CHICAGO – Amtrak today marked the 90th anniversary of the Empire Builder, which travels across the country’s northern tier, allowing customers to experience the grandeur of the Mississippi River Valley, Great Plains, Rockies and the Cascade Range. Daily service between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest provides a vital intercity travel option connecting more than 40 communities in eight states.
WINTER PARK, Colo. – The Amtrak Winter Park Express trains set records for the service, including the most riders ever, in the 2019 season. Amtrak and Winter Park Resort leaders thank customers for choosing Amtrak to avoid traffic and to enjoy new features both aboard the train and at the resort named last year “Best in North America”.
Amtrak plans to offer the new schedules next month. While details remain to be finalized, northbound Train 851 will leave Indianapolis later than the current 6 a.m. departure time. Meanwhile, southbound Train 850 will return to Indianapolis earlier than today’s 11:39 p.m. arrival. The times at all the intermediate stops will also change.
This May 4 and 11, Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will offer additional service between Chicago and Holland, Mich., for Holland’s annual Tulip Time Festival.
WASHINGTON – Amtrak has informed federal, state and local officials along the route of the daily Southwest Chief that, with the enactment of the recent full-year funding bill by Congress, it will provide matching funds to enable a federal grant to be awarded for safety and reliability upgrades on the train’s route in Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico.
Dining choices for sleeping car customers on Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited trains will include more hot entrées and improved breakfast options, starting this week.
New this year, Amtrak Winter Park Express trains will have snacks and beverages available to all passengers on-board, using an Amtrak bi-level Superliner® Sightseer Lounge Car with windows that start at the floor level and wrap into the ceiling of the railcar.
Customers of Amtrak, Metra and other users of Chicago Union Station today enjoyed a holiday lighting ceremony like no other in the station’s 93-year history, showing off a Great Hall painted in its original colors, made brighter by a restored skylight and improved lighting accenting the historic space that has been Chicago’s front door since 1925.
Daylight Saving Time is ending this weekend, but Amtrak Saving Time starts now with a four-day sale for travel between Nov. 27, 2018, through May 22, 2019, on most routes to and from Chicago. There are no blackout dates, so this is a great time to scoop-up tickets on Amtrak.com or our free mobile apps for our roomy Amtrak coach seats to travel for December holidays, New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day or even spring break.
Amtrak is prepared to accommodate the surge of Thanksgiving travelers with extra trains in Downstate Illinois and Michigan, plus additional capacity on other Amtrak Midwest(SM) network routes for the holiday.
