Latest news with #SouthwestChief
USA Today
31-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Proposed 72-hour train route between LA, NY aims to debut in 2026
A rail company is proposing a new privately funded train route that can begin transporting people between Los Angeles and New York City in less than 72 hours as soon as next year. Delaware-based group AmeriStarRail unveiled its coast-to-coast route called the Transcontinental Chief with hopes of it being operational by May 10, 2026, ahead of the United States' 250th birthday and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The goal date, which lands on National Train Day, is subject to operating agreements with various host railroads, the company clarified. The project has been presented to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, also known as Amtrak. AmeriStarRail argues that a partnership between the two companies would be mutually beneficial, emphasizing that the route would be more profitable than Amtrak's existing long-distance trains. AmeriStarRail CEO Scott Spencer said Amtrak is seeking more information on the planning and coordination of the proposed system. "This is a way to confront the challenges Amtrak faces and create opportunities for them to succeed," Spencer told USA TODAY. "We're hopeful that all the parties that are involved including the host railroads recognize what a great opportunity this is for our nation." Amtrak did not respond to multiple USA TODAY requests for comment. Transcontinental Chief to replace existing bicoastal routes AmeriStarRail said the Transcontinental Chief train would replace the Southwest Chief and the Pennsylvanian Amtrak routes that currently help transport people between Southern California and New York via stops in Chicago or Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. New Yorkers will board the train from the Hoboken Terminal in New Jersey, a three-mile ride to Lower Manhattan across the Hudson River through the Holland Tunnel. AmeriStarRail clarified that it's unable to directly stop in the Big Apple due to New York Penn Station tunnel restrictions for the passenger cars Amtrak uses, known as Superliners. However, there are no boarding restrictions in Los Angeles. The route would also include a single-level train section from Harrisburg to serve people in Washington, D.C., via Philadelphia, according to AmeriStarRail. "In discussion with various interests along the route, whether that be Victorville, California; Newton, Kanas; Lebanon, Pennsylvania, they recognize the economic engine that the Transcontinental Chief will be for their communities," Spencer said. Spencer added that the Transcontinental Chief would also offer travelers on Route 66 an alternative way back from their nearly 2,500-mile drive. Bicoastal route to be 'rolling rest stop for truckers' In addition to transporting passengers, the Transcontinental Chief would also transport truck drivers and their tractor trailers between the West and East coasts within the three-day span, according to AmeriStarRail. Through a roll-on, roll-off loading system, the route would serve as a "rolling rest stop for truckers" while offering a safe alternative to parking shortages, the company states. "At RailPorts along the route, truckers will be able to drive their entire tractor trailer trucks onto railroad flatcars and then rest and relax onboard Amtrak Coach, Sleeper and Dining cars as they travel 200 - 500 miles during their federally mandated 10 hour rest period," an AmeriStarRail news release states. Intending to debut next May, Spencer said the route would start with intermediate ports available in LA and New York City, with plans to incorporate more in the future. The company aims to transport cars, vans, motorcycles, RVs and charter motorcoaches, eventually also serving the Grand Canyon and Chicago.
Sydney Morning Herald
23-04-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
A legendary train leads to one of America's most stunning sights
This article is part of Traveller's Holiday Guide to train journeys. See all stories. It's early – very early – as I stumble off Amtrak's Southwest Chief train into pre-dawn darkness in Flagstaff, Arizona. Ahead of me is the attractive mock-Tudor form of the railway station, and next to that is a minibus waiting to convey me to the town of Williams and the Grand Canyon Railway. Following this route feels like an immersion in American railway history. Before cars and planes were commonplace, this was how people visited the otherwise remote Grand Canyon. From 1901 to its closure in 1968, the Grand Canyon Railway conveyed passengers – including presidents from Theodore Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower, and Hollywood stars like Clark Gable and Doris Day – from the main Chicago-Los Angeles line to that natural wonder. More than two decades later, in 1989, the railway was reborn purely as a tourist operation. I've been meaning to take this train for years, so I'm excited to finally be on my way to its southern terminus. After dropping my luggage at the railway's hotel in Williams, I have breakfast in its Fred Harvey Restaurant, an echo of the Harvey Houses that once fed train passengers in the western US. The train is due to depart for the Grand Canyon at 9.30am, but first there's a live show in a mocked-up Wild West town that involves whip-cracking skills, gunshots and broad comedy from several blokes in cowboy gear. Little do I realise I'll be seeing them again later, when they stage a theatrical hold-up of the returning train. The train itself is an appealing collection of streamlined carriages. Boarding the 1968 Kokopelli car (named after a Hopi fertility god), I find myself in a first-class seat with burgundy upholstery above floral carpeting. Our carriage attendant is Alicia, a livewire who dispenses commentary and takes orders for outlandish drinks such as the Peppermint Patty (involving peppermint schnapps and hot chocolate). To complement her efforts, a roaming guitarist plays music, and there's a table of sweet snacks to enjoy. As for the scenery, it's a slow burn as we trundle first across a green plain with low hills and bushes, which gradually transforms into a rocky, arid landscape. Approaching the canyon, it changes once again, as the railway becomes surrounded by trees. After just over two hours we arrive at Grand Canyon Village, the settlement that developed around the railway. A walk up a set of steps takes me toward the South Rim, with the Grand Canyon beyond. I decide to approach this marvel with eyes lowered (not closed, I'm not that reckless), so I can take it in all at once.
The Age
23-04-2025
- The Age
A legendary train leads to one of America's most stunning sights
This article is part of Traveller's Holiday Guide to train journeys. See all stories. It's early – very early – as I stumble off Amtrak's Southwest Chief train into pre-dawn darkness in Flagstaff, Arizona. Ahead of me is the attractive mock-Tudor form of the railway station, and next to that is a minibus waiting to convey me to the town of Williams and the Grand Canyon Railway. Following this route feels like an immersion in American railway history. Before cars and planes were commonplace, this was how people visited the otherwise remote Grand Canyon. From 1901 to its closure in 1968, the Grand Canyon Railway conveyed passengers – including presidents from Theodore Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower, and Hollywood stars like Clark Gable and Doris Day – from the main Chicago-Los Angeles line to that natural wonder. More than two decades later, in 1989, the railway was reborn purely as a tourist operation. I've been meaning to take this train for years, so I'm excited to finally be on my way to its southern terminus. After dropping my luggage at the railway's hotel in Williams, I have breakfast in its Fred Harvey Restaurant, an echo of the Harvey Houses that once fed train passengers in the western US. The train is due to depart for the Grand Canyon at 9.30am, but first there's a live show in a mocked-up Wild West town that involves whip-cracking skills, gunshots and broad comedy from several blokes in cowboy gear. Little do I realise I'll be seeing them again later, when they stage a theatrical hold-up of the returning train. The train itself is an appealing collection of streamlined carriages. Boarding the 1968 Kokopelli car (named after a Hopi fertility god), I find myself in a first-class seat with burgundy upholstery above floral carpeting. Our carriage attendant is Alicia, a livewire who dispenses commentary and takes orders for outlandish drinks such as the Peppermint Patty (involving peppermint schnapps and hot chocolate). To complement her efforts, a roaming guitarist plays music, and there's a table of sweet snacks to enjoy. As for the scenery, it's a slow burn as we trundle first across a green plain with low hills and bushes, which gradually transforms into a rocky, arid landscape. Approaching the canyon, it changes once again, as the railway becomes surrounded by trees. After just over two hours we arrive at Grand Canyon Village, the settlement that developed around the railway. A walk up a set of steps takes me toward the South Rim, with the Grand Canyon beyond. I decide to approach this marvel with eyes lowered (not closed, I'm not that reckless), so I can take it in all at once.
