Ranking Long Distance Amtrak Trains

[George K]

My list (of trains I've ridden)

1) Empire Builder (both directions)

2) California Zephyr (Eastbound)

3) Acela (Northbound)

4) Coast Starlight (Southbound) - boarded at PDX and de-trained at EMY. Lots of night time. Perhaps Northbound would have been nicer

5) Capitol Limited

6) City of New Orleans - at #6 only because of scenery. Staff and service were great all 4 times.

7) Lake Shore Limited (Boston leg, Westbound)

 

[JoeBas]

Don't worry Tom. You pretty much get to choose your own criteria as long as it is an Amtrak train. As long as it travels a reasonably long distance it is fair game. No one can really deny anyone their opinion in an open ended thread like this. Just because the OP chose a criteria for his choices means nothing for the rest.

Yup. Allow me to demonstrate.

Best: Cardinal

Most others: Don't Care

Worst: Pennsylvanian

Worst ever: Broadway Limited.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Worst ever: SPs Sunset Ltd. with the Sleepers gone and the Infamous Vending Machine Car during the "Run 'em off days! "

Curious as to why the Broadway was your worst??

 

[Thirdrail7]

Worst ever: SPs Sunset Ltd. with the Sleepers gone and the Infamous Vending Machine Car during the "Run 'em off days! "

Curious as to why the Broadway was your worst??

He's being facetious...and I like it! ^_^

 

[Skyline]

Zephyr

Starlight

Chief

Builder

Capitol

Cardinal

Lake Shore

Meteor

CONO

Crescent

Sunset

Eagle

Star

 

[Asher]

So I'm trying to figure, whose list is the most accurate and should I try the top choice or avoid the bottom choices. this

 

[jphjaxfl]

Worst ever: SPs Sunset Ltd. with the Sleepers gone and the Infamous Vending Machine Car during the "Run 'em off days! "

Curious as to why the Broadway was your worst??

Espee had a number of Long Distance trains that were bad such as #39 and #40 former Imperial Chicago to Los Angeles via Rock Island to Tucumcari, NM and Espee the rest of the way with coaches only and the former Cherokee Imperial with through coaches only from Memphis to Los Angeles again Rock Island to Tucumcari and Espee the rest of the way. Santa Fe and UP had some sort of meal service on their Long Distance Locals and occasionally a sleeping car on the overnight portion.

 

[alang]

CZ#1

 

[jis]

So I'm trying to figure, whose list is the most accurate and should I try the top choice or avoid the bottom choices. this

Make your own. That by definition will be the most accurate for you! Use factors that are important to you yourself and don't depend on whatever cooky criteria others choose to use.

 

[JoeBas]

Worst ever: SPs Sunset Ltd. with the Sleepers gone and the Infamous Vending Machine Car during the "Run 'em off days! "

Curious as to why the Broadway was your worst??

Myou thoughts are my own! *grumbles* GD Elitist PRR, "Standard Railroad of the World" my butt...

 

[R30A]

Solely based on scenery:
1. California Zephyr

2. Coast Starlight
3. Cardinal
4. Capitol Limited
5. SW Chief
6. Empire Builder

7. Sunset Limited
8. Lake Shore Limited
9. Texas Eagle
10. Silver Star
11. Crescent
12. Silver Meteor
(Never been on the City of NOL.)
1-7 are great. 8/9 were still nice. 10-12 were pretty boring.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

Solely based on scenery:

1. California Zephyr

2. Coast Starlight

3. Cardinal

4. Capitol Limited

5. SW Chief

6. Empire Builder

7. Sunset Limited

8. Lake Shore Limited

9. Texas Eagle

10. Silver Star

11. Crescent

12. Silver Meteor

(Never been on the City of NOL.)

1-7 are great. 8/9 were still nice. 10-12 were pretty boring.

I have been on the Silver Star many times and just went on the Crescent the first time earlier this week. I found the Crescent to be much more scenic because it follows the mountains, where as on the Silver Star I found the scenery to be relatively boring with the exception of some areas in North Carolina and Virginia. I also find the urban scenery of the NEC interesting, but that is used by both trains.

 

[R30A]

I found both to be rather boring to be honest. I just rather like the bit on the Star going through NC. nice small towns.

 

[minstrel_miss]

I'm so curious! I have ridden the "Late" Shore many times and am always frustrated with its mandatory 1-3 hour delay. But Ive only been on a few other trains, so a question to those who rated the Lake Shore highly... Why? I'm interested in your broader perspective.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

I'm so curious! I have ridden the "Late" Shore many times and am always frustrated with its mandatory 1-3 hour delay. But Ive only been on a few other trains, so a question to those who rated the Lake Shore highly... Why? I'm interested in your broader perspective.

1. Dining Car

2. Good scenery

3. Great cities on route

Just about all of the LD trains have stuggled with OTP at one time or another, the only downside I see to this route is lack of Superliners.

 

[Seaboard92]

Based on enjoyment for me

1. The Cardinal

2. The Piedmont

3. The Silver Star

4. The Silver Meteor

5. The Capitol Limited

6. The Palmetto

7. The Carolinian

 

[Woodcut60]

Based on personal enjoyment as well as beautiful scenery I'd rank the California Zephyr first. Then the Coast Starlight and the Pacific Surfliner. The Alaska Railroad's Denali Star was also a very scenic route which I enjoyed a lot.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

Based on enjoyment for me

1. The Cardinal

2. The Piedmont

3. The Silver Star

4. The Silver Meteor

5. The Capitol Limited

6. The Palmetto

7. The Carolinian

I like the list, but aren't those all the same train? LOL.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

I discussed the LD trains in more detail: http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/69623-largest-metros-served-by-only-one-train-how-to-serve-them-better/?p=703794

The discussion centered around the largest metros lost and the route portions lost. The list don't include city pairs that wouldn't be possible like CHI-LAX if the SWC got cut and CHI-NYP if the LSL got cut (don't get me started on that other train).

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

I wonder if any of our personal rankings are affected by personal experiences aboard trains (good and bad).

On my recent trip aboard the TE we were doing fine until Longview but were we stuck waiting for freight trains twice, once between Longview and Mineola and once between Mineola and Dallas. I had to text/call my ride several times having to tell them to come later. I don't know if this is a common experience in Texas. I mean delays are certainly normal it's just I hate making people (especially family) have to wait for me, it's last minute waiting, and nobody likes having to be stuck on a train in the middle of nowhere. On my last trip in August 2015 on the CL the train was delayed getting into WAS and I missed my connection up to Philly (actually TRE) and others also missed their connection in PGH and had to be bussed to stations in Pennsylvania. I remember on the CZ getting stuck in the middle of nowhere because a tree fell on the track in Iowa. On the other hand, I have made to my count 2 1/2 trips aboard the SWC without any significant delays. Maybe you on the other hand took a trip on the SWC once, had a significant delay, and hate the SWC and will never travel on it again (although you don't really much of a choice between CHI-LAX and no other choice to visit Albuquerque or Kansas City). So maybe your experience on a train can negatively cloud your judgment of a specific LD train. Or a positive experience can inflate your experience.

Well now I can add the Texas Eagle to the list of trains I've been on. I now got to see the outside of the STL and Little Rock stations (I was awake at the middle of the night and stepped off the train at LR as well at STL). We didn't have time to go into either station. I saw the Gateway Arch from the train. I don't think I was ever on the Star, I'd like to try it, maybe I would try a sleeper on that train because I can get a room w/o paying for the meals. I'd like to try the Crescent one day to go to either Atlanta or New Orleans (I'd go to Charlotte except I'd arrive during the graveyard shift).

I think I've actually come up with a scenario I would take the Empire Builder! a) The Philadelphia Eagles make Super Bowl LII in February 2018 in Minneapolis and b) I am able to get tickets to go there. For those of you not into football, the Eagles lost their starting QB Carson Wentz for the season so the chances of a) happening are really slim and the chances of b) happening are even slimmer but if they do I'll actually ride the Empire Builder. The chances of me actually riding the Empire Builder through Rugby, North Dakota? Don't hold your breath!

 

[Palmland]

Pre-Amtrak Rankings:

1. Super Chief

2. Broadway Ltd.

3. 20th Century

4. Panama Express

5. City of St.Louis

6. City of San Francisco

7. Rio Grande/Burlington Zephyr

8. Southern Crescent

9. Mopac Texas Eagle

10.Sunset Ltd.

( I never got to ride the North Coast Ltd and the Milwaukee Road and Empire Builder Trains in the NW)

My favorite pre-Amtrak trains:
The Broadway Limited, all-Pullman until the end of the PRR

The Florida Special with its Recreation Car....bingo, movies, fashion show, television, telephone, candlelight dinner in diner, etc...

The combined Afternoon Zephyr/Empire Builder/North Coast Limited up to 8 dome cars!

The Panama Limited featuring the 'King's Dinner' in the diner

The California Zephyr

The combined Super Chief/El Capitan

The City of Portland with its dome diner

The Capitol Limited with its domes in the east featuring floodlights lighting the Allegheny scenery

And a whole lot more....

Great list, Railiner, at least for the waning days of pre Amtrak trains. I might add a personal favorite- the Gulf Wind - for its beautiful ex Crescent observation, heavyweight diner with the usual L&N/SAL excellent meals, and of course great scenery along the gulf.

Don’t think any Amtrak trains on the list measures up as far as service. But a good case could be made that some of Amtrak’s equipment is better (at least if well maintained).

 

[Ziv]

My favorites for scenery, plus for the city pairs they link AND the little towns inbetween:

1. Empire Builder The Hi Line is just a stark beauty that I can watch roll by for days. And frequently do!

2. Coast Starlight California and Oregon are simply beautiful, and the gradual shift from semi-arid/mediterranean type to oceanic wet and cool is really interesting to watch.

3. Cap Limited Twisting through the big hills of western Maryland/southern Pennsylvania and then through the industrial belts of the old Northwest, just a cool train ride.

4. Crescent I am not a huge fan of pine trees but DC to New Orleans is a great trip and any time you end up in NO, great dining is in your future. The ride is ok, but the destination is great.

5. Sunset Limited Texas and New Mexico are stark but beautiful. Loved this trip.

I have't ridden on any other Amtrak trains, but the ones I really want to ride are:

1. California Zephyr Photos of this trip look amazing. I would really like to try this both in late spring and winter.

2. Southwest Chief Again, the photos make this look amazing.

3. Auto Train What a civilized concept. Drop your car off, board a train, grab dinner, hit the sack, have breakfast in the diner watching Florida roll by, pick up your car near Orlando. Awesome.

 

[Chey]

Strictly in terms of service, SCA and dining staff:

Southwest Chief - never experienced anything but great service on this route

Pacific Surfliner

Crescent

Sunset Limited

Texas Eagle

 

[MiniMax]

I love the Sunset Limited. Riding from Los Angeles to New Orleans takes you through the magnificent deserts of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas before rolling into the Cajun country and the moss-laden trees above the swamps and swamp critters. Both of these climates are hostile to a comfortable life, but to observe them from the comfort of Amtrak never ceases to be fascinating. You arrive in New Orleans at night just as the music is cranking up. On the return trip the timing is such that you see all the sights that were passed in darkness. I also love the sights along the routes of the Zephyr, the Coast Starlight, Southwest Chief, and Empire Builder, but the Sunset Limited is the one I look forward to the most. I've got a round-trip coming up in April. Three months of exquisite anticipation.

 

[KmH]

Of the 4 LD trains I have been on:

1. California Zephyr - Climbing the Front Range, the Rockies, Moffat Tunnel, Fraser River, the Colorado River, Gore Canyon, Glenwood Canyon, Ruby Canyon, the book Cliffs, he 40 mile Desert, Truckee River, Donner Lake, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains make for 2 days of very pleasant scenery.

2. Sunset Limited - I've only been on it from LA to San Antonio but I grew up in Tucson surrounded by the Sonora Desert and basin & range topography. The desert southwest has a beauty that's different from the pine forests & rivers on the CZ route.

3. Southwest Chief - I've been on it GBB to LAX and Garden City, KS to Gallup, NM has a broad range of scenery that makes that part of the route a treat.

4. Texas Eagle - For me, the scenery I most want to see is traversed after dark, but it was nice seeing Ft. Worth & Dallas.