Capitol Limited: The historic Capitol Limited was once the flagship train of the venerable Baltimore & Ohio, our nation’s first common carrier system.
It first entered service on May 12, 1923 between New York and Chicago via the District of Columbia (later shortened to Washington/Baltimore).
On May 1, 1971, it was retained by Amtrak and today runs between Washington and Chicago via Pittsburgh and Cleveland.
Cardinal/Hoosier State: The history of this train mainly traces its origins to the George Washington of the Chesapeake and Ohio, which began service in 1932 between Washington, D.C., and Cincinnati, Ohio.
It also follows the former route of James Whitcomb Riley’s New York Central between Cincinnati and Chicago. When Amtrak began service, both trains were initially retained but later canceled.
In 1977, it launched the Cardinal between Washington and Chicago. Today, the train reaches New York City, but it is not very secure.
The Hoosier State complements the Cardinal as a regional run of only 196 miles between Indianapolis and Chicago.
City of New Orleans : this train gained popularity after the release of the Steve Goodman song of the same name in 1970.
However, its history as a popular intercity service operated by Illinois Central between Chicago and New Orleans dates back to its inauguration on April 27, 1947.
It was retained by Amtrak and today it runs along much the same route that provides bus service and Superliner rooms.
The train was inaugurated in 1929 and was famous for the scenic views of the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountains.
Illinois Service: These services cover five different Amtrak regional trains that run in the Prairie State, including the Illinois Zephyr (Chicago-Quincy), Carl Sandburg (Chicago-Quincy), Lincoln Service (Chicago-St. Louis), Illini (Chicago-Carbondale), and finally the Saluki (Chicago-Carbondale). All trains have buses and business classes, as well as bicycles.
Lake Shore Limited: This historic train was established on May 30, 1897, when New York City first put it into service, the first full-service passenger train between Chicago and New York.
It remained in service until 1956, when it was canceled due to downsizing and declining ridership. In 1975, Amtrak revived the name. Today, it runs between Chicago and New York/Boston, offering coach and Viewliner accommodations.
Michigan Services: Amtrak uses the Michigan Services trademark to describe a series of regional trains that connect Chicago to several cities in Michigan.
These trains include the Wolverine, Pere Marquette and Blue Water, and they were put into service after Amtrak’s launch between the mid-1970s and 1980s.