With travel restrictions easing, Amtrak is restoring full-service to a dozen long-distance trains that were either suspended or had reduced service due to the pandemic. To staff the trains, it is also recalling 1,200 furloughed employees.
Three Midwest to West Coast routes, and one running down the West Coast restarted last Monday; they will now be daily again after months of part-time service. The routes are California Zephyr (Chicago – Omaha – Denver – Salt Lake City – San Francisco); Coast Starlight (Seattle – Portland – Sacramento – Oakland – Los Angeles); Empire Builder (Chicago – St. Paul-Minneapolis – Spokane – Portland/Seattle) and the Texas Eagle (Chicago – St. Louis – Dallas – San Antonio – Los Angeles).
The next group, starting tomorrow includes Capitol Limited (Washington DC – Pittsburgh – Cleveland – Chicago); City of New Orleans (Chicago – Memphis – Jackson – New Orleans); Lake Shore Limited (New York/Boston – Albany – Buffalo – Chicago) and the Southwest Chief (Chicago – Kansas City – Albuquerque – Los Angeles).
The final four, on June 7, are all New York-based routes, headed south. They are Crescent (New York – Washington DC – Atlanta – New Orlean; Palmetto (New York – Washington DC – Charleston – Savannah); Silver Meteor (New York – Savannah – Jacksonville – Orlando – Miami) and the Silver Star (New York – Raleigh – Jacksonville – Orlando – Tampa – Miami).
