View source for Cardinal (train)

{{Short description|Amtrak service from Chicago, IL to New York, NY}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox rail service
| name        = ''Cardinal''
| image       = Amtrak P42DC 164 through Orange, Virginia.jpg
| image_width = 300px
| caption     =  ''Cardinal'' passing through [[Orange, Virginia]] in 2021.
| type        = [[Inter-city rail]]<br />[[Higher-speed rail]] ([[Northeast Corridor]] only)
| status      = <!-- Only use when line is non-operational -->
| locale      = [[Mid-Atlantic states|Mid-Atlantic]], [[Midwestern United States|Midwestern]] and [[Southeastern United States|Southeastern]] United States
| predecessor = ''[[James Whitcomb Riley (train)|James Whitcomb Riley]]''
| first       = October 30, 1977
| operator    = [[Amtrak]]
| ridership2  = {{Amtrak route ridership|Cardinal}}
| start       = {{Amtk|Chicago}}, Illinois
| stops       = 36
| end         = {{Amtk|New York}}
| distance    = {{convert|1146|mi|km}}
| journeytime = 27 hours, 45 minutes<ref>{{cite web |title=Amtrak Timetable Results |url=https://www.amtrak.com/tickets/schedule-results.html |website=www.amtrak.com |access-date=December 20, 2021}}</ref>
| frequency   = Three round trips per week
| trainnumber = 50/51
| class       = Coach Class<br />Sleeper Service
| access      = All train cars, most stations
| sleeping    = {{Unbulleted list
   | Roomette (2 beds)
   | Bedroom (2 beds)
   | Bedroom Suite (4 beds)
   | Accessible Bedroom (2 beds)
   }}
| catering    = [[Amfleet#Cafés|Café/Dinette]] (combined car)
| baggage     = Overhead racks, checked baggage available at selected stations
| stock       = {{Unbulleted list
   | [[GE Genesis]]
   | [[Siemens Charger|Siemens ALC-42]]
   | [[Amfleet]]
   | [[Viewliner]]
   }}
| gauge       = {{Track_gauge|ussg|allk=on}}
| speed       = {{Convert|41|mph|abbr=on}} ({{Tooltip|avg.|average speed (including stops)}})<br />{{Convert|125|mph|abbr=on}} ({{Tooltip|top|top speed}})
| owners      = [[Amtrak|AMTK]], [[Buckingham Branch|BB]], [[Canadian National Railway|CN]], [[CSX Transportation|CSX]], [[Metra|METX]], [[Norfolk Southern Railway|NS]], [[Union Pacific|UP]]
| map         = {{switcher
|{{maplink-road|id=Q858400}}
|Show interactive map
|{{Amtrak Cardinal}}
|Show route diagram map
}}
| map_state   = 
}}

The '''''Cardinal''''' is a [[Amtrak Long Distance|long-distance]] [[passenger train]] operated by [[Amtrak]] between [[New York Penn Station]] and [[Chicago Union Station]] via [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Washington, D.C.]], [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]], [[Charleston, West Virginia|Charleston]], [[Huntington, West Virginia|Huntington]], [[Cincinnati, Ohio|Cincinnati]], and [[Indianapolis, Indiana|Indianapolis]]. Along with the ''[[Capitol Limited]]'' and ''[[Lake Shore Limited]]'', it is one of three trains linking the [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]] and Chicago''.'' The {{convert|1146|mi|adj=on}} trip between New York and Chicago is scheduled for 28{{frac|1|4}} hours.<ref name="Amtrak">{{cite web |title=Cardinal / Hoosier State |url=https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/timetables/Cardinal-Hoosier-State-Schedule-032918.pdf |access-date=May 29, 2018 |publisher=Amtrak}}</ref>

The ''Cardinal'' has three round trips each week, departing New York City on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and departing Chicago on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Prior to being discontinued in 2019, the ''[[Hoosier State (train)|Hoosier State]]'' provided service on the portion of the ''Cardinal's'' route between Indianapolis and Chicago on the other four days of the week.<ref name="Amtrak" /><ref name="IBJ-cancel">{{cite news|url=https://www.ibj.com/articles/73231-amtrak-suspends-ticket-sales-for-hoosier-state-line-after-june-30|title=Amtrak suspends ticket sales for Hoosier State line after June 30|publisher=[[Indianapolis Business Journal]]|date=April 8, 2019}}</ref>

The ''Cardinal's'' ridership was 82,705 in  fiscal year 2023, a 3.0% increase from FY2022,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Amtrak FY23 Ridership |url=https://media.amtrak.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Amtrak-Fiscal-Year-2023-Ridership.pdf}}</ref> but approximately 25% below its pre-[[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]] ridership of about 109,000 in FY2019. In the two fiscal years prior to the pandemic (FY2018 and FY2019), ridership had increased 12.5%.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amtrak Route Ridership FY21 vs FY19 |url=https://media.amtrak.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/FY21-Year-End-Revenue-and-Ridership.pdf |website=[[Amtrak]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://media.amtrak.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/FY19-Year-End-Ridership.pdf|title=Amtrak Route Ridership|date=November 2019|website=amtrak.com|access-date=June 25, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://media.amtrak.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/FY18-Ridership-Fact-Sheet-1.pdf|title=Amtrak® FY18 Ridership|accessdate=June 25, 2023}}</ref> In FY2020, the Cardinal earned $7.1 million on expenses of $22.6M—a revenue-to-cost ratio of 31%, the second lowest among all Amtrak routes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 19, 2019 |title=General and Legislative Annual Report & FY2020 Grant Request |url=https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/corporate/reports/Amtrak-General-Legislative-Annual-Report-FY2020-Grant-Request.pdf |page=43 |quote= Table 36: Amtrak FY 2018 Annual Operations Report |website=[[Amtrak]]}}</ref>

== History ==
{{main|James Whitcomb Riley (train)|George Washington (train)}}
The ''Cardinal'' is the successor of several previous trains, primarily the [[New York Central]] (later [[Penn Central]]) ''James Whitcomb Riley'' and the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Railway]] (C&O) ''George Washington''. The ''James Whitcomb Riley'' was a daytime all-coach train which operated between Chicago and Cincinnati (via Indianapolis). The ''George Washington,'' the C&O's flagship train, was a long-distance sleeper that ran between Cincinnati and—via a split in [[Charlottesville, Virginia]]—Washington, D.C. and [[Newport News, Virginia]]. Until the late 1950s, the ''Riley'' carried the ''Washington''{{'}}s sleeper cars between Cincinnati and Chicago.<ref name="schafer1997" /> Both routes survived until the formation of [[Amtrak]] in 1971.<ref name="sanders2003" />{{rp|51; 93}}

Amtrak kept service mostly identical through the spring and summer of 1971.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Amtk/routes_1971.html |title=Amtrak's First Trains and Routes |publisher=Mark D. Bej |access-date=May 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707133743/http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Amtk/routes_1971.html |archive-date=July 7, 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> It slowly began integrating the trains that summer. The two trains began exchanging through Washington—Chicago and Newport News—Chicago [[Coach (rail)|coaches]] at Cincinnati on July 12, and a through [[sleeping car]] began September 8.<ref name="lynch">{{Lynch-Penn Central}}</ref> On November 14, the ''Riley'' and ''George Washington'' merged into a single long-distance Chicago-Washington train, with the eastbound train (train 50) known as the ''George Washington'' and the westbound train (train 51) known as the ''Riley''.<ref name="sanders">{{Sanders-Heartland}}</ref>{{rp|38}} The eastern terminus was briefly extended to [[Boston]], giving the [[Northeast Corridor]] a one-seat ride to Chicago. However, it was truncated back to Washington in 1972. On May 19, 1974, Amtrak fully merged the ''George Washington'' into the ''Riley''.

During the early Amtrak era, the ''Riley'' was plagued by the poor condition of ex-New York Central track in Indiana. In 1973, it was moved to ex-[[Pennsylvania Railroad]] track through [[Indianapolis]].<ref name="sanders"/>{{rp|256}} By 1974, Amtrak rerouted it off Penn Central track altogether; by then, the trackage had deteriorated so badly that the ''Riley'' was limited to {{convert|10|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} for much of its route through Indiana.<ref name="lynch"/> The Newport News section ended in 1976, replaced by the Boston&ndash;Newport News ''[[Colonial (Amtrak train)|Colonial]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1976%20Nov%2005.pdf |title=PRR CHRONOLOGY 1976 |publisher=The Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society |access-date=May 5, 2010 |archive-date=June 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110603232118/http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1976%20Nov%2005.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> A number of long-distance trains running along former Penn Central trackage in the Midwest were plagued by similar problems.
[[File:Former C&O depot, Muncie, Indiana.jpg|left|thumb|The former [[Cincinnati, Richmond, & Muncie Depot|station]] in [[Muncie, Indiana]], before the realignment via Indianapolis]]
The ''James Whitcomb Riley'' was renamed the ''Cardinal'' on October 30, 1977, as the [[northern cardinal|cardinal]] was the [[List of U.S. state birds|state bird]] of all six states through which it ran. However, due to poor track conditions in Indiana, the train was rerouted numerous times, first over various Penn Central/[[Conrail]] routings that had once been part of the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]], then ultimately over the former [[Baltimore and Ohio]] route via Cottage Grove by 1980.<ref name="all aboard 1991">{{All Aboard Amtrak}}</ref>{{rp|121}}

The ''Cardinal'' was eventually extended to run along the Northeast Corridor again in an effort to improve the Cardinal's [[Farebox recovery ratio|cost recovery ratio]], but this time with the eastern terminus moved to New York. Previously, the ''[[Broadway Limited]]'' ran from New York to Chicago along the Northeast Corridor, but only as far south as [[30th Street Station|Philadelphia]]. The train was discontinued on September 30, 1981, but revived on January 8, 1982, per a mandate initiated by Senator [[Robert C. Byrd]]. While the ''Cardinal'' and its predecessors had run daily,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19810426&item=0035 |title = The Museum of Railway Timetables (timetables.org)}}</ref> the revived Cardinal ran only three times per week.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19820425&item=0033 |title = The Museum of Railway Timetables (timetables.org)}}</ref> The revived train followed another new route, via [[Richmond, Indiana|Richmond]] and [[Muncie, Indiana]]. This arrangement lasted until April 27, 1986, when the train was finally moved to its current route via Indianapolis.<ref name="all aboard 1991" />{{rp|121}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/logansport-pharos-tribune/126187420/ |title=Peru Amtrak Stop Lost In Routing |newspaper=Logansport Pharos-Tribune |date=March 26, 1986 |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> On October 29, 1995, the ''Cardinal'' was truncated to Washington, D.C. after the consist was updated with [[Superliner (railcar)|Superliners]]. On October 27, 2002, after derailments on other routes depleted available Superliner cars, the Superliners were replaced with [[Viewliner]]s. The ''Cardinal'' continued to operate the Chicago-Washington D.C. schedule. Service to New York was restored on Sunday's westbound ''Cardinal'' on October 27, 2003. Full service to New York resumed on April 26, 2004.

From March 29, 2018, to November 8, 2018, due to continuing construction at New York Penn Station, the ''Cardinal''{{'}}s eastern terminus was temporarily moved to Washington. ''Cardinal'' passengers needing to travel to or from points north of Washington were transferred to a ''Northeast Regional''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newsleader.com/story/news/local/2018/03/10/amtrak-shortening-cardinal-route-allow-track-renovations-nyc/413425002/ |title=Amtrak shortening Cardinal route to allow for track renovations in NYC |date=March 10, 2018 |website=The News Leader |access-date=March 14, 2018}}</ref>

=== ''Hoosier State'' ===
{{main|Hoosier State (train)|Kentucky Cardinal (Amtrak)}}
With the Indianapolis routing, the ''Cardinal'' began operating jointly with the Chicago–Indianapolis ''Hoosier State''. The ''Hoosier State'' operated to Indianapolis on the days the ''Cardinal'' did not, assuring seven-day service between Chicago and Indianapolis. This pattern ceased on October 25, 1987, when the ''Hoosier State'' became a full-fledged daily train once again. The ''Hoosier State'' was dropped on September 8, 1995, but resumed again on July 19, 1998, again running on days that the ''Cardinal'' did not run.

On December 17, 1999, Amtrak extended the ''Hoosier State'' to [[Jeffersonville, Indiana]], (and later to [[Louisville, Kentucky]]) and renamed the train the ''Kentucky Cardinal''. This new train was a daily service; on days when the ''Cardinal'' operated, the two trains ran combined between Indianapolis and Chicago. Amtrak ultimately discontinued the ''Kentucky Cardinal'' on July 4, 2003, and brought back the ''Hoosier State'' on the pre-1999 schedule.

After Indiana discontinued its subsidy, Amtrak suspended the ''Hoosier State'' as of June 30, 2019. Passengers who booked trips after that date were compensated with ''Cardinal'' tickets.

=== Plans ===
In the July 2010 issue of ''[[Trains (magazine)|Trains]]'' magazine, the ''Cardinal'' was noted as being one of five routes under consideration for performance improvement. For the ''Cardinal'', the proposed changes included increasing service from thrice-weekly to daily operation, and changing the western terminus to [[Gateway Multimodal Transportation Center|St. Louis]], [[Missouri]]. ''Railfan and Railroad'' magazine also suggested that the train be rerouted to St. Louis, with a separate section bound for Chicago.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=July 2010 |title=Amtrak Trains Under the Microscope |magazine=[[Trains (magazine)|Trains]] |page=20}}</ref>

In early October 2010, Amtrak released a report detailing plans to increase the ''Cardinal''{{'}}s service from thrice-weekly to daily service, as well as increasing the train's on-time performance and food service.<ref>{{cite web |title=More trains: Amtrak plans to dailify the Cardinal |url=http://www.readthehook.com/blog/index.php/2010/10/02/more-trains-amtrak-plans-to-dailify-the-cardinal/ |publisher=The Hook |access-date=October 5, 2010 |date=October 2, 2010 |archive-date=December 4, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204071128/http://www.readthehook.com/blog/index.php/2010/10/02/more-trains-amtrak-plans-to-dailify-the-cardinal/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The January 2011 issue of ''Trains'' later revealed that Amtrak would scrap re-routing and Superliner conversion and instead adopt not only daily service, but also purchasing dome cars to be used along the Chicago-Washington, D.C., portion of the trip. In addition, the routing into Chicago Union Station would be changed and station platforms along the route containing coal dust would be scrubbed and cleaned.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=January 2011 |title=Amtrak's Improvement Wish List |magazine=Trains |pages=20–21}}</ref>

However, obstacles to a daily ''Cardinal'' persist. Track capacity is limited on the [[Buckingham Branch Railroad]], a short line railroad between [[Orange, Virginia|Orange]] and [[Clifton Forge, Virginia]] where the ''Cardinal'' operates along former C&O/CSX trackage, preventing frequent freight trains from passing a daily ''Cardinal''. This problem also applied to the planned-but-failed ''[[Greenbrier Presidential Express]]'' train, which would also have traversed the Buckingham Branch on a weekly basis. The Buckingham Branch requires additional funding to expand several sidings before allowing additional service.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=January 2012 |title=Bob Bryant's Big Little Railroad |magazine=Trains |page=51}}</ref> Another obstacle is freight congestion in Chicago particularly at the 75th Street Corridor on Chicago's South Side.<ref name="create">{{cite web |url=http://www.createprogram.org/factsheets/P3.pdf |title=P2, P3, EW2, GS19 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project |date=November 2015 |publisher=CREATE |access-date=January 10, 2018 |archive-date=January 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113141527/http://www.createprogram.org/factsheets/P3.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The third obstacle is capacity at the [[Long Bridge (Potomac River)|Long Bridge]] in Washington, D.C.<ref name=longbridge>{{cite news |last1=Lazo |first1=Luz |title=Virginia to build Long Bridge and acquire CSX right of way to expand passenger train service |newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/virginia-to-build-long-bridge-and-acquire-csx-right-of-way-to-expand-passenger-train-service/2019/12/19/c021ffbc-ff08-11e9-8bab-0fc209e065a8_story.html |accessdate=January 9, 2022 |date=December 19, 2019}}</ref> Infrastructure improvements are being made at all three. The [[Orange and Alexandria Railroad|Orange Branch]] between Orange and [[Gordonsville, Virginia|Gordonsville]] raised train speed after the completion of a track and signal project in 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://buckinghambranch.com/speed-orange-amtrak/ |title=Picking Up Speed in Orange |date=April 17, 2017 |publisher=Buckingham Branch Railroad |access-date=January 10, 2018}}</ref> The [[Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program]] (CREATE) has received funding under a [[public–private partnership]] (P3) for the 75th Street Corridor with construction beginning in October 2018 and is scheduled to be finished by 2025.<ref name="create" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://chicagocrusader.com/preckwinkle-partners-mark-75th-street-rail-corridor-improvement-project/ |title=Preckwinkle, Partners Mark 75th Street Rail Corridor Improvement Project |newspaper=The Chicago Crusader |date=October 1, 2018 |access-date=December 12, 2018}}</ref> A parallel span of the Long Bridge is full funded and moving towards engineering design and financing.<ref name=longbridge />

Starting on October 1, 2019, traditional dining car services were removed and replaced with a reduced menu of "Flexible Dining" options. As a result, the changes to the consist of the train will have the dining car serve as a lounge car for the exclusive use of sleeping car passengers.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://media.amtrak.com/2019/09/amtrak-introduces-enhanced-menu-and-flexible-dining-experience-on-five-routes/ |title=AMTRAK INTRODUCES ENHANCED MENU AND FLEXIBLE DINING EXPERIENCE ON FIVE ROUTES |publisher=Amtrak |date=September 13, 2019}}</ref>

In June 2021, Senator [[Jon Tester]] of [[Montana]] added an amendment to the Surface Transportation Investment Act of 2021 which would require the [[United States Department of Transportation|Department of Transportation]] (not Amtrak itself) to evaluate daily service on all less frequent long-distance trains, meaning the ''Cardinal'' and ''[[Sunset Limited]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Manchin Secures Language To Evaluate Ways To Restore Cardinal Train Daily Service Through West Virginia |url=https://www.manchin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/manchin-secures-language-to-evaluate-ways-to-restore-cardinal-train-daily-service-through-west-virginia |website=www.manchin.senate.gov |access-date=July 27, 2021 |language=en |date=June 16, 2021}}</ref> The bill passed the [[United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation|Senate Commerce Committee]] with bipartisan support,<ref>{{cite web |title=Key Policy Victories in Senate Rail Title |url=https://www.railpassengers.org/happening-now/news/blog/key-policy-victories-in-senate-rail-title/ |website=www.railpassengers.org |publisher=Rail Passengers Association |access-date=July 27, 2021 |language=en |date=June 16, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Luczak |first1=Marybeth |title=Senate Commerce Committee's Bipartisan $78B Surface Transportation Bill Advances |url=https://www.railwayage.com/news/senate-commerce-committees-bipartisan-78b-surface-transportation-bill-advances/ |access-date=July 27, 2021 |work=Railway Age |date=June 17, 2021}}</ref> and was later rolled into [[Joe Biden|President Biden's]] [[Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act]] (IIJA), which Congress passed on November 5, 2021.<ref>{{cite web |title=What's in the Investment in Infrastructure and Jobs Act (IIJA)? |url=https://www.railpassengers.org/happening-now/news/blog/whats-in-the-investment-in-infrastructure-and-jobs-act-iija/ |website=www.railpassengers.org |publisher=Rail Passengers Association |access-date=November 11, 2021 |language=en |date=November 8, 2021}}</ref> The report is known as the [[Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study]] and must be delivered to Congress within two years.<ref>{{cite web |title=Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act |url=https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr3684/BILLS-117hr3684enr.pdf |access-date=November 11, 2021 |pages=285–256}}</ref> In mid-2023, Amtrak applied for a federal grant to operate the ''Cardinal'' daily and increase speeds between Indianapolis and Dyer.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://media.amtrak.com/2023/06/amtrak-applies-for-federal-grants-to-improve-long-distance-network/ |title=Amtrak Applies for Federal Grants to Improve Long Distance Network |date=June 5, 2023 |publisher=Amtrak}}</ref> In December 2023 the daily ''Cardinal'' project was granted $500,000 from the IIJA through the [[Federal Railroad Administration|Federal Railroad Administration's]] [[Corridor Identification and Development Program]].<ref>{{cite web |title=FY22 Corridor Identification and Development Program Selections |url=https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot.gov/files/2023-12/FY22%20CID%20Project%20Summaries-Map-r1.pdf |website=railroads.dot.gov |publisher=[[Federal Railroad Administration]] |access-date=9 December 2023 |date=December 2023}}</ref>

== Train consist ==
In the early 1990s, the ''Cardinal'' ran with the usual Amtrak long-distance consist of two [[EMD F40PH]]s or one [[GE E60]], plus several material handling cars (MHC) and baggage cars, followed by several [[Amfleet]] coaches, an Amfleet lounge, a Heritage diner, two or three Heritage 10-6 sleepers, a slumbercoach, and finally, a baggage dormitory car. Following the delivery of the [[Superliner (railcar)|Superliner]] II fleet, however, the ''Cardinal'' was re-equipped with Superliner cars in 1995.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trainweb.org/varail/amtrak.html |title=Central Virginia Railfan Page--Amtrak Service |publisher=TrainWeb |access-date=May 7, 2010}}</ref> As a result, its route was truncated to end in Washington D.C., as Superliners cannot operate on the Northeast Corridor due to low tunnel clearances in Baltimore and New York City. With the Superliner equipment, the consist would usually be two Superliner sleeping cars, a diner, a [[Sightseer Lounge]], a baggage coach, and a coach.

In 2002, two derailments on other routes took numerous Superliner cars out of service. Because of this, insufficient Superliner equipment was available for use on the ''Cardinal''. The ''Cardinal'' was re-equipped with a consist of single-level long-distance cars, including dining, lounge, sleeping, and dormitory cars, although service to New York was not restored until 2004. Subsequent fleet shortages shortened the ''Cardinal'' further, and at one point, the train was running with two or three Amfleet II coaches and a combined diner-lounge car. While the sleeping car was later restored, the ''Cardinal'' has not had a dormitory car or a diner since. Similarly, though the [[baggage car]] was also removed, it was restored in response to an upturn in patronage in mid-2010. In 2016, Amtrak added business class service to the ''Cardinal''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wvgazettemail.com/life/amtrak-launches-business-class-service-for-cardinal-passengers/article_55718c4b-27e3-535b-9b6d-5b6f595671ad.html |title=Amtrak Launches Business Class Service for Cardinal Passengers |last=Steelhammer |first=Rick |newspaper=Charleston Gazette-Mail |date=January 13, 2016}}</ref> The ''Cardinal'' seasonally included a dome car prior to the car's retirement.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amtrak.com/fall-travel-on-the-great-dome-car |title=Fall Travel Made Brilliant on the Great Dome Car |publisher=Amtrak |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111224454/http://www.amtrak.com/fall-travel-on-the-great-dome-car |archive-date=November 11, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/02-analysis-amtrak-surrenders-valuable-tool-with-retirement-of-last-dome-car/ |title=Analysis: Amtrak surrenders valuable tool with retirement of last dome car |newspaper=Trains Newswire |first=Angela |last=Cotey |orig-date=September 3, 2019 |date=November 3, 2020 |access-date=May 6, 2024}}</ref>

Amtrak began replacing the older P40DC and P42DC locomotives with [[Siemens ALC-42]] locomotives in 2023.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ngec.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1115B-1140D-NGEC-2024-Amtrak-Acquisition-Final-012624.pdf |title=Amtrak New Fleet Acquisition Updates |publisher=Next Generation Corridor Equipment Pool Committee |date=February 2024 |first1=Joe Sr. |last1=Paul |first2=Michael |last2=Welsh |first3=Michael |last3=Kraft |page=7}}</ref> 

The ''Cardinal's'' typical consist as of July 2024 is made up of:

* P42DC or ALC-42 locomotive
* Amfleet II Coach
* Amfleet II Coach
* Amfleet II Café/Lounge Car
* Viewliner II Sleeping Car
* Viewliner II Baggage/Dorm Car

== Route overview ==
Amtrak bills the ''Cardinal''{{'}}s route as one of the most scenic in its system. After an early morning departure from New York and traveling south down the Northeast Corridor, the train passes through Virginia's rolling horse country, across the [[Blue Ridge Mountains|Blue Ridge]] and the [[Shenandoah Valley]]. It then climbs the [[Allegheny Mountains]] and stops at the resort town of White Sulphur Springs, home to [[The Greenbrier]], a famous luxury resort. The ''Cardinal'' descends on tracks through [[New River Gorge National Park and Preserve]], a unit of the National Park Service protecting the longest deepest river gorge in the Eastern U.S. The river is popular for white water rafting, and the cliffs attract rock climbers. The forests blaze with autumn foliage and the train usually sells out during the peak season.

[[File:Amtrak train 51 arriving at Thurmond.webm|thumb|Amtrak train 51 arriving at Thurmond]]
The schedules are timed to provide a daylight transit of the New River Gorge nearly all year. Westbound, the train travels at night from Charleston, West Virginia, on to Indianapolis, where it arrives at about dawn, reaching Chicago mid-morning. Eastbound, the ''Cardinal'' departs late afternoon, reaching Indianapolis before midnight, Charleston mid-morning, and New York City in the late evening. While Cincinnati is served both directions with stops after midnight, about 15,000 passengers a year arrive or depart from this station.

The ''Cardinal'' is one of only two of Amtrak's 15 long-distance trains to operate only three days a week, the other being the ''[[Sunset Limited]]''. Like other long-distance trains, passengers are not allowed to travel only between stations on the Northeast Corridor on the ''Cardinal''. Eastbound trains only stop to discharge passengers from Alexandria northward, and westbound trains only stop to receive passengers from Newark to Washington. This policy aims to keep seats available for passengers making longer trips; passengers traveling between Northeast Corridor stations can use the more frequent ''[[Acela Express]]'' or ''[[Northeast Regional]]'' services.

== Route details ==
[[File:Amtrak Cardinal.svg|thumb|500px|''Cardinal'' route map]] 
The ''Cardinal'' operates over [[Amtrak]], [[CSX Transportation]], [[Norfolk Southern Railway]], [[Buckingham Branch Railroad]], [[Canadian National Railway]], [[Union Pacific Railroad]], and [[Metra]] trackage:

*Amtrak [[Northeast Corridor]], New York to [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]]
*CSX [[RF&P Subdivision]], Washington to [[Alexandria, VA|Alexandria]]
*NS [[Washington District]], Alexandria to Orange
*BB Orange Subdivision and [[North Mountain Subdivision]], Orange to [[Clifton Forge, VA|Clifton Forge]]
*CSX [[Alleghany Subdivision]], [[New River Subdivision]], [[Kanawha Subdivision]], [[Russell Subdivision]], [[Northern Subdivision (CSX)|Northern Subdivision]], [[Cincinnati Subdivision]], [[Cincinnati Terminal Subdivision]], [[Indianapolis Subdivision]], [[Indianapolis Terminal Subdivision]], [[Crawfordsville Branch Subdivision]], and [[Monon Railroad#The line today|Monon Subdivision]], Clifton Forge to [[Munster, Indiana|Munster]]
*CN [[Elsdon Subdivision]], Munster to [[Thornton, Illinois|Thornton]]
*UP [[Villa Grove Subdivision]], Thornton to 81st Street
*BRC [[Kenton Line Subdivision]], 81st Street to 74th Street
*Metra [[SouthWest Service]], 74th Street to Chicago
*NS [[Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway|Chicago Line]], CP 518 to Chicago (Depending on Dispatcher preference, The Cardinal often runs between CP 518 and 21st Street on NS)

The Buckingham Branch trackage is one of the few Class III railroad used in the Amtrak system.

==Station stops==
{|class="wikitable"
!State/Province
!Town/City
!Station
!Connections
|-
|[[Illinois]]||[[Chicago]]||[[Chicago Union Station]]
|{{rint|us|amtrak}} [[Amtrak]] (long-distance): ''[[California Zephyr]]'', {{lnl|Amtrak|City of New Orleans}}, ''[[Empire Builder]]'', {{lnl|Amtrak|Floridian}}, ''[[Lake Shore Limited]]'', ''[[Southwest Chief]]'', ''[[Texas Eagle]]''<br>{{rint|us|Amtrak}} Amtrak (intercity): {{lnl|Amtrak|Blue Water}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Borealis}}, ''[[Hiawatha (Amtrak train)|Hiawatha]]'', {{lnl|Amtrak|Illini and Saluki}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg}}, ''[[Lincoln Service]]'', {{lnl|Amtrak|Pere Marquette}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Wolverine}}<br>{{rint|chicago|metra}} [[Metra]]: {{rcb|Metra|bnsf|inline=square}}, {{rcb|Metra|mdn|inline=square}}, {{rcb|Metra|mdw|inline=square}}, {{rcb|Metra|nc|inline=square}}, {{rcb|Metra|hc|inline=square}}, {{rcb|Metra|sw|inline=square}}<br>{{rint|chicago|l}} [[Chicago "L"]]: {{rcb|CTA|Blue|inline=route}} <small>(at {{cta|Clinton|Blue}})</small>, {{rcb|CTA|Brown|inline=route}} {{rcb|CTA|Orange|inline=route}} {{rcb|CTA|Pink|inline=route}} {{rcb|CTA|Purple|inline=route}} <small>(at {{cta|Quincy}})</small><br>{{rint|bus|1}} [[List of Chicago Transit Authority bus routes|CTA Bus]], [[Pace (transit)|Pace Bus]]<br>{{rint|us|amtrakbus}} [[Amtrak Thruway]] to Madison, Rockford ([[Van Galder Bus Company|Van Galder]]), Louisville ([[Greyhound Lines|Greyhound]])
|-
|rowspan=6|[[Indiana]]||[[Dyer, Indiana|Dyer]]||{{amtk|Dyer}}||
|-
|[[Rensselaer, Indiana|Rensselaer]]||{{amtk|Rensselaer}}||
|-
|[[Lafayette, Indiana|Lafayette]]||{{amtk|Lafayette||Cardinal}}||{{rint|bus|1}} [[Greater Lafayette Public Transportation Corporation|CityBus]]<br />{{rint|us|greyhound}} [[Greyhound Lines]]
|-
|[[Crawfordsville, Indiana|Crawfordsville]]||{{amtk|Crawfordsville}}||
|-
|[[Indianapolis]]||{{amtk|Indianapolis}}||{{rint|bus|1}} [[Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation|IndyGo]]<br />{{rint|us|amtrakbus}} [[Amtrak Thruway]] (''[[Burlington Trailways]]'')<br/>{{rint|us|greyhound}} [[Greyhound Lines]]
|-
|[[Connersville, Indiana|Connersville]]||{{amtk|Connersville}}||
|-
|[[Ohio]]||[[Cincinnati]]||{{amtk|Cincinnati}}||{{rint|bus|1}} [[Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority|SORTA Metro]]
|-
|rowspan=3|[[Kentucky]]||[[Maysville, Kentucky|Maysville]]||{{amtk|Maysville}}||{{rint|bus|1}} Maysville Transit
|-
|[[South Shore, Kentucky|South Shore]]||{{amtk|South Portsmouth–South Shore}}||
|-
|[[Ashland, Kentucky|Ashland]]||{{amtk|Ashland||Cardinal}}||{{rint|bus|1}} [[Ashland Bus System]]<br />{{rint|us|greyhound}} [[Greyhound Lines]]
|-
|rowspan=8|[[West Virginia]]|||[[Huntington, West Virginia|Huntington]]||{{amtk|Huntington}}||{{rint|bus|1}} [[Tri-State Transit Authority]]
|-
|[[Charleston, West Virginia|Charleston]]||{{amtk|Charleston||Cardinal}}||{{rint|us|amtrakbus}} [[Amtrak Thruway]] to [[Sutton, West Virginia|Sutton]]/[[Flatwoods, West Virginia|Flatwoods]], [[Weston, West Virginia|Weston]], [[Clarksburg, West Virginia|Clarksburg]], [[Fairmont, West Virginia|Fairmont]], [[Morgantown, West Virginia|Morgantown]] (''[[Barons Bus Lines]]'')<ref>{{Cite press release |url=https://media.amtrak.com/2017/07/amtrak-launches-thruway-bus-connection-west-virginia/ |title=Amtrak Launches Thruway Bus Connection in West Virginia |date=July 17, 2017 |access-date=July 19, 2017 |archive-date=August 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813190306/https://media.amtrak.com/2017/07/amtrak-launches-thruway-bus-connection-west-virginia/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><br />{{rint|bus|1}} [[Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority]]
|-
|[[Montgomery, West Virginia|Montgomery]]||[[Montgomery station (West Virginia)|Montgomery]]||{{rint|bus|1}} [[Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority]]
|-
|[[Thurmond, West Virginia|Thurmond]]||{{amtk|Thurmond}}||
|-
|[[Prince, West Virginia|Prince]]||{{amtk|Prince}}||
|-
|[[Hinton, West Virginia|Hinton]]||{{amtk|Hinton}}||
|-
|[[Alderson, West Virginia|Alderson]]||{{amtk|Alderson}}||
|-
|[[White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia|White Sulphur Springs]]||{{amtk|White Sulphur Springs}}||
|-
|rowspan=6|[[Virginia]]|||[[Clifton Forge, Virginia|Clifton Forge]]||{{amtk|Clifton Forge}}||
|-
|[[Staunton, Virginia|Staunton]]||{{amtk|Staunton}}||{{rint|bus|1}} [[Staunton, Virginia#Transportation|Staunton Free Trolley]], [[Coordinated Area Transportation Services]] <small>(at Staunton Visitor Center)</small>
|-
|[[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]]||{{amtk|Charlottesville}}||{{rint|us|amtrak}} [[Amtrak]]: {{lnl|Amtrak|Crescent}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Northeast Regional}}<br/>{{rint|us|amtrakbus}} [[Amtrak Thruway]] to [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]] (''James River Transportation''), [[Washington, D.C.]]<br />{{rint|us|greyhound}} [[Greyhound Lines]]<br />{{rint|bus|1}} [[Charlottesville Area Transit]]
|-
|[[Culpeper, Virginia|Culpeper]]||{{amtk|Culpeper}}||{{rint|us|amtrak}} [[Amtrak]]: {{lnl|Amtrak|Crescent}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Northeast Regional}}
|-
|[[Manassas, Virginia|Manassas]]||{{amtk|Manassas}}||{{rint|us|amtrak}} [[Amtrak]]: {{lnl|Amtrak|Crescent}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Northeast Regional}}<br />{{rint|vre}} [[Virginia Railway Express|VRE]]: {{rcb|VRE|Manassas|inline=square}}<br />{{rint|bus|1}} [[Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission|PRTC]]: Manassas Metro Direct, OmniLink Manassas
|-
|[[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]]||{{amtk|Alexandria}}||{{rint|us|amtrak}} [[Amtrak]]: {{lnl|Amtrak|Crescent}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Floridian}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Northeast Regional}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Silver Meteor}}<br>{{rint|vre}} [[Virginia Railway Express|VRE]]: {{rcb|VRE|Fredericksburg|inline=square}}, {{rcb|VRE|Manassas|inline=square}}<br>{{rint|washington|metro}} [[Washington Metro|Metro]]: {{rint|washington|blue}} [[Blue Line (Washington Metro)|Blue Line]], {{rint|washington|yellow}} [[Yellow Line (Washington Metro)|Yellow Line]]<br/>{{rint|bus|1}} [[Metrobus (Washington, D.C.)|Metrobus]], [[DASH (bus)|DASH]]
|-
|[[District of Columbia|District of<br/>Columbia]]||[[Washington, D.C.|Washington]]||[[Washington Union Station]]||{{rint|us|amtrak}} [[Amtrak]]: {{lnl|Amtrak|Acela}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Carolinian}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Crescent}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Floridian}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Palmetto}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Northeast Regional}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Silver Meteor}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Vermonter}}<br/>{{rint|baltimore|marc}} [[MARC Train|MARC]]: {{rcb|MARC|Brunswick|inline=square}}, {{rcb|MARC|Camden|inline=square}}, {{rcb|MARC|Penn|inline=square}}<br/>{{rint|vre}} [[Virginia Railway Express|VRE]]: {{rcb|VRE|Manassas|inline=square}}, {{rcb|VRE|Fredericksburg|inline=square}}<br/>{{rint|washington|metro}} [[Washington Metro|Metro]]: {{rint|washington|red}} [[Red Line (Washington Metro)|Red Line]]<br/>{{rint|washington|streetcar}} [[DC Streetcar]]: [[H Street/Benning Road Line]]<br/>{{rint|bus|1}} [[Metrobus (Washington, D.C.)|Metrobus]], [[DC Circulator]], [[MTA Maryland bus service|MTA Maryland]], [[Loudoun County Commuter Bus|Loudoun County Transit]], [[Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission|OmniRide]]<br/>{{rint|bus}} Intercity bus: {{rint|us|greyhound}} [[Greyhound Lines]], {{rint|us|megabus}} [[Megabus (North America)|Megabus]], [[BoltBus]], [[BestBus]], [[Peter Pan Bus Lines|Peter Pan]], [[OurBus]]
|-
|[[Maryland]]||[[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]]||{{amtk|Baltimore}}||{{rint|us|amtrak}} [[Amtrak]]: {{lnl|Amtrak|Acela}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Carolinian}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Crescent}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Palmetto}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Northeast Regional}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Silver Meteor}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Vermonter}}<br/>{{rint|baltimore|marc}} [[MARC Train|MARC]]: {{rcb|MARC|Penn|inline=square}}<br/>{{rint|baltimore|raillink}} [[Baltimore Light RailLink|Light RailLink]]<br/>{{rint|bus|1}} [[MTA Maryland bus service|MTA Maryland]], [[Charm City Circulator]]
|-
|[[Delaware]]||[[Wilmington, Delaware|Wilmington]]||{{amtk|Wilmington}}||{{rint|us|amtrak}} [[Amtrak]]: {{lnl|Amtrak|Acela}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Carolinian}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Crescent}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Palmetto}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Northeast Regional}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Silver Meteor}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Vermonter}}<br>{{rint|us|greyhound}} [[Greyhound Lines]]<br/>{{rint|philadelphia|septa}} [[SEPTA Regional Rail]]: {{rcb|SEPTA|Wilmington/Newark|inline=square}}<br/>{{rint|bus|1}} [[DART First State]]
|-
|[[Pennsylvania]]||[[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]]||[[30th Street Station]]||{{rint|us|amtrak}} [[Amtrak]]: {{lnl|Amtrak|Acela}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Carolinian}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Crescent}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Keystone Service}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Northeast Regional}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Palmetto}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Pennsylvanian}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Silver Meteor}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Vermonter}}<br>{{rint|septa}} [[SEPTA Regional Rail]]: ''all lines''<br/>{{rint|njt}} [[NJ Transit Rail Operations|NJ Transit]]: {{rcb|NJ Transit|Atlantic City|inline=square}}<br>{{ric|SEPTA Metro|name=y}}: {{ric|SEPTA Metro|L|name=y}}, {{ric|SEPTA Metro|T|name=y}}<br>{{rint|bus|1}} [[SEPTA City Transit Division surface routes|SEPTA City Bus]], [[SEPTA Suburban Division bus routes|SEPTA Suburban Bus]]
|-
|rowspan=2|[[New Jersey]]||[[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]]||{{amtk|Trenton}}||{{rint|us|amtrak}} [[Amtrak]]: {{lnl|Amtrak|Carolinian}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Crescent}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Keystone Service}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Northeast Regional}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Pennsylvanian}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Silver Meteor}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Vermonter}}<br>{{rint|njt}} [[NJ Transit Rail Operations|NJ Transit]]: {{rcb|NJ Transit|Northeast Corridor|inline=square}}, {{rcb|NJ Transit|River|inline=square}}<br/>{{rint|philadelphia|septa}} [[SEPTA Regional Rail]]: {{rcb|SEPTA|Trenton|inline=square}}<br>{{rint|bus|1}} [[NJ Transit|NJ Transit Bus]], [[SEPTA Suburban Division bus routes|SEPTA Suburban Bus]]
|-
||[[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]||[[Newark Penn Station]]||{{rint|us|amtrak}} [[Amtrak]]: {{lnl|Amtrak|Acela}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Carolinian}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Crescent}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Keystone Service}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Northeast Regional}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Palmetto}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Pennsylvanian}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Silver Meteor}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Vermonter}}<br>{{rint|njt}} [[NJ Transit Rail Operations|NJ Transit]]: {{rcb|NJ Transit|North Jersey Coast|inline=square}}, {{rcb|NJ Transit|Northeast Corridor|inline=square}}, {{rcb|NJ Transit|Raritan Valley|inline=square}}<br>{{rint|path}} [[PATH (rail system)|PATH]]: {{rcb|PATH|NWK-WTC|inline=route}}<br>{{rint|newark}} [[Newark Light Rail]]<br/>{{rint|bus|1}} [[NJ Transit|NJ Transit Bus]]
|-
|[[New York (state)|New York]]||[[New York City]]||[[New York Penn Station]]||{{rint|us|amtrak}} [[Amtrak]] (long-distance): {{lnl|Amtrak|Crescent}}, ''[[Lake Shore Limited]]'', {{lnl|Amtrak|Palmetto}}, ''[[Silver Meteor]]''<br/>{{rint|us|amtrak}} Amtrak (intercity): {{lnl|Amtrak|Acela}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Adirondack}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Berkshire Flyer}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Carolinian}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Empire Service}}, ''[[Ethan Allen Express]]'', ''[[Keystone Service]]'', {{lnl|Amtrak|Maple Leaf}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Northeast Regional}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Pennsylvanian}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Vermonter}}<br/>{{rint|newyork|lirr}} [[Long Island Rail Road|LIRR]]: {{rcb|LIRR|Main|inline=square}}, {{rcb|LIRR|Port Washington|inline=square}}<br />{{rint|njt}} [[NJ Transit Rail Operations|NJ Transit]]: {{rcb|NJ Transit|North Jersey Coast|inline=square}}, {{rcb|NJ Transit|Northeast Corridor|inline=square}}, {{rcb|NJ Transit|Gladstone|inline=square}}, {{rcb|NJ Transit|Montclair-Boonton|inline=square}}, {{rcb|NJ Transit|Morristown|inline=square}}<br />{{rint|newyork|subway}} [[New York City Subway|NYC Subway]]: {{NYCS Broadway-Seventh|time=bullets}}{{NYCS Eighth south|time=bullets}}<br/>{{rint|path}} [[PATH (rail system)|PATH]]: {{rcb|PATH|HOB-33|inline=route}} {{rcb|PATH|JSQ-33|inline=route}} {{rcb|PATH|JSQ-33 (via HOB)|inline=route}}<br />{{rint|bus|1}} [[MTA Regional Bus Operations|NYC Transit Bus]]
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="sanders2003">{{Sanders-Indiana}}</ref>
<ref name="schafer1997">{{Schafer-Classic}}</ref>
}}

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== Further reading ==
* Mike Schafer, Amtrak's atlas, ''[[Trains (magazine)|Trains]]'', June 1991
* {{Schwieterman-Leaves-Eastern}}
* {{Solomon-New York Central}}
* [https://www.scribd.com/doc/38597090/Untitled Amtrak October 2010 report on the ''Cardinal'']

== External links ==
*{{Commons category-inline}}
*{{amtrak web|route=yes}}
{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}
{{Amtrak routes}}

[[Category:Amtrak routes]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Delaware]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Maryland]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Virginia]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in West Virginia]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Kentucky]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Ohio]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Indiana]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Illinois]]
[[Category:Night trains of the United States]]
[[Category:Railway services introduced in 1977]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Cincinnati]]
[[Category:Long distance Amtrak routes]]