List of major cities in U.S. lacking inter-city rail service

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Several major cities and regional business centers in the continental United States lack Amtrak or some form of inter-city passenger rail service. Four of these metropolitan areas boast more than one million residents. Other than the service provided by the Alaska Railroad, there is no U.S.-based interstate passenger rail service outside of 46 of the contiguous states and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec; there is no inter-city passenger rail service to the states of South Dakota or Wyoming. For purposes of this list, a city is considered served if it is within 30 miles (48 km) of an Amtrak or other inter-city passenger rail station. However, some of these cities may be served directly by Thruway Motorcoach. Unless otherwise noted, the provider of the last passenger service is noted in each of the following cities was Amtrak. A partial list of the cities with a greater metropolitan population of over 100,000 that are not served by some form of inter-city rail service is as follows (in order by decreasing population):[1][2]

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City Metropolitan area population (2019 est.)[3] Notes
Las Vegas, Nevada 2,266,715 Last service was the Desert Wind in 1997. Planned high-speed rail service by Brightline West to Enterprise, Nevada expected in 2024. Amtrak service is also proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Columbus, Ohio 2,122,271 Last service was the National Limited in 1979. Largest city in the United States without rail transport of any kind. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Nashville, Tennessee 1,934,317 Last inter-city service was the Floridian in 1979. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan while a Nashville route has been in early talks since January 2020.[4][5] Commuter rail service provided by the Music City Star.
Louisville, Kentucky 1,265,108 Last service was the Kentucky Cardinal in 2003. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Tulsa, Oklahoma 998,628 Last service was the Santa Fe's The Tulsan in 1971. Several plans for rail service have been proposed, but all of them have fallen through.[6]
Honolulu, Hawaii 974,563 Never had inter-city rail service. New Honolulu Rail Transit light rail line is currently under construction and planned to open in 2021.
Knoxville, Tennessee 869,046 Last service was the Southern Railway's Pelican in 1970.
McAllen, Texas 868,707 Last service was the Southern Pacific's McAllen-Brownsville shuttle in 1952.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 854,884 Last service was the Kansas City Southern's Southern Belle in 1969. New service from New Orleans has been studied and has support.[7] Amtrak service is also proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Allentown – Bethlehem – Easton, Pennsylvania 844,046 Last service was regional service in 1981, carried by SEPTA. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
North Port – Sarasota – Bradenton, Florida – Venice, Florida 836,995 Last service was the Seaboard Coast Line's Champion in 1971.[8]
Dayton, Ohio - Springfield, Ohio 807,611 Last service was the National Limited in 1979. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Fort Myers, Florida 770,517 Last service was the Seaboard Coast Line's Champion in 1971.[9]
Boise, Idaho 749,202 Last service was the Pioneer in 1997.
Colorado Springs, Colorado 745,791 Last service was Burlington Route's Texas Zephyr in 1967. New service planned as a new section of the Southwest Chief to Colorado Springs under study.[10] Amtrak service is also proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Des Moines, Iowa 699,292 Last service was the Rock Island's Des Moines Rocket and Corn Belt Rocket, both ending in 1967. There were plans for a new service from Chicago to Des Moines and Omaha but Iowa refused to provide funds for operations.[11]
Augusta, Georgia 608,980 Last traditional passenger service was by the Georgia Railroad in 1969, although the Georgia provided a little-used mixed train service until 1983.[citation needed]
Space Coast area (Cocoa Beach – Melbourne – Palm Bay – Titusville, Florida) 601,942 Last had passenger service in 1968, when the Florida East Coast Railroad ended its operations. The last interstate trains were in 1963 when the East Coast Champion and City of Miami routes were moved inland from the Atlantic Coast. The Havana Special ended entirely that year. However, a private regional rail line, Brightline, is now open between Miami and West Palm Beach with an extension planned to Orlando. It will use the FEC right-of-way, and a newly built segment Cocoa Beach-Orlando.
Chattanooga, Tennessee 565,194 Last service was the Louisville and Nashville's The Georgian in 1971. New service possible via proposed Nashville route and the American Jobs Plan mentioned above.[5][4]
Scranton – Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 553,885 Last service was the Erie Lackawanna's Lake Cities in 1970. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Antelope Valley (Lancaster – Palmdale, California)[12] 541,726 Last service was the Southern Pacific's San Joaquin Daylight and Sacramento Daylight in 1971. Currently served by Metrolink commuter rail. California High-Speed Rail planned for 2033.
Youngstown, Ohio 536,081 Last service was the Three Rivers in 2005.
Fayetteville, Arkansas 534,901 Last service was a section of the Frisco's Meteor in 1965.
Tri-Cities area (Kingsport/Johnson City/Bristol, Tennessee, Bristol, Virginia) 530,385 Last service was the Norfolk and Western and Southern Railway's unnamed successor train to their Birmingham Special in 1971. Virginia officials are working on bringing Amtrak service to Bristol.[13][14]
Lexington, Kentucky 517,056 Last service was the Southern Railway's Royal Palm in 1970 and the Chesapeake and Ohio's George Washington in 1971.
Pensacola, Florida 502,629 Service suspended August 2005, on Sunset Limited east of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. It is proposed to return service to the line.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 496,901 Last service was a mixed train operated by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1955.[15]
Santa Rosa, California 494,336 Last intercity service was an unnamed Northwestern Pacific Railroad train in 1958. Currently served by the SMART commuter rail line.
Treasure Coast area (Fort Pierce - Port St. Lucie – Sebastian – Vero Beach, Florida) 489,297 Last had passenger service in 1968, when the Florida East Coast Railroad ended its operations. The last interstate trains were in 1963 when the East Coast Champion and City of Miami routes were moved inland from the Atlantic Coast. The Havana Special ended entirely that year. However, a private regional rail service, Brightline, is now open Miami-West Palm Beach with an extension planned to Orlando. It will use the FEC right-of-way, and a newly built segment Cocoa Beach-Orlando.
Huntsville, Alabama 471,824 Last service was the Southern Railway's Tennessean in 1968.
Springfield, Missouri 470,300 Last service was the Frisco's Meteor and Will Rogers in 1967.
Asheville, North Carolina 462,680 Last service was the Southern Railway's Asheville Special in 1975. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Mobile, Alabama 429,536 Service suspended August 2005, on Sunset Limited east of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. As stated with the Mississippi part of the route, service could come back as early as January 2022.[16]
Corpus Christi, Texas 429,024 Last service was the Texas Mexican Railway's Tex Mex Express in 1986.
Brownsville, Texas 423,163 Last service was the Missouri Pacific Railroad's Pioneer in 1964.
Gulfport – Biloxi – Pascagoula, Mississippi 417,665 Service suspended August 2005, on Sunset Limited east of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Amtrak has announced Gulf Coast Service between New Orleans and Mobile would start as early as January 2022 once repairs are made.[16]
Manchester – Nashua, New Hampshire 417,025 Last service was unnamed successor train to the Boston and Maine's Alouette in 1965. Extension of MBTA's Lowell Line proposed.
Salisbury – Ocean City, Maryland 415,726 Last service was the Pennsylvania Railroad's Del-Mar-Va Express in 1958.
Appleton – Oshkosh – Neenah, Wisconsin 409,881 Last service was an unnamed remnant of the Chicago and North Western's Peninsula 400 in 1971. At least part of the area could see proposed Amtrak service under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Peoria, Illinois 400,561 Last service was the Prairie Marksman in 1981. However, Amtrak continued to stop at Chillicothe, 20 miles north, until 1996. New service to Peoria was studied by Illinois DOT.[17]
Shreveport – Bossier City, Louisiana 394,706 Last service was the Kansas City Southern's Southern Belle in 1969. Planned Amtrak service from Birmingham to Dallas/Fort Worth via Shreveport never materialized, service from the city to Dallas being studied by DOT.[18]
Tallahassee, Florida 387,227 Service suspended August 2005, on Sunset Limited east of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. It is proposed to return service to the line.
Naples, Florida 384,902 Last service was local connector Atlantic Coast Line service in the 1950s, between Ft. Myers and Naples.
Quad Cities area (Davenport/Bettendorf, Iowa, Rock Island/Moline, Illinois) 379,172 Last service was the Rock Island's Quad Cities Rocket in 1979. A proposed line that would use the same name would bring service back to Moline and is supported by local officials and the American Jobs Plan.[19][4]
Montgomery, Alabama 373,290 Last service was the Gulf Breeze in 1995. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, North Carolina 369,711 Last service was the North Carolina branch of the Southern Railway's Carolina Special in 1968. At least part of the area could see proposed Amtrak service under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Fort Collins, Colorado 356,899 Last service was the Burlington Route's Shoshone in 1967. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Midland – Odessa, Texas 348,826 Last service was the Missouri Pacific's West Texas Eagle in 1969.
Ocala, Florida 343,254 Last service was the Palmetto in 2004, when Amtrak truncated the run to Savannah, Georgia.
Rockford, Illinois 336,116 Last service was the Black Hawk in 1981. New service under the same train name that was planned by 2015 was suspended by Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, but was restored in 2019 by Governor J.B. Pritzker.[20][21] Amtrak service is also proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Gainesville, Florida 329,128 Last service was the Seaboard Coast Line's South Wind in 1971, when the train was rerouted via Orlando.
Greeley, Colorado 324,492 Last service was the Pioneer in 1997.
Green Bay, Wisconsin 322,906 Last service was an unnamed remnant of the Chicago and North Western's Peninsula 400 in 1971. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Lubbock, Texas 322,257 Last service was the Santa Fe's unnamed service between Temple and Clovis, New Mexico, ending between 1968 and 1970.
Columbus, Georgia 321,048 Last service was the Illinois Central's City of Miami in 1971. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Evansville, Indiana 315,086 Last service was the Louisville and Nashville's The Georgian in 1971.
Clarksville, Tennessee 307,820 Last service was a Memphis section of the L&N's Pan-American in 1965.
Wilmington, North Carolina 297,533 Last service was the Seaboard Coast Line's Palmetto in 1968. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Twin Ports area (Duluth, Minnesota, Superior, Wisconsin) 288,732 Last service was the North Star in 1985. There are plans to restore passenger service from St. Paul before 2020.[22] Amtrak service is also proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Crestview – Fort Walton Beach – Destin, Florida 284,809 Service suspended August 2005, on Sunset Limited east of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. It is proposed to return service to the line.
Laredo, Texas 276,652 Last service was the Inter-American in 1981.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 273,032 Last service was the Rock Island's Zephyr Rocket on April 8, 1967, with the Milwaukee Road ending service on the combined "City of Everywhere" on May 30, 1971 at nearby Marion.[23][24] Amtrak service is proposed in Iowa City, Iowa 20 miles to the south under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Sioux Falls, South Dakota 268,232 Last service was a Sioux Falls section of the Milwaukee Road's Arrow in September 1965.
Amarillo, Texas 265,053 Last service was the Santa Fe's San Francisco Chief in 1971.
College Station – Bryan, Texas 264,728 Last service was the Dallas-Houston section of the Texas Eagle in 1995. Texas Central Railway service is projected to operate in the vicinity in 2026. Amtrak service is also proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Atlantic City, New Jersey 263,670 Last inter-city service was the Atlantic City Express in 1995. Currently served by NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line.
Bloomsburg–Berwick–Sunbury, Pennsylvania 259,332 Last service was a Penn Central remnant of the Pennsylvania Railroad's Buffalo Day Express in 1971.[25][citation needed]
Yakima, Washington 250,873 Last service was in 1981 when the Empire Builder was rerouted through Everett, Washington.
Fort Smith, Arkansas 250,368 Last service was a section of the Frisco's Meteor in 1965.
North Las Vegas, Nevada 249,369 Last service was the Desert Wind at Las Vegas in 1997. As with Las Vegas, there is a planned high-speed rail service by Brightline West to Enterprise, Nevada expected in 2024. Amtrak service is also proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Binghamton, New York 238,691 Last service was the Erie Lackawanna's Lake Cities in 1970.
Macon, Georgia 229,996 Last service was the Central of Georgia's Nancy Hanks II in 1971. Amtrak service between Atlanta and Savannah with a stop in Macon is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Bay Minette – Daphne – Fairhope – Foley, Alabama 223,234 Last service was the Gulf Breeze in 1995. Amtrak's Sunset Limited made stops in nearby Atmore, Alabama, Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida until service was suspended in 2005 during Hurricane Katrina.
Rochester, Minnesota 221,921 Last service was the Chicago and North Western Railroad's Rochester 400 in 1963.
Medford, Oregon 220,944 Last service was the Southern Pacific's River Rogue in the 1950s.
Las Cruces, New Mexico 218,195 Last service was the Santa Fe's El Pasoan in 1968.
Lima–Van Wert–Celina, Ohio 217,454[26] Last service was in 1991, when the Broadway Limited and the Capitol Limited were rerouted.
Athens, Georgia 213,750 Last service was the Seaboard Coast Line's Silver Comet in 1969.
Monroe, Louisiana 200,261 Last service was a Little Rock-Alexandria section of the Missouri Pacific's Texas Eagle in 1967; and the Southwestern Limited also in 1967.
Bend, Oregon 197,692 Last service was a regional mixed train run by the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway, in the late 1960s.
Saginaw, Michigan 190,539 Last service was the New York Central's local service to the area in 1964.[27][citation needed]
Punta – Port Charlotte – Boca Grande, Florida 188,910 Last service was Seaboard Air Line Railroad passenger service in the 1950s.
Terre Haute, Indiana 186,367 Last service was the National Limited in 1979.
Billings, Montana 181,667 Last service was the North Coast Hiawatha in 1979.
Dover, Delaware 180,786 Last service was the Pennsylvania Railroad's Blue Diamond in 1965.
Joplin, Missouri 179,564 Last service was the Kansas City Southern's Southern Belle in 1969.
Bowling Green, Kentucky 179,240 Last service was the Floridian in 1979.
Elmira – Corning, New York 178,832[28] Last service was the Erie Lackawanna's Lake Cities in 1970.
Jackson, Tennessee 178,644 Last service the Illinois Central's City of Miami train in 1971.
St. George, Utah 177,556 Although no line (nor any railroad tracks) runs through, the city is connected to Amtrak by Thruway Motorcoach.
Panama City, Florida 174,705 Last service was Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay Railroad passenger service in 1957.
Muskegon, Michigan 173,566 Last service was the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway's passenger service in 1971.
Iowa City, Iowa 173,105 Last service was the Rock Island's Des Moines Rocket and Corn Belt Rocket. New service was possible around 2016, but did not work out.[29] Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Abilene, Texas 172,060 Last service was the Missouri Pacific's West Texas Eagle in 1969.
East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania 170,271 Last service was the Erie Lackawanna's Lake Cities in 1970.
Eau Claire – Menomonie, Wisconsin 169,304 Last service was the Chicago and North Western Railroad's Twin Cities 400 in 1963. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Bloomington, Indiana 169,230 Last service was the Floridian in 1979.
Waterloo – Cedar Falls, Iowa 168,522 Last service was the Illinois Central's Hawkeye in 1971.
Pueblo, Colorado 168,424 Last service was a Denver-La Junta connecting train operated by the Santa Fe Railway in 1971. New service planned as a new section of the Southwest Chief to Colorado Springs under study.[30] Amtrak service is also proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Blacksburg – Christiansburg, Virginia 167,531 Last service was the Hilltopper in 1979. New service being studied by VDOT.[31] Amtrak service is also proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Tupelo, Mississippi 166,379[32] Last service was the Frisco and Southern Railway's Kansas City-Florida Special in 1964.
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho 165,697 Last service was by Great Northern Railway. However, Spokane, Washington, 34 miles to the west, has Amtrak service in the Empire Builder.
Auburn – Opelika, Alabama 164,542 Last service was the Illinois Central Railroad's City of Miami serving Opelika, part of the Auburn MSA, which had its last run in 1971. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Janesville, Wisconsin 163,354 Last service was the Lake Country Limited in 2001.
Wausau – Marshfield, Wisconsin 163,285 Last service was the Soo Line's Laker in 1965
Chambersburg – Waynesboro, Pennsylvania 155,027 Last service was the Pennsylvania Railroad's Nos. 638-645 (part of unnamed New York-Roanoke route via the Norfolk & Western's Shenandoah Route) in 1962.
Elizabethtown, Kentucky 153,928 Last service was the L&N's Pan-American in 1971.
Decatur, Alabama 152,603 Last service was the Floridian in 1979.
Bangor, Maine 152,148 Last service was the Boston and Maine's State of Maine Express and Bar Harbor Express in 1960. Extension of Downeaster service studied.
Alexandria, Louisiana 152,037 Last service was the Kansas City Southern's Southern Belle in 1969.
Idaho Falls, Idaho metropolitan area 151,530 The last long distance train was the Union Pacific's Butte Special in 1971.
Wichita Falls, Texas 151,254 Last service was the Burlington Route's Texas Zephyr in 1967.
Traverse City, Michigan 150,475[33] Last service was an unnamed successor C&O/B&O Railroad train to the Resort Special in 1967. New service under study.
Homosassa Springs, Florida 149,657 Last service was Atlantic Coast Line Railroad passenger service in 1957.
Vineland – Millville – Bridgeton, New Jersey 149,527 Last service was Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines commuter rail service in 1971.
Parkersburg – Vienna, West Virginia – Marietta, Ohio 149,469[34] Last service was the Shenandoah in 1981.
Ithaca – Cortland, New York 149,381[35] Last service was the Lehigh Valley's Maple Leaf in 1961.
Dothan, Alabama 149,358 Last service was the Floridian in 1979.
Florence – Muscle Shoals, Alabama 147,970 Last service was the Southern Railway's Tennessean in 1968.
Albany, Georgia 146,726 Last service was the Illinois Central's City of Miami in 1971.
Dalton, Georgia 144,724 Last service was the Louisville and Nashville's The Georgian in 1971. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Sioux City, Iowa 144,701 Last service was the Illinois Central's Hawkeye in 1971.
Rapid City, South Dakota 142,107 Last service was the Milwaukee Road's Sioux in 1951, when the run was truncated to Canton, South Dakota.
Sumter, South Carolina 140,466 Last service was a Florence, SC -- Augusta, GA section of the Seaboard Coast Line's Champion in 1970.
Morgantown, West Virginia 139,044 Last service was an unnamed Baltimore and Ohio Railroad train in 1953.
Wheeling, West Virginia 138,948 Last service was the Baltimore and Ohio's Chicago-West Virginia Night Express in 1961.
Napa, California 137,744 Last intercity service was an unnamed Southern Pacific train in 1929. Currently served by the Napa Valley Wine Train.
Eureka, California 135,839[36] Last service was a local Northwestern Pacific Railroad train in 1971.
The Villages, Florida 132,420 Last service was the Palmetto in 2004, when Amtrak truncated the run to Savannah, Georgia.
Manhattan, Kansas 130,285 Last service was the Union Pacific's City of Kansas City in 1971.
Bismarck, North Dakota 128,949 Last service was the North Coast Hiawatha in 1979.
Jamestown – Dunkirk – Fredonia, New York 126,636[37] Last service was the Erie Lackawanna's Lake Cities in 1970. Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited passes through Dunkirk, but does not stop.
Lawton, Oklahoma 126,415 Last service was the Frisco's Meteor in 1967.
Augusta – Waterville, Maine 122,241[38] Last service was the Boston and Maine's State of Maine Express and Bar Harbor Express in 1960.
Mansfield, Ohio 121,154 Last service was with the Penn Central's Manhattan Limited and Pennsylvania Limited, both in 1971.
Missoula, Montana 119,600 Last service was the North Coast Hiawatha in 1979.
Owensboro, Kentucky 119,440 Last service was an unnamed L&N train in 1958.
Brunswick, Georgia 118,779 Last service was the Southern Railway's Kansas City-Florida Special in 1964.
Temecula, California 114,761[39] Never had train service.
Bozeman, Montana 114,434 Last service was the North Coast Hiawatha in 1979.
Muncie, Indiana 114,135 Last service was the Cardinal in 1986, when Amtrak rerouted the train west.
Williamsport, Pennsylvania 113,299 Last service was a Penn Central remnant of the Pennsylvania Railroad's Buffalo Day Express in 1971.
Lowell, Massachusetts 110,997[40] Last inter-city service was the Boston and Maine's State of Maine in 1960. Currently served by MBTA's Lowell Line
Watertown – Fort Drum, New York 109,834 Last service was the New York Central Railroad's regional service in 1964.
Lewiston – Auburn, Maine 108,277 Last direct service was the Boston and Maine Railroad's and Maine Central Railroad's The Gull in 1960. Grand Trunk Western summer service to nearby Danville Junction ended in 1967.
Decatur, Illinois 104,009 Last service was the Illini in 1983, when the run was truncated to Champaign, Illinois.
Bay City, Michigan 103,126 Last service was the New York Central Railroad's regional service in 1964.
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 103,009 Last service was Western Maryland Railway passenger service in 1942.
Cheyenne, Wyoming 99,500 Last service was the Pioneer in 1997. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]


In addition, the following cities are not directly served by inter-city rail service, but have a rail station within 30 miles of the city.

This transport-related list is incomplete; you can help by .
City Metropolitan area population (2019 est.)[41] Notes
Phoenix, and Mesa, Arizona 4,948,203 Direct service ended in June 1996 after reroute of Amtrak's Sunset Limited. Service 30 miles to the south in Maricopa, Arizona, a nearby suburb. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Minneapolis, Minnesota 3,640,043 Lost direct service in 1978 when Amtrak shifted intercity service to St. Paul, Minnesota. Gained commuter service in 2009.
Albany, New York 880,381 Lost direct service in 1981 when intercity service was shifted to adjacent Rensselaer, New York.
Akron, Ohio 703,479 Direct service gained in 1998 with the rerouting of the Broadway Limited, then lost in 2005 with the discontinuance of the Three Rivers. Service on the Capitol Limited 24 miles to the southeast at Alliance, Ohio. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Ogden, Utah 683,864 Last direct inter-city service was the Pioneer in 1997. Currently directly served by the Utah Transit Authority's FrontRunner commuter rail. Amtrak service 30 miles to the south in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Winston–Salem, North Carolina 676,008 Last service was by Southern Railway in 1970. Service 16 miles to the Southeast in High Point, North Carolina.
Daytona Beach, Florida 668,365 Last had passenger service in 1968, when the Florida East Coast Railroad ended its operations. The last interstate trains were in 1963 when the East Coast Champion and City of Miami routes were moved inland from the Atlantic Coast. The Havana Special ended entirely that year. Amtrak trains stop at DeLand Station, 28 miles to the west.
Madison, Wisconsin 664,865 Last direct service was the Milwaukee Road's Varsity and Sioux in 1971. Service 28 miles to the northeast in Columbus, Wisconsin. New direct service between Madison and Chicago via Milwaukee was planned but Wisconsin governor Scott Walker rejected federal funding for the project.[42][43] Amtrak service is now proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Wichita, Kansas 640,218 Last direct service was the Lone Star in 1979. Service 25 miles to the north at Newton, Kansas. New direct service being studied with extension of Heartland Flyer to Kansas City or Newton.[44] The service is also supported under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Visalia, California 466,195 Passenger service to the city ended in the 1950s or 1960s. However, Amtrak's San Joaquin trains stop by at Hanford 21 miles to the west.
Long Beach, California 462,628[45] Service 23 miles to the north at Los Angeles Union Station.
York, Pennsylvania 449,058 Service 24 miles to the east at Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Fort Wayne, Indiana 413,263 Last direct service was in 1990, when the Broadway Limited rerouted through Nappanee, Indiana. Service 25 miles to the north at Waterloo, Indiana.
Reading, Pennsylvania 421,164 Last direct service was regional service in 1981, carried by SEPTA. Service 27 miles to the southwest at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, without a transit connection. Last interstate train was the Reading's Queen of the Valley in 1967. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Canton, Ohio 397,520 Last direct service was in 1990, when the Broadway Limited rerouted through Nappanee, Indiana. Service 23 miles to the northeast in Alliance, Ohio.
Tri-Valley, California 361,000 Service to the west in Hayward, California. Commuter rail provided by Altamont Corridor Express.
Boulder, Colorado 326,196 Last direct service was the Burlington Route's Shoshone in 1967. Service 25 miles to the southeast at Denver, Colorado.
Deptford – Glassboro – Mantua – Woodbury, New Jersey 291,636 Last inter-city service was regional ex-Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines service run by the Penn Central in 1971. NJ Transit has proposed the Glassboro–Camden Line to Glassboro. Regional NJ Transit and PATCO service is available at Lindenwold, New Jersey 11 miles to the east.
Hagerstown, Maryland 288,104 Service 23 miles southwest in Martinsburg, West Virginia.
Waterbury, Connecticut 287,768 Last inter-city service was an unnamed New Haven service in 1958. Currently served by Metro-North Railroad's Waterbury Branch. Service 18 miles to the east at Wallingford, Connecticut.
Chula Vista, California 274,942[46] Service 9 miles to the northwest at San Diego, California.
Waco, Texas 273,920 Service 16 miles to the southwest at McGregor, Texas.
Tyler, Texas 232,751 Last direct inter-city service was the St. Louis Southwestern Railway (Cotton Belt Route) service in 1956. Service 26 miles away at Mineola, Texas.
Burlington, Vermont 220,411 Last direct inter-city service was the Rutland Railroad's Green Mountain Flyer and Mount Royal in 1953. Service 7 miles away at Essex Junction, Vermont. Short-lived commuter rail service called the Champlain Flyer ran 2000-2003. New direct inter-city service planned as an extension of the Ethan Allen Express by 2021 and is supported under the American Jobs Plan.[4]
Fontana, California 214,547[47] Service 8 miles away at San Bernardino.
Moreno Valley, California 213,055[48] Service 15 miles away at San Bernardino.
Columbia, Missouri 208,173 Service 25 miles to the southeast in Jefferson City, Missouri.
Huntington Beach, California 199,223[49] Service 15 miles away at Santa Ana, California.
Elk Grove, California 174,775[50] Service planned as part of expanded San Joaquin services in 2020.[51] Service 16 miles northwest at Sacramento, California.
State College, Pennsylvania 162,835 Service 30 miles to the southeast in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. Trains last went to proximate Lemont in the late 1940s.
Escondido, California 151,625 Last direct service was mixed train service in the 1940s to Oceanside, 21 miles to the west. Pacific Surfliner service is available at Oceanside.
Ottawa, Illinois 151,503[52] Last direct service was the Rock Island's Quad City Rocket and Peoria Rocket, both ending in 1978. Service 16 miles to the north at Mendota, Illinois.
Santa Fe, New Mexico 150,358 Inter-city service 14 miles to the southeast at Lamy, New Mexico. Commuter rail service provided by the New Mexico Rail Runner Express.
Bellevue, Washington 148,164 Service 10 miles to the west at Seattle, Washington
Torrance, California 143,592 Service 20 miles north in Los Angeles.
Lebanon, Pennsylvania 141,793 Service 25 miles to the south at Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Kent, Washington 132,319 Service 17 miles to the southwest at Tacoma, Washington.
Visalia, California 129,529 Passenger service to the city ended in the 1950s or 1960s. However Amtrak's San Joaquin trains stop by at Hanford 21 miles to the west.
Concord, California 129,295 Service 9 miles to the northwest at Martinez, California.
Vallejo, California 121,692 Service 13 miles to the southeast at Martinez, California.
Santa Maria, California 107,263 Service 8 miles to the west at Guadalupe, California.
Sparks, Nevada 105,006 Bypassed by Amtrak in 2009. Service 4 miles to the east at Reno, Nevada.
Norwalk, California 103,949 Currently served by Metrolink. Service 12 miles to the east at Fullerton, California.

Other cities are not served directly due to inconvenient water barriers:

  • San Francisco Peninsula – The San Francisco Bay separates the peninsula from the rest of the national rail network. Passenger service ended in 1971, when the Del Monte was discontinued and the Coast Daylight was rerouted to Oakland with the formation of Amtrak. That service was later rerouted to continue north to Portland and renamed the Coast Starlight. The BART commuter heavy rail system operates a trans-bay tube underneath the bay with connections in Richmond, Oakland, and . Caltrain connects the length of the bay shore to Amtrak at San Jose. However, since the late 1990s, Amtrak has worked on plans to resume the Coast Daylight from San Francisco to Los Angeles.[53] Restoration of the Coast Daylight is also supported by the American Jobs Plan.
    • San Francisco, California - Trains stop across San Francisco Bay in Oakland and Emeryville. Whereas trains once went from Oakland to San Francisco, they had been replaced by auto traffic by the 1950s. Proposals to add a San Francisco stop to the San Jose-Sacramento Capitol Corridor are also being seriously considered.[54]
    • Daly City, California - Bypassed after completion of the Bayshore Cutoff in 1907. BART tracks were eventually laid in the former rail right of way, but the city has never been reconnected to the national network.
    • San Mateo, California - nearest connection to the northeast in Hayward, California.
  • St. Petersburg, Florida - trains stop across Tampa Bay in Tampa. Trains had previously crossed the bay into St. Petersburg. The city lost direct service across the bay when CSX lacked adequate funds to maintain the bridge across the bay. There is Thruway Bus Service at 110th Avenue north of City Limits off US19 to Tampa Union Station (PSTA local bus route 34 passes near this location). Otherwise the only other method of transportation is taxi. The TECO Line Streetcar and HART buses both do not connect with the two areas, although express bus service exists between PSTA and HART.

Amtrak provides no service to Mexico. From 1973 to 1981 Amtrak operated the Inter-American, which allowed for transfers between Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas for connecting service with the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México. The closest Amtrak service to Mexico may be found at stations along the western portion of the Sunset Limited and southwestern portion of the Texas Eagle in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California; as well as the Pacific Surfliner service to Union Station in San Diego.

Phoenix, Arizona is served via Thruway Motorcoach from the Southwest Chief at Flagstaff, Arizona. In addition, as of 2017, there is Thruway Motorcoach service between Phoenix and Maricopa, Arizona, a town about 30 miles (48km) south of Phoenix, to connect with the Sunset Limited, where the train makes stops three times a week. Phoenix lost direct service in June 1996 after Southern Pacific (now part of the Union Pacific) threatened to abandon the line from Yuma.

Amtrak has studied rail lines formerly canceled that could renew service to some cities. Cities involved include Boise, Mobile, Tallahassee, the Quad Cities (four adjoining cities in northwest Illinois and southeastern Iowa),[29][55] Billings, and Wichita.[56] Proposals for high-speed rail could also restore service for several cities. Other services Amtrak could restore include the Pioneer (serving Chicago-Denver-Seattle via the California Zephyr), the Black Hawk (Chicago-Dubuque, eastern Iowa), the North Coast Hiawatha (serving Chicago-Fargo-Seattle via the Montana Rail Link), the Montrealer (Extension of the Vermonter from St. Albans, VT to Montreal, QC), and the New Orleans-Orlando segment of the Sunset Limited.

See also[]

References[]

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  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al Producer, Evan Sobol, Digital Content. "Amtrak announces 'Connects US' plan to grow rail services over next 15 years". FOX Carolina. Retrieved April 1, 2021."Invest in America. Invest in Amtrak". Amtrak Connects US. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "Amtrak pitches passenger train from Nashville to Atlanta". WTVF. January 17, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
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  7. ^ "Advocates for proposed regional passenger rail system renew efforts". FOX 8 WVUE New Orleans. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
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  9. ^ Seaboard Coast Line December 1970 timetable, Table 4
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  56. ^ Wistrom, Brent D. (January 7, 2010). "Study finds strong economic incentives for new Amtrak route through Kansas". KTKA. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2010.

Further reading[]

  • Sanders, Craig (2006). Amtrak in the Heartland. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-34705-3.

External links[]

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