City of New Orleans (train)

City of New Orleans
The City of New Orleans at the Memphis Central Station in November 2022
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
LocaleCentral United States
PredecessorPanama Limited
First serviceApril 27, 1947 (1947-04-27)
Current operator(s)Amtrak
Former operator(s)Illinois Central
Annual ridership233,876 (FY23) Increase 50.3%[a][1]
Route
TerminiChicago, Illinois
New Orleans, Louisiana
Stops17
Distance travelled934 miles (1,503 km)
Average journey time19 hours, 30 minutes[2]
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)58, 59
On-board services
Class(es)Coach Class
Sleeper Service
Disabled accessTrain lower level, all stations
Sleeping arrangements
  • Roomette (2 beds)
  • Bedroom (2 beds)
  • Bedroom Suite (4 beds)
  • Accessible Bedroom (2 beds)
  • Family Bedroom (4 beds)
Catering facilitiesDining car, Café
Observation facilitiesLounge car
Baggage facilitiesOverhead racks
Technical
Rolling stockGE Genesis
Siemens Charger
Superliner
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed48 mph (77 km/h) (avg.)
79 mph (127 km/h) (top)
Track owner(s)CN
Route map
Map
0 mi
0 km
Chicago
Metra Chicago Transit Authority
Switchback at
21st Street interlocking
Central Station
Closed 1972
25 mi
40 km
Homewood
Metra Pace (transit)
57 mi
92 km
Kankakee
River Valley Metro Mass Transit District
Gilman
1986–1996
129 mi
208 km
Champaign–Urbana
Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District
174 mi
280 km
Mattoon
201 mi
323 km
Effingham
1984–1993
254 mi
409 km
Centralia
310 mi
499 km
Carbondale
Bus interchange
Cairo
Closed 1987
407 mi
655 km
Fulton
442 mi
711 km
Newbern
520 mi
837 km
Memphis
MATA Trolley
              
Route prior to 1995
              
Route prior to 1995
Batesville
Grenada
Winona
Durant
Canton
589 mi
948 km
Marks
644 mi
1036 km
Greenwood
697 mi
1122 km
Yazoo City
741 mi
1193 km
Jackson
Jackson Transit System
777 mi
1250 km
Hazlehurst
797 mi
1283 km
Brookhaven
821 mi
1321 km
McComb
873 mi
1405 km
Hammond
926 mi
1490 km
New Orleans
Streetcars in New Orleans

= flag stop

The City of New Orleans is a long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak in the Central United States between Chicago and New Orleans. The overnight train takes about 1912 hours to complete its 934-mile (1,503 km) route, making major stops in Champaign–Urbana, Carbondale, Memphis, and Jackson as well as in other small towns.

The City of New Orleans was first initiated by the Illinois Central Railroad in 1947 as the daytime complement to the Panama Limited, a night train dating back to 1911. In 1971 both routes were conveyed to Amtrak, which retained only the Panama Limited. In 1981 Amtrak revived the City of New Orleans name for the train, still on an overnight schedule, on the heels of the popular song of the same name by Steve Goodman.

Additional corridor service on the northern segment of the route is provided by the Illini and Saluki between Chicago and Carbondale, Illinois. The City of New Orleans is the only Amtrak train to serve Tennessee.

During fiscal year 2023, the train carried 233,876 passengers, an increase of 50.3% from FY2022.[3] In FY2016, the last year that route-specific revenue data was given, the train had a total revenue of $18,706,915, a 3.7% decrease from FY2015.[4]


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  1. ^ "Amtrak Fiscal Year 2023 Ridership" (PDF). Amtrak. November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  2. ^ "Amtrak Timetable Results". www.amtrak.com. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  3. ^ "Amtrak FY23 Ridership" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Amtrak FY16 Ridership & Revenue" (PDF).