United States
Country Details
See Wikipedia
National Railway System
The United States rail network has a complex mix of infrastructure ownership and passenger train operation. Most of the infrastructure is owned by private companies - principally BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific - which operate freight services only. Passenger services are provided by various public-sector bodies. The federal operator, Amtrak, runs long-distance and other inter-city trains, and local services are run by various state operators. Amtrak and some other operators also own parts of the infrastructure on which they run.
Infrastructure
There is a fairly consistent basic infrastructure standard for all main-line operators (i.e. not metros / light rail):
- gauge: standard
- electrification: none (but see Northeast Corridor below)
- rule of the road: right, but with extensive bi-directional operation
Variations are noted against individual operators.
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is the main line linking Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC. Due to a complex ownership and construction history, the Northeast Corridor electrification has three different systems, all overhead:
- Boston - New Haven (Connecticut): 25kV 60Hz
- New Haven - New York: 12.5KV 60Hz (includes Metro-North branches in Connecticut)
- New York - Washington: 12kV 25Hz (includes Philadelphia - Harrisburg, and SEPTA lines around Philadelphia)
Some NJ Transit branch lines connecting with the Northeast Corridor have 25kV 60Hz electrification.
Maps
- Printed: Steam Powered Video publish a series of rail atlases covering the United States but a number are now out of print.
Information
- The Man in Seat 61 site has a useful guide to train travel in the United States, including summary timetables and ticket details.
- Summary timetables for Amtrak and some other services are available in some editions of the European Rail Timetable.
- A real-time interactive map and other information for many "commuter rail" operators (and other transit services) is available at Pantograph. Note that this does not include Amtrak services.
Ticketing
Tickets are generally not interavailable between operators, even on shared routes. Exceptions may be identified in this Guide when known.
Amtrak
The main source of information is the website.
Map
Amtrak provide an interactive map, and also a PDF map: on the Routes & Destinations page, click the "National Route Map" button
Timetable
- Journey planner: on the website front page
- Online timetables: Amtrak no longer provides timetable PDFs but a complete calling point schedule per named service by direction is on line and can be located from the Amtrak home page by clicking on Schedules in the menu bar, and then on the train pictogram to choose by Route. The Rail Passengers Association publishes unofficial timetables in a similar format to the old PDFs, created from Amtrak data.
- Printed timetable: it is not known whether Amtrak still publishes a paper timetable. The compilers would welcome updates.
There is an archive of old Amtrak timetable PDFs, both official and unofficial, and other resources, at juckins.net.
Engineering Information
Real-time Information
- On the Amtrak website front page, click the "Train Status" button to check individual trains by origin/destination or by train number
- A real-time interactive map of Amtrak (and VIA Rail) trains is available on the TransitDocs website. Click on individual trains to view their details.
Ticketing
Amtrak offers several rail passes. Note that these do not provide unlimited travel within a particular period and area; there is a limit on the number of times any given route segment may be travelled, and the national "USA Rail Pass" permits only ten journey segments (point-to-point journeys on a single service). A rail pass is also not a travel document in its own right; for each journey on a rail pass, a conventional ticket must be issued, free of charge, with reservations as necessary.
Regional Routes
Various state-supported regional routes have their own websites, which may provide more information than is available from the Amtrak website.
- Capitol Corridor: Sacramento - Oakland - San Jose (California). The front page includes a PDF schedule.
- Cascades: Eugene, OR - Portland, OR - Seattle, WA - Vancouver, BC. Train Schedules includes a PDF schedule.
- Downeaster: Boston, MA - Brunswick, ME. Schedule and Fares includes a PDF schedule.
- Pacific Surfliner: San Luis Obispo - Los Angeles - San Diego (California). Schedules includes a PDF schedule.
- San Joaquins: Oakland / Sacramento - Stockton - Bakersfield (California). Schedules includes a PDF schedule.
Other Railways
Information for operators within individual states, including metro and light rail systems, is broken down by state:
| State | Status |
|---|---|
| Alabama | only Amtrak service |
| Alaska | see state page |
| Arizona (including Phoenix) | see state page |
| Arkansas | see state page |
| California (including Los Angeles and San Francisco) | see state page |
| Colorado (including Denver) | see state page |
| Connecticut | see state page |
| Delaware | service provided only by Amtrak and SEPTA (see Pennsylvania) |
| District of Columbia (DC / Washington city) | see state page |
| Florida (including Miami) | see state page |
| Georgia (including Atlanta) | see state page |
| Hawaii (including Honolulu) | see state page |
| Idaho | only Amtrak service |
| Illinois (including Chicago) | see state page |
| Indiana | see state page |
| Iowa | only Amtrak service |
| Kansas | only Amtrak service |
| Kentucky | only Amtrak service |
| Louisiana (including New Orleans) | see state page |
| Maine | only Amtrak service |
| Maryland (including Baltimore) | see state page |
| Massachusetts (including Boston) | see state page |
| Michigan (including Detroit) | see state page |
| Minnesota (including Minneapolis) | see state page |
| Mississippi | only Amtrak service |
| Missouri | see state page |
| Montana | only Amtrak service |
| Nebraska | see state page |
| Nevada (including Las Vegas) | see state page |
| New Hampshire | only Amtrak service |
| New Jersey | see state page |
| New Mexico (including Albuquerque) | see state page |
| New York | see state page |
| North Carolina | see state page |
| North Dakota | only Amtrak service |
| Ohio | see state page |
| Oklahoma | see state page |
| Oregon | see state page |
| Pennsylvania (including Philadelphia and Pittsburgh) | see state page |
| Rhode Island | service provided only by Amtrak and MBTA (see Massachusetts) |
| South Carolina | only Amtrak service |
| South Dakota | no rail passenger service |
| Tennessee (including Memphis and Nashville) | see state page |
| Texas (including Dallas and Houston) | see state page |
| Utah | see state page |
| Vermont | only Amtrak service |
| Virginia | see state page |
| Washington (state) | see state page |
| West Virginia | service provided only by Amtrak and MARC (see Maryland) |
| Wisconsin | see state page |
| Wyoming | no rail passenger service |
Note that some states do not have Amtrak service: Alaska, Hawaii, South Dakota, Wyoming.
Some state operators serve more than one state; the links in the table indicate the main entry for each operator:
| Operator | Service |
|---|---|
| MBTA | mainly Massachusetts; the Providence Line extends into Rhode Island, via Providence to Wickford Junction |
| CTrail Hartford Line | mainly Connecticut; extends to Springfield, Massachusetts |
| Metro-North | mainly New York; much of the New Haven Line and its branches are in Connecticut |
| PATH | metro-like service between New York city and nearby New Jersey |
| New Jersey Transit | services on many northern New Jersey routes operate to New York city; the Atlantic City Line runs to Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) |
| SEPTA | mainly Pennsylvania; the Trenton Line extends to Trenton, New Jersey; and the Wilmington / Newark Line to Newark, Delaware |
| PATCO | metro-like service between Philadelphia (PA) and Camden, New Jersey |
| MARC | mainly Maryland; all lines run to Washington DC; the Brunswick Line extends to Martinsburg, West Virginia |
| WMATA | Washington Metro lines extend into Maryland and Virginia |
| VRE | mainly Virginia; both lines run to Washington DC |
| NICTD (South Shore Line) | mainly Indiana; the line runs to Chicago (IL) |
| Metra | mainly Illinois; the Union Pacific North line extends to Kenosha, Wisconsin |
| St. Louis Metrolink | light rail service in Missouri and Illinois |
US Territories
There is a separate page for the US territory of Puerto Rico; the territories of American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands have no railways.
Tourist Lines
See Wikipedia
Obscure and Sparse Passenger Services
Alaska
Matanuska, south siding switch – South Palmer AK1
At the end of August/beginning of September each year the Alaska State Fair is held at Palmer. Alaska Railroad operate excursions from Anchorage on some days (2024 dates: 30 August, 31 August, 1 September); for timings see Alaska Railroad website. South Palmer is 4.2 miles from the junction. Report updated: July 2024
Anchorage, Airport Branch Junction – Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport AK2
This spur line [see schematic plan http://www.alaskarails.org/maps/S-Anchorage-2008.jpg] - 2.5 miles long - is used only by chartered trains for cruise companies Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Silversea which berth at Seward. Services in 2017 were: from Seward Cruise Dock at 0800 on alternate Thursdays for Silversea and at 0650 on Fridays for Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International, returning from the airport at about 1300 the same days, to connect into the respective vessels' evening departures. Tickets are obtainable only from the cruise line concerned. There are no booked workings over the north leg of the wye. Report updated: November 2017
Fairbanks AK3
To turn ready for their return journey, trains normally approach the station direct (0.2 miles) and leave around a balloon loop (1.3 miles - both distances from road overbridge) [see schematic plan http://www.alaskarails.org/maps/Fairbanks-2008.jpg]. Note that the current passenger station is on Golden Heart Lead, east of the road overbridge shown, while the previous (now closed) 1960-built passenger station was on the short south-facing spur on right of plan. Report updated: October 2013
Portage : wye AK4
The south-east leg of the wye at Portage is used by the summer-only Glacier Discovery train on the morning segment from Whittier to Grandview; it reverses at both south junction (to turn the train) and at Portage station (the north junction, to pick up/set down passengers). In the afternoon, the return working from Grandview to Whittier simply reverses at Portage station and does not use the south-east leg. Trains Anchorage ⇔ (a) Whittier or (b) Seward, respectively, use the other two legs of the wye. Report updated: March 2021
Seward AK5
There are two passenger "branches" at Seward, south of Yard Switch [see schematic plan http://www.alaskarails.org/maps/Seward-2008.jpg]. Note: Yard Switch is connection between Jesse Lee Main and Upper #8 passenger station: 1.2 miles of the original main line, to its current terminus, used by the summer-only Coastal Classic train Anchorage ⇔ Seward cruise passenger dock terminus: 1.3 miles of the coal dock/cruise dock branch, used only by chartered trains for cruise companies Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Silversea. Services in 2017 were as shown in entry AK2, plus a Sunday train at 0650 for Holland America to Anchorage station ("Historic Depot"), returning at 1230. All connect with vessel sailings. Tickets are obtainable only from the cruise line concerned. A summary of cruise ship arrivals and departures at Seward can be found via Schedules (but not all vessels have train connections!). Report updated: August 2021
Skagway AK6
In addition to the public service from the depot at Second and Spring Streets, the White Pass & Yukon Route operate chartered trains for cruise companies from alongside the several docks where the cruise ships berth. Tickets are obtainable only from the cruise line concerned. A summary of cruise ship arrivals and departures can be found at Skagway's Cruise Ship Calendar or Schedules. Report updated: August 2021
White Pass summit balloon
See under Canada - British Columbia. White Pass & Yukon Route trains to the summit only use a balloon loop at 21.4 mile post to return to Skagway. The summit itself is at the border - the new balloon is inside British Columbia.
Fraser balloon loop
See under Canada - British Columbia
