerfield Beach FL, Fort Lauderdale FL, Hollywood FL, Miami FL
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...New York 2, New Jersey 57, Pennsylvania 49, Delaware 22,
   Maryland 90, District of Columbia 8, Virginia 207, North Carolina 168,
   South Carolina 202, Georgia 143, Florida 441
Changes...During the 1970s Amtrak trains 81 and 82 were the New York to
   St. Petersburg Silver Stars while 91 and 92 were the Jacksonville to Miami
   sections. Now Amtrak uses train number 91 and 92 for the New York to Tampa
   and Miami train. This route is still in use between New York City and Petersburg,
   Raleigh and Jacksonville, and Auburndale and Miami.
Photos   Wikipedia

 

Northeast Services

24-Lake Shore route train
   New York Grand Central Station to Buffalo 436 miles
Current line ownership...New York Grand Central Terminal, NY-74 Metro North-
   -Poughkeepsie, NY - 362 CSX - Buffalo, NY
1971 ownership... New York Grand Central Terminal, NY -436 Penn Central-
   -Buffalo, NY 
Station stops...New York NY, Croton-Harmon NY, Poughkeepsie NY,
   Rhinecliff NY, Hudson NY, Albany-Rensselaer NY, Colonie NY, Amsterdam NY,
   Utica NY, Rome NY, Syracuse NY, Rochester NY, Buffalo NY
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...New York 436
Changes...On May 1, 1971 Amtrak was running on the former New York Central
   Water Level Route from New York Grand Central Terminal only as far as Buffalo,
   436 miles. The Lake Shore began on May 10th, extending this service to
   Chicago. Due to funding difficulties, the Lake Shore was discontinued on
   January 6, 1972. The route was brought back on October 31, 1975, this time
   under the name Lake Shore Limited. Buffalo Central Terminal was used until
   October 28, 1979, replaced by Buffalo-Depew. On April 7, 1991, Amtrak opened
   the West Side connection, and the Lake Shore Limited moved from
   Grand Central Terminal in New York to Penn Station. Two short segments of this
   line are no longer used by Amtrak. One runs into Grand Central Terminal and the
   other traveled around Schenectady. 

 

25-Northeast Corridor
   Washington to Boston 457 miles
Current line ownership...Washington, DC -244 Amtrak- New Rochelle, NY -
   -56 Metro North- New Haven, CT -157 Amtrak- Boston, MA
1971 ownership...Washington, DC -457 Penn Central- Boston, MA 
Station stops...Washington DC, Capital Beltway MD, Baltimore MD,
   Wilmington DE, Philadelphia PA, North Philadelphia PA, Trenton NJ,
   Newark NJ, New York NY, Rye NY, Stamford CT, Bridgeport CT,
   New Haven CT, Old Saybrook CT, New London CT, Westerly RI,
   Kingston RI, Providence RI, Boston Back Bay MABoston MA
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...District of Columbia 6, Maryland 90, Delaware 22,
   Pennsylvania 49, New Jersey 57, New York 31, Connecticut 115,
   Rhode Island 51, Massachusetts 36
Changes...The Northeast Corridor was owned by the Penn Central Railroad until
   April 1, 1976. At that time, the New Rochelle to New Haven section was
   transferred to the State of Connecticut, and the remainder came under Amtrak's
   control. Penn Central's predecessors, the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York,
   New Haven and Hartford, had converted the Washington to New Haven line to
   electric operation. The electrification was completed to Boston during January 2000
   On December 11, 2000, the new Acela trains entered service. The NEC today
   remains the same as 1971, although ownership has changed and a series of
   upgrades have been completed.
Website  Photos  Wikipedia

 

26-Springfield line
   New York to Springfield 129 miles
Current line ownership...New York, NY -18 Amtrak- New Rochelle, NY -
   -56 Metro North- New Haven, CT -55 Amtrak- Springfield, MA
1971 ownership...New York, NY -129 Penn Central- Springfield, MA 
Station stops...New York NY, Rye NY, Stamford CT, Bridgeport CT,
   New Haven CT, Wallingford CT, Meriden CT, Berlin CT, Hartford CT,
   Windsor CT, Windsor Locks CT, Thompsonville CT, Springfield MA
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...New York 29, Connecticut 95, Massachusetts 5
Changes...The Northeast corridor between New York and Boston was electrified as
   far as New Haven. From there the main line passed through Providence, while a
   secondary line went north to Springfield, MA. This was owned by Penn Central
   until April 1976, when transfer to various Governments took place. Amtrak
   has been responsible for the New Haven to Springfield line since then. Amtrak
   passenger trains have been operating between New York and Springfield since
   May 1, 1971, and for a few months during 1971 originated from both Penn Station
   and Grand Cenrtal. The Bay State continued from Springfield to Boston, beginning
   on May 17, 1971 and ending March 1, 1975. The Montrealer and the Washingtonian
   also continued past Springfield, to Montreal, from September 29, 1972 until
   April 5, 1987. Since April 2, 1995 the Vermonter has been running past Springfield
   to St. Albans, Vermont, using the 1971 route between Penn Station and
   Springfield. The secondary route between Grand Central Terminal and New Rochelle
   is used by Metro North, but not Amtrak.
1971 schedule 

Schedules

1971 route expansion
Amtrak's first expansion took place on May 10, 1971 with the debut of the Lake Shore between New York and Chicago. This added Penn Central between Buffalo and Porter, Indiana to the network. The route lasted until Jan 6, 1972 but was brought back again on October 31, 1975.
The second addition was also on Penn Central, from Springfield MA to Boston. On May 17, 1971 a New York to Springfield train was extended east to Boston, under the Bay State name. This lasted until March 1, 1975.
The third new train was the North Coast Hiawatha, which began on June 5, 1971. It operated from Chicago to Seattle, returning passenger service to Burlington Northern's former Northern Pacific line between Minneapolis and Spokane.
September 8, 1971 saw the debut of the West Virginian over the Baltimore and Ohio between Washington and Parkersburg WV. 
And the fifth new train was the Illinois Zephyr between Chicago and West Quincy, Missouri, which started on November 14, 1971.

27-Lake Shore (May 10, 1971) 
   Chicago, IL to New York Grand Central Terminal 962 miles
Current line ownership...Chicago, IL - 2 Amtrak - 21st Street, IL -
   -326 Norfolk Southern- Berea -4 CSX- CP Short -6 Norfolk Southern-
   - Cloggsville -5 abandoned- Kinsman -455 CSX - Hoffmans, NY -
   -8 Amtrak-Carmen Jct., NY-82 CSX-Poughkeepsie, NY-74 Metro North-
   -New York NY
1971 ownership... Chicago, IL-2 Chicago Union Station-21st Street, IL-
   -960 Penn Central-
New York NY 
Station stops...Chicago IL, Hammond-Whitting IN South Bend IN, Elkhart IN,
   Bryan OH, Toledo OH, Sandusky OH, Elyria OH, Cleveland OH, Erie PA,
   Buffalo NY, Rochester NY, Syracuse NY, Utica NY
   Schenectady NY, Albany Rensselaer NY, Hudson NYRhinecliff NY,
   Poughkeepsie NYCroton-on-Hudson NYNew York NY
   More Station Photos
Mileage by State...Illinois 14, Indiana 155, Ohio 245, Pennsylvania 43,
   New York 505
Route Changes...On May 1, 1971 Amtrak was running on the former
   New York Central Water Level Route from New York Grand Central Terminal
   only as far as Buffalo, 436 miles. Passengers riding between New York and
   Chicago were handled with the Broadway Limited, through Philadelphia and
   Pittsburgh. The Lake Shore began on May 10th, extending this service to
   Chicago. Due to funding difficulties, the Lake Shore was discontinued on
   January 6, 1972. From May 10 until December 31, Cleveland Union Terminal 
   was used in Cleveland. The route was brought back on October 31, 1975, this 
   time under the name Lake Shore Limited. Buffalo Central Terminal was used
   until October 28, 1979, replaced by Buffalo-Depew Station. On April 7, 1991,
   Amtrak opened the West Side connection, and the Lake Shore Limited moved
   from Grand Central Terminal in New York to Penn Station.
Photos  Wikipedia

28-Bay State (May 17, 1971) 
   New York to Boston 227 miles
Current line ownership...New York, NY -18 Amtrak- New Rochelle, NY -
   -56 Metro North- New Haven, CT -55 Amtrak- Springfield, MA -77 CSX-
   -Framingham, MA -20 MBTA- Back Bay, MA -1 Amtrak- Boston, MA
1971 ownership...New York, NY -227 Penn Central - Boston, MA 
Station stops...New York NY, Rye NY, Stamford CT, Bridgeport CT,
   New Haven CT, Wallingford CT, Meriden CT, Berlin CT, Hartford CT,
   Springfield MA, Worcester MA, Framingham MA, Wellesley MA,
   Newtonville MABoston Back Bay MABoston MA
   More Station Photos
Mileage by State...New York 29, Connecticut 95, Massachusetts 103
Changes...Amtrak passenger trains began operating between New York
   and Springfield on May 1, 1971. The Bay State was a continuation of this
   service from Springfield to Boston, beginning on May 17, 1971. The last runs
   past Springfield were made on March 1, 1975. Amtrak returned on the
   Springfield-Boston line with the Boston section of the Lake Shore Limited on
   October 31, 1975. A second Bay State, linking Boston with Richmond, began
   running on October 20, 1984.
1984-Photos

29-North Coast Hiawatha (June 5, 1971) 
   Seattle to Chicago 2,300 miles
Current line ownership... Seattle, WA -1,889 BNSF- Division Street, MN
   -19 Canadian Pacific or BNSF- St. Croix Tower, MN -360 Canadian Pacific-
   -Rondout, IL -32 Metra- Chicago, IL
1971 ownership... Seattle, WA -1,889 Burlington Northern- Division Street, MN
   -19 Canadian Pacific or Burlington Northern- St. Croix Tower, MN
   -392 Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific- Chicago, IL
Station stops...Seattle WA, East Auburn WA, Ellensburg WA, Yakima WA,
   Pasco WA, Spokane WA, Sandpoint ID, Paradise MTMissoula MT,
   Deer Lodge MTButte MT, Bozeman MT, Livingston MT, Billings MT,
   Forsyth MT, Miles City MT, Glendive MT, Dickinson ND, Mandan ND,
   Bismarck ND, Jamestown ND, Fargo ND, Detroit Lakes MN, Staples MN,
   St. Cloud MN, Minneapolis MN, Red Wing MN, Winona MN, La Crosse WS,
   Tomah WS, Wisconsin Dells WS, Portage WS, Columbus WS,
   Milwaukee WS, Glenview IL, Chicago IL
    More Station Photos

Mileage by State...Washington 424, Idaho 72, Montana 774, North Dakota 367,
   Minnesota 380, Wisconsin 235, Illinois 48
Route changes...June 5, 1971, saw the introduction of the tri-weekly North Coast
   Hiawatha, a second train linking Seattle and Chicago. The NCL was combined with
   the daily Empire Builder between Seattle and Spokane, as well as between
   Minneapolis and Chicago. The train ran until October 7, 1979.
Photos    1971schedule

30-West Virginian (September 8, 1971)
   Washington, DC to Parkersburg, WV, 351 miles
Current line ownership...Washington, DC - 1 Amtrak - NEC, DC - 350 CSX -
   -Parkersburg, WV
1971 ownership...Washington, DC - 1 Penn Central - NEC, DC -
   -350 Baltimore and Ohio-
Parkersburg WV
Station stops...Washington DCSilver Spring MD, Brunswick MD,
   Harpers Ferry WV, Martinsburg WV, Cumberland MD, Keyser WV,
   Oakland MD, Grafton WV, Clarksburg WV, Parkersburg WV
   More Station Photos
Mileage by State...District of Columbia 6, Maryland 197, West Virginia 148
Route Changes...The first run of the West Virginian took place on September 8,
   1971, linking Parkersburg with the Nation's Capitol. The replacement for the
   West Virginian was the Shenandoah, running on the same route to Parkersburg,
   and continuing west to Cincinnati. The Shenandoah operated from October 31,
   1976 until September 30, 1981.  
TurboPhoto (Point of Rocks, MD)

31-Illinois Zephyr (November 14, 1971) 
   Chicago, IL to West Quincy, MO 262 miles
Current line ownership...Chicago, IL -1 Amtrak- Roosevelt Road, IL -261 BNSF-
   -West Quincy, MO 
1971 ownership...Chicago, IL-1 Chicago Union Station-Roosevelt Road, IL
  
-261 Burlington Northern- West Quincy, MO
Station stops...Chicago IL, La Grange Road IL, Naperville IL, Plano IL,
   Mendota IL, Princeton IL, Kewanee IL, Galesburg IL, Macomb IL, Quincy IL
   West Quincy MO
   More Station Photos

Mileage by State...Illinois 261, Missouri 1
Route Changes...On November 14, 1971, the State supported Illinois Zephyr began
   operating between Chicago and West Quincy, MO, on Burlington Northern trackage.
   The train was cut back, probably during 1995, to its current western end at
   Quincy, Illinois. The Carl Sandberg was added to the route during October 2006.
   Fiscal year 2006 ridership was 119,719, up 1.0% from FY2005 (118,493).  
Website  Photos  Wikipedia


 

Current line ownership summary
BNSF 6,235...Coast Starlight 208...Empire Builder 1,897..
   San Francisco Zephyr 1,037...Super Chief 2,126...Sunset Limited 196..
   Texas Chief 1,287...San Diegan 22  
Union Pacific 4,654...Coast Starlight 1,076...San Francisco Zephyr 1,370..
   Sunset Limited 1,822...Texas Chief 38...Abraham Lincoln, Prairie State 238..
   National Limited 274  
CSX 3,671...National Limited 236...James Whitcomb Riley 38..
   George Washington 469...South Wind 1,466...Silver Meteor 921..
   Champion 1,039...Silver Star 1,250...Lake Shore route 362  
Canadian National 953...Super Chief 2...Sunset Limited 2...Texas Chief 2
   Abraham Lincoln, Prairie State 35...City of New Orleans 916..
   James Whitcomb Riley 55...South Wind 55  
Norfolk Southern 816...Super Chief 29...Texas Chief 29...Wolverine, St. Clair 173
   Broadway Limited 517...National Limited 348...George Washington 78..
   Silver Meteor 2...Champion 2...Silver Star 2  
Amtrak 667...San Francisco Zephyr 1...Super Chief 2...Texas Chief 2..
   Abraham Lincoln, Prairie State 2...Wolverine, St. Clair 104..
   Broadway Limited 272...National Limited 270...George Washington 1..
   Silver Meteor 226...Champion 226...Silver Star 226...NEC 401..
   Springfield line 73  
Abandoned 447...Super Chief 17...Texas Chief 2...Broadway Limited 3..
   National Limited 180...James Whitcomb Riley 54...South Wind 108..
   Silver Meteor 114...Silver Star 133  
Canadian Pacific 380...Empire Builder 379...Wolverine, St. Clair 1
Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern 251...Broadway Limited 251
Buckingham Branch 200...George Washington 200
Metro North 141...Lake Shore route 74...NEC 56...Springfield line 56
California Northern 111...Coast Starlight 111
Columbus and Ohio River 108...National Limited 108
Louisville and Indiana 107...South Wind 107
Metrolink 86...Coast Starlight 45...Super Chief 42...Sunset Limited 1..
   San Diegan 45  
Central Railroad of Indiana 82...James Whitcomb Riley 82
Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern 75...James Whitcomb Riley 75..
   South Wind 75  
Tri-Rail Commuter 66...South Wind 66...Silver Meteor 66...Silver Star 66  
San Diego Northern 62...Coast Starlight 62...San Diegan 62  
Metra 32...Empire Builder 32
Ohio Central 32...National Limited 32
First Coast Railroad 19...Silver Meteor 19
Riceboro Southern 17...Silver Meteor 17 
Kansas City Terminal 9...Super Chief 9...Texas Chief 9...National Limited 6  
Pittsburgh and Ohio Central 9...National Limited 9
Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis 9...Abraham Lincoln, Prairie State 7
   National Limited 2
New Orleans Public Belt 5...Sunset Limited 5
New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal 4...Sunset Limited 4..
   City of New Orleans 4  
Kansas City Southern 3...Sunset Limited 3...City of New Orleans 1  
Conrail 1...Wolverine, St. Clair 1  
Total 19,233

1971 ownership summary (route mileage, overlap removed)
Southern Pacific 3,860...Coast Starlight 1,186...San Francisco Zephyr 780..
   Sunset Limited 2,018...Texas Chief 37  
Burlington Northern 3,099...Coast Starlight 186...Empire Builder 1,897...
   San Francisco Zephyr 1,037  
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 3,103...Coast Starlight 127...Super Chief 2,184
   Texas Chief 1,289...San Diegan 128  
Penn Central 3,040...Wolverine, St. Clair 277...Broadway Limited 1,041...
   National Limited 1,181...James Whitcomb Riley 230...George Washington 3
   South Wind 251...Silver Meteor 228...Champion 228...Silver Star 228...
   Lake Shore route 436...NEC 457...Springfield line 129  
Seaboard Coast Line 2,260...South Wind 1,081...Silver Meteor 1,025...
   Champion 927...Silver Star 1,337  
Illinois Central 1,191...Super Chief 2...Sunset Limited 2...Texas Chief 2...
   Abraham Lincoln, Prairie State 273...City of New Orleans 916...
   James Whitcomb Riley 55...South Wind 55  
Chesapeake and Ohio 663...George Washington 663
Union Pacific 588...Coast Starlight 1...San Francisco Zephyr 587
Louisville and Nashville 490...South Wind 490
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific 411...Empire Builder 411
Missouri Pacific 275...Sunset Limited 1...National Limited 274
Western Pacific 181...San Francisco Zephyr 181
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac 112...George Washington 6...
   Silver Meteor 112...Champion 112...Silver Star 112  
Southern 76...George Washington 76
Norfolk and Western 48...Super Chief 29...Texas Chief 29...
   James Whitcomb Riley 19  
Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis 11...Abraham Lincoln, Prairie State 7
   National Limited 4
Kansas City Terminal 9...Super Chief 9...Texas Chief 9...
   National Limited 6  
New Orleans Public Belt 5...Sunset Limited 5
New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal 4...Sunset Limited 4...
   City of New Orleans 4  
Kansas City Southern 3...Sunset Limited 3...City of New Orleans1  
Chicago Union Station 2...San Francisco Zephyr 1...Super Chief 2...
   Texas Chief 2...Abraham Lincoln, Prairie State 2...Wolverine, St. Clair 2...
   Broadway Limited 2  
Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal 1...Coast Starlight 1...
   Super Chief 1...Sunset Limited 1...San Diegan 1  
Houston Belt and Terminal 1...Texas Chief 1 
Total 19,233

State mileage summary
Alabama 351...South Wind 351
Alaska 0
Arizona 816...Super Chief 386...Sunset Limited 430
Arkansas 0
California 1,654...Coast Starlight 977...San Francisco Zephyr 229...
   Super Chief 321...Sunset Limited 253...San Diegan 129  
Colorado 448...San Francisco Zephyr 267...Super Chief 181
Connecticut 162...NEC 115...Springfield line 95  
Delaware 22...Silver Meteor 22...Champion 22...Silver Star 22...NEC 22  
Florida 762...South Wind 730...Silver Meteor 436...Champion 326...
   Silver Star 730  
Georgia 448...South Wind 212...Silver Meteor 114...Champion 126...
   Silver Star 143  
Hawaii 0
Idaho 102...Empire Builder 102
Illinois 1,321...Empire Builder 48...San Francisco Zephyr 204...Super Chief 231
   Texas Chief 231...Abraham Lincoln, Prairie State 278...
   City of New Orleans 361...Wolverine, St. Clair 14...Broadway Limited 14
   National Limited 157...James Whitcomb Riley 88...South Wind 88  
Indiana 648...Wolverine, St. Clair 45...Broadway Limited 154...
   National Limited 151...James Whitcomb Riley 196...South Wind 217  
Iowa 294...San Francisco Zephyr 274...Super Chief 20...Texas Chief 20  
Kansas 652...Super Chief 457...Texas Chief 282  
Kentucky 340...City of New Orleans 43...George Washington 150...
   South Wind 147
Louisiana 328...Sunset Limited 247...City of New Orleans 88  
Maine 0
Maryland 104...Broadway Limited 83...National Limited 83...Silver Meteor 90...
   Champion 90...Silver Star 90...NEC 90  
Massachusetts 41...NEC 36...Springfield line 5
Michigan 220...Wolverine, St. Clair 220
Minnesota 388...Empire Builder 388
Mississippi 295...City of New Orleans 295
Missouri 482...Super Chief 201...Texas Chief 201...
   Abraham Lincoln, Prairie State 4...National Limited 283  
Montana 668...Empire Builder 668
Nebraska 387...San Francisco Zephyr 387
Nevada 432...San Francisco Zephyr 432
New Hampshire 0
New Jersey 57...Broadway Limited 57...National Limited 57...Silver Meteor 57...
   Champion 57...Silver Star 57...NEC 57  
New Mexico 600...Super Chief 430...Sunset Limited 170
New York 499...Broadway Limited 2...National Limited 2...Silver Meteor 2...
   Champion 2...Silver Star 2...Lake Shore route 457...NEC 31...
   Springfield line 29  
North Carolina 349...Silver Meteor 181...Champion 181...Silver Star 168  
North Dakota 424...Empire Builder 424
Ohio 529...Broadway Limited 251...National Limited 256...
   James Whitcomb Riley 20...George Washington 2
Oklahoma 248...Texas Chief 248
Oregon 348...Coast Starlight 348
Pennsylvania 531...Broadway Limited 476...National Limited 463...
   Silver Meteor 49...Champion 49...Silver Star 49...NEC 49  
Rhode Island 51...NEC 51
South Carolina 422...Silver Meteor 220...Champion 220...Silver Star 202  
South Dakota 0
Tennessee 267...City of New Orleans 134...South Wind 133
Texas 1,283...Sunset Limited 933...Texas Chief 387...[overlap -37]
Utah 165...San Francisco Zephyr 165
Vermont 0
Virginia 607...George Washington 383...Silver Meteor 186...Champion 186...
   Silver Star 207  
Washington 580...Coast Starlight 177...Empire Builder 424  
West Virginia 218...National Limited 7...George Washington 211
Wisconsin 235...Empire Builder 235
Wyoming 447...San Francisco Zephyr 447
District of Columbia 8...Broadway Limited 6...National Limited 6...
   George Washington 2...Silver Meteor 8...Champion 8...Silver Star 8...
   NEC 6
Total 19,233

 

Other U.S. long distance passenger services after April 1971-

Alaska Railroad
   During the early 1970s the Alaska Railroad operated passenger trains from Anchorage 356 miles north to Fairbanks. Additionally, mixed trains ran the 63 miles from Anchorage to the port of Whittier. Thanks to tourism, especially from cruise ships, the Alaska Railroad hauls more passengers today that it did during the 1970s. Summer service also now runs from Anchorage to the other port of Seward. 
Website

Canadian National - VIA Rail
   Canadian National trains 686 and 687 operated between Winnipeg, Manitoba and Thunder Bay, Ontario with Budd RDCs. The route around the south end of the Lake of the Woods included 44 miles through Minnesota, from Longworth to Baudette. I believe the train simply passed through the United States without stopping. Service continued under VIA Rail until May 23, 1977.

Canadian Pacific - VIA Rail- 
   Canadian Pacific had two routes into the United States, both of which were passed on to VIA Rail. One run was with RDCs from Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario to Buffalo, New York, using the former New York Central line from the International Bridge. The last run of this route was on April 25, 1981, and it was replaced the following day by Amtrak's Maple Leaf.  '79 schedule
Canadian Pacific also operated the Atlantic Limited between Montreal and Saint John, New Brunswick. It traversed 201 miles of Maine from the Quebec Border to Vanceboro, Maine. VIA Rail began operating the train in September 1978 and shortened the name to Atlantic while extending the run east to Halifax. The Atlantic was suspended from November 15, 1981 until June 1, 1985. The last run of the Atlantic was on October 28, 1994.

Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad- 
   The Rock Island did not join Amtrak, and continued to run their Quad City Rocket and Peoria Rocket trains from Chicago's LaSalle Street Station.
The Quad City Rocket headed west from Chicago 181 miles to Rock Island, Illinois.
The Peoria Rocket used the same route for 114 miles to Bureau, Illinois, and then traveled another 47 miles south to Peoria. Both trains made their final runs on January 1, 1979.
Photo  Photo  Photo  1975schedule

Chicago, South Shore and South Bend  Railroad
   The South Shore route is still in service from Randolph Street Station in Chicago to South Bend, Indiana, 88 miles in length.
Website

Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad-  
   The Rio Grande was concerned about Amtrak passenger trains interfering with their fast freights, and elected to continue running their own passenger trains. The Rio Grande Zephyr connected  Denver, Colorado with  Salt Lake City, Utah, and passengers used a bus to meet Amtrak's San Francisco Zephyr in Ogden, Utah. The last run on the 295 miles between Salt Lake City and Grand Junction, Colorado was on April 18, 1983. The Denver to Grand Junction 255 mile route came to an end on April 24, 1983. The San Francisco Zephyr was renamed the California Zephyr on April 24, 1983, and began running on the D&RGW route on July 15, 1983. This delay was caused by the Thistle slide.
Website  Photo  1975schedule

Erie Lackawanna - Penn Central - Conrail
   Several railroads continued to run commuter trains after May 1, 1971, particularly around New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago. One of the longer isolated runs that continued was an Erie Lackawanna Railroad train from Union Terminal in Cleveland to Youngstown, Ohio. This 66 mile run was transferred to Conrail on April 1, 1976, and January 14, 1977 was the final day this train ran.
Another Conrail commuter train came from Penn Central, and ran from Union Station in Chicago to Valparaiso, Indiana, on a 44 mile route shared with the Broadway Limited. Conrail operated the train from 1976 until 1979 when Amtrak became the operator. Under Amtrak the train was named the Calumet, and made its last run on May 3, 1991.
Wikipedia  PC schedule

Georgia Railroad
   The Georgia Railroad continued to run their mixed trains in Georgia. The main route was on 170 miles between Atlanta (Hulsey Yard) and Augusta, formerly the Georgia Cannonball. The last mixed train ran on May 6, 1983, by then operated by Georgia Railroad's successor Seaboard System. Three other routes were Camak-Macon, 79 miles,  Union Point-Athens, 39 miles, and Barnett-Washington, 17 miles. The branches were pruned on April 29, 1983.

Soo Line Railroad
   The Soo line operated mixed train service until September 20, 1986 on two overlapping routes. The longer one was 370 miles from Neenah, WI, to Sault Ste Marie, MI. the other ran from Rhinelander, WI, to Gladstone, MI, a distance of 126 miles. The fare charged was $1 and riders were carried in the caboose.

Southern Railway
   The Southern Railway held on to their Southern Crescent, Piedmont and Asheville trains. The Southern Crescent traveled 1,153 miles from Washington, DC to
 New Orleans, LA, until conveyed to Amtrak on Feb 1, 1979. Amtrak shortened the name to Crescent and extended the route to New York. The Piedmont ran on the same route 633 miles between Washington, DC and Atlanta, GA. Southern's other train, the Asheville Special, connected Salisbury, NC and Asheville, NC, 139 miles, until August 8, 1975.
1975schedule  Wikipedia  Photos

Texas Mexican Railway
   The Texas-Mexican Railway initiated the Tex Mex Express on January 31, 1986, on a 157 mile line between Laredo, TX and Corpus Christie, TX. The final run was made on June 18, 1989.

Auto-Train Corporation
   Auto-Train Corporation was founded by Eugene Garfield, to haul passengers and their cars between Northern Virginia and Central Florida. Power for the service was provided by 13 GE U36B's, along with 4 Baldwin switchers. The auto carriers came from Canadian National, rebuilt with passenger trucks. The passenger cars all had domes, and most came from the ATSF or UP. Other cars came from BN, L&N, N&W, SCL, and WP. These passenger cars were placed behind the auto carriers, and steam generator cars were placed at the rear. Operating personnel were provided by the railroads, initially 4 on the RF&P and 5 on SCL. Auto-Train began on December 6, 1971, running between Lorton, VA and Sanford, FL. This service utilized 94 miles of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac and 766 miles of the Seaboard Coast Line. After the success of the first route, a second route was added on May 24, 1974 between Sanford, FL and Louisville, KY, 995 miles in length. The Louisville route was not successful, and was combined with Amtrak's Floridian later on, lasting until Sept. 4, 1977. AT suffered equipment shortages after a few derailments, and declared bankruptcy on September 7, 1980. The last Auto-Train arrived in Sanford on May 1, 1981. Amtrak believed the service on the original route could be profitable, and it was resurrected on October 30, 1983.
Wikipedia  Website  Photos  Photo

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dale’s Trackside Guides

#1-Amtrak's Current Routes
A detailed accounting of which railroad owns every mile of track used by Amtrak.

#2-Amtrak's Original Routes
A look at the routes used by Amtrak on May 1st, 1971.

#3-Amtrak's Abandoned Routes
A State by State list of routes previously used by Amtrak.

#4-Mississippi River Crossings
This is a study of the Railroad crossings over the Mississippi River.

#5-Continental Divide Crossings
A summary of the railroad crossings of the Continental Divide in North America.

#6-America's Regional Railroads
A look at the 62 current and former Regional Railroads in the United States.

#7-Class 1 Railroads in the 1950s 
A summary of the 127 class 1 railroads in 1950.

#8-The Milwaukee Road Mainline
Points of interest on the CMSP&P mainline from Chicago to Seattle and Portland.

#9-Montana Rail Link, I&MRL and IC&E Rosters

#10-AC Ownership
Owners of locomotives with AC traction motors.

#11-GP30 Ownership
A simple rundown of the dozens of owners of GP30 locomotives.

#12-1980
A look at the events that took place during 1980 affecting America's railroads.

#13-Iowa's Counties
A listing of the railroads operating in Iowa's 99 Counties today and in
1985 and 1930.  

#14-Ohio's Counties
A listing of the railroads operating in Ohio's 88 Counties today and in
1985 and 1930.

#15-Pieces of the Rock
Surviving rail lines and locomotives of the Rock Island Railroad.

#16-Missouri River Crossings
A study of the Railroad crossings over the Missouri River. 

Dale's Nexus

Dale
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, February 10, 2006 4:56 PM
Dale,
Thanks for the Great Information. Regarding the SFZ Change the 2nd time it was due to the lack of space for Mail Cars at Jack London
  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: Ely, Nv.
  • 6,312 posts
Posted by chad thomas on Friday, February 10, 2006 5:04 PM
Great rundown Dale!!!
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Upper Left Coast
  • 1,796 posts
Posted by kenneo on Saturday, February 11, 2006 12:56 AM
Now, we need the graphic -- "da map! ... da map!"
Eric
  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: Nanaimo BC Canada
  • 4,117 posts
Amtrak's Original Routes
Posted by nanaimo73 on Monday, February 13, 2006 1:54 PM
Thanks Guys.

QUOTE:
Now, we need the graphic -- "da map! ... da map!"

I can't do graphics, but there is a pretty good Amtrak map showing the original routes in the June 1991 Trains. I'll add station stops to make the routes clearer.
Dale
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Valparaiso, In
  • 5,921 posts
Posted by MP173 on Wednesday, February 15, 2006 8:57 AM
As usual...this is Hall of Fame material. I purposely didnt look at this post until today, knowing I would spend way too much time in the details!

BTW...is Terra Server great or what? No doubt it has taken mapping to the next level.

ed
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, February 16, 2006 8:58 PM
What happpend to the station in Dayton OH?
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, February 17, 2006 4:21 PM
good posting >>>you can also phone 1-800-USARAIL glennbob
  • Member since
    May 2002
  • 37 posts
Posted by Rwulfsberg on Friday, March 3, 2006 11:20 AM
Nice list. Good article explaining the James Whitcomb Riley/Cardinal routes across Indiana.

The Floridian was also a victim of the Penn Central's decay in the 1970's.

Somewhere in the mid-1970's (sometime after the Evansville-Nashville route and before 1977, when I rode it first), the Floridian was moved to the L&N (Monon) route from Chicago to Louisville, with stops in Lafayette (Lahr Hotel, while street running) and Bloomington. It kept that route until it was cancelled.

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Andover, MN
  • 33 posts
Posted by jimitimi on Monday, March 20, 2006 8:45 PM
Again, another great post
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 22, 2006 8:35 PM

 spbed wrote:
Hiya

I was at Temple TX recently & twice saw A/trak moving EB exit the UPRR @ Temple & move onto the BNSF line moving north & then stop at the Temple TX station. Which train was it? You can see the pix on my web site listed below for reference.
Smile [:)]

Originally posted by nanaimo73

 

That's ATK 22, the Texas Eagle, coming off the old Katy from Taylor onto BNSF. 

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: The Beautiful North Georgia Mountians
  • 2,362 posts
Posted by Railfan1 on Saturday, January 20, 2007 9:33 AM

 jimitimi wrote:
Again, another great post

Sign - Ditto [#ditto]

"It's a great day to be alive" "Of all the words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, It might have been......"
  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: Good ol' USA
  • 9,642 posts
Posted by AntonioFP45 on Thursday, February 8, 2007 7:14 AM

Outstanding thread!

At the same time it saddens me a bit to see that we had more service 30 years ago than today.  I remember seeing the Champion and the Floridian.  Tampa Union Station had six trains a day then.  Today, it's down to 2.  One Northbound and one Southbound Silver Star, which often run packed. 

 Obviously quite a number of these passengers are not big fans of Greyhound, air travel, or the highway.

"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"

 


  • Member since
    November 2006
  • 20 posts
Posted by RXRon on Saturday, February 24, 2007 5:17 PM
Hey  thanks  for  all  your  hard  work on  railroads  and  the  history  of.   You've  been a  valuble  resource  to  me,  keep  up  the  good  work

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