DISCLAIMER: TARP is not affiliated with Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation. The information we provide on Amtrak stations and services is merely to provide assistance and advice. For official Amtrak information, including schedules, fares, and reservations, log on to www.amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL.

Amtrak services in, near, and accessible to Tennessee

The City of New Orleans travels from Chicago to New Orleans and serves Tennessee's only two Amtrak stations - Memphis and Newbern/Dyersburg. Other cities served by this train include Champaign-Urbana, IL; Carbondale, IL; and Jackson, MS.

• Same day connections are available at Chicago to and from dozens of cities in various states, including Milwaukee, Detroit, Pittsburg, New York, Boston, St. Paul/Minneapolis, Denver, Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, Los Angeles, and many, many more.

The Crescent travels from New York to New Orleans and serves five stations that are accessible to Tennesseans: Greensboro, NC; Spartanburg, SC; Atlanta, GA; Anniston, AL; and Birmingham, AL.

• Same day connections are available at New York to Boston, Providence, New Haven, and other northeastern cities.
• Same day connections are also available at New York to Albany and other cities upstate.
• Same day connections are available at Philadelphia for Harrisburg, Lancaster, and other Pennsylvania cities.

Amtrak's popular Northeast Regional and high-speed Acela trains serve Washington Union Station, which can be accessed directly from Knoxville via Megabus.

Amtrak's Chicago Hub services and scenic western routes serve Chicago Union Station, which can be accessed directly from Nashville via Megabus and also via Greyhound.

Amtrak's Texas Eagle and Missouri River Runner services connect at St. Louis Gateway Station, which can be accessed directly from Nashville, Clarksville, and Memphis via Greyhound.

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AMTRAK Stations in, near, and easily accessible to Tennessee

Stations in Tennessee:

• Memphis
• Newbern/Dyersburg

Stations accessible to Tennesseans:

• Atlanta, GA (indirectly accessible by Megabus and by Groome Transportation from Nashville and Chattanooga)
• Anniston, AL
• Birmingham, AL (indirectly accessible by Megabus from Memphis or Greyhound from Nashville)
• Chicago, IL (directly accessible by Megabus and Greyhound from Nashville)
• Greensboro, NC (directly accessible by Greyhound from Knoxville)
• Spartanburg, SC
• St. Louis, MO Gateway Station (directly accessible by Greyhound from Nashville, Memphis or Clarksville)
• Washington, DC Union Station (directly accessible by Megabus from Knoxville)

Memphis Central Station

545 South Main Street
Memphis, TN 38103

Memphis Central Station is served by the City of New Orleans, train numbers 58 and 59, with service from Chicago to New Orleans serving cities along the way, including Champaign/Urbana, IL; Carbondale, IL; Jackson, MS; and several smaller towns.

*Service to St. Louis is provided by a shuttle van from Carbondale, Illinois.

Memphis Central Station is a truly fine Amtrak facility with a ticket/baggage office, QuikTrak ticket machines, free parking, restrooms, easy access, and an enclosed waiting room.

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Parking directions and advice:

There is a short-term/long-term free parking lot at Central Station. Simply turn at the station sign off South Main Street onto the station drive, which will lead to the parking facility adjacent to the tracks. Memphis Central Station is a low-crime area thanks to a highly visible police precinct on the property.

Please note: due to the growing popularity of the train, the parking lot gets full rather quickly, especially on weekends and during major downtown events. If you need to leave your car at the station, arrive at least two hours early!

In extreme situations you may have to sit in your car and wait for a space to open. Don't panic if you haven't found a parking space when the train pulls into the station. Trains will hold at the station up to 40 minutes when they're on-time or up to 20-minutes when they're behind schedule. Soon after the train arrives parking spaces will start to open.

If you are stuck waiting for a parking space and you need to print tickets or check luggage, park your car temporarily on South Main Street, go inside the station and visit the ticket/baggage office. (The front door to the station is on South Main.) As soon as you are situated with tickets and luggage, try again to park your car in the parking lot beside the station.

Better yet, if you live in the greater Memphis area, try to arrange a ride to/from the station or hire a taxi. This will ease your worries about the potential lack of parking. If you live in the greater Nashville area or Jackson area and are catching the train out of Memphis, consider taking Greyhound or Megabus to Memphis and transferring to the train station via taxi or MATA transit service.

Newbern/Dyersburg

108 Jefferson Street
Newbern, Tennessee 38059

Newbern, Tennessee (near Dyersburg) is served by the City of New Orleans, train numbers 58 and 59, with service from Chicago to New Orleans serving cities along the way, including Champaign/Urbana, IL; Carbondale, IL; Jackson, MS; and several smaller towns along the way. Service to St. Louis is provided by a shuttle van to/from Carbondale, Illinois.

The Amtrak station at Newbern (north of Dyersburg) is a handsome facility with free parking, an enclosed waiting room, restrooms, and barrier-free access between the station, the parking lot, and the tracks. The trains call at Newbern/Dyersburg at unusual nighttime hours, but the facility is low-crime thanks to the Newbern Police Department across the street.

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Parking directions and advice:

There's a sufficient parking lot beside the Newbern station that is generally safe thanks to a visible police presence in the area.

Ticketing/Baggage instructions and advice:

The Newbern station is unstaffed and does not have ticketing or checked baggage service. When you make your reservation with Amtrak, you can print an e-Ticket from your home or office computer or you can display your eTicket barcode using your Smartphone.

You will need to pack lightly when traveling to or from Newbern/Dyersburg. Carry-on luggage is limited to two-pieces per ticketed passenger (not counting purses, laptop computers, or diaper bags) that cannot exceed 50 pounds per piece. If you must travel with extra luggage, consider driving to Memphis or to Carbondale, Illinois where checked baggage service is available.

Atlanta, Georgia

1688 Peachtree Street, NW Atlanta, GA 30309

Atlanta, Georgia is served by the Crescent, trains numbers 19 and 20, with service from New York to New Orleans serving Newark, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; Baltimore, MD; Washington, DC; Charlottesville, VA; Charlotte, N.C.; Greenville, S.C.; Meridian, MS; and smaller towns along the way.

The Amtrak facility in Atlanta is nice-looking, but it gets crowded at train time. There's a ticketing and baggage facility, QuikTrak ticket machines, restrooms and an enclosed waiting area.

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Parking directions and advice:

Don't even think about parking at the Atlanta station! Spaces are non-existent! Here's a list of ways you can handle the parking dilemma when catching the train in Atlanta:

1. Park at Hartsfield International Airport. It costs money to park there, as with any airport, but there's plenty of space. (Visit the website http://www.atlanta-airport.com/Passenger/Parking/ for more information, including the available Economy lots.) Getting from the airport to the Amtrak station is relatively easy. Take the MARTA train from the airport to the Arts Center Rail Station. From there, transfer to Bus #110, also known as "The Peach". Bus 110 stops directly in front of the Amtrak station. (You will have to "ring" for the driver to stop.) You will need to buy a Breeze Card at the vending machine in the airport station. Go to www.itsmarta.com for schedules, fares, and other information.
2. Ride Megabus from Chattanooga, Nashville, or Knoxville to Atlanta. The Megabus serves the Civic Center MARTA Station at 435 West Peachtree Street NW. Go to www.megabus.com for tickets, fares, and information. You can then take the MARTA train from the Civic Center to the Arts Center and transfer to Bus #110, also known as "The Peach". Bus 110 stops directly in front of the Amtrak station. (You will have to "ring" for the driver to stop.) You will need to buy a Breeze Card at the vending machine in the Civic Center station. Go to www.itsmarta.com for schedules, fares, and other information.
3. Ride Groome Transportation from Nashville or Chattanooga to Atlanta. Groome serves the Atlanta Hartsfield Airport. Getting from the airport to the Amtrak station is relatively easy. Take the MARTA train from the airport to the Arts Center Rail Station. From there, transfer to Bus #110, also known as "The Peach". Bus 110 stops directly in front of the Amtrak station. (You will have to "ring" for the driver to stop.) You will need to buy a Breeze Card at the vending machine in the airport station. Go to www.itsmarta.com for schedules, fares, and other information.

Anniston, AL

126 West 4th Street
Anniston, AL 36201

The Anniston station is unstaffed and does not have ticketing or checked baggage service. When you make your reservation with Amtrak, you can print an e-Ticket from your home or office computer.

You will need to pack lightly when traveling from Anniston. Carry-on luggage is limited to two-pieces per ticketed passenger (not counting purses, laptop computers, or diaper bags) that cannot exceed 50 pounds per piece. If you must travel with extra luggage, consider taking the train out of Atlanta or Birmingham.

Parking directions and advice:

There's a small parking lot beside the Anniston station that is generally safe. Long-term parking is limited, so you may want to arrive well ahead of time in case you need to make alternate arrangements.

Birmingham, AL

1819 Morris Avenue
Birmingham, AL 35203

The Birmingham station is served by the Crescent, train numbers 19 and 20, with service from New York to New Orleans serving cities along the way, including Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlottesville (VA), Charlotte (NC), Atlanta, and Meridian (MS).

Birmingham's Amtrak facility is, shall we say, aesthetically challenged. Bad appearances aside, the station offers ticket/baggage office, QuikTrak ticket machines, restrooms, and an enclosed waiting room.

Parking directions and advice:

There is no long-term parking at the station, but there is a pay parking lot about a block away from the station. Try to arrive in town about 90 minutes before train time to make sure you get your car unloaded and parked in plenty of time.

Other ways to get there:

Megabus operates service from Memphis to Birmingham and stops about a block away from the Amtrak station. Go to www.megabus.com for schedules, fares, and other information.

The Birmingham Greyhound station is about 8 blocks (a short taxi ride) from the Amtrak station. There are several buses each day between Nashville and Birmingham. Residents in Southern Middle Tennessee can drive a short distance to catch Greyhound in Athens, AL or Huntsville, AL. Go to www.greyhound.com for schedules, fares, and other information.

Chicago, IL

Chicago Union Station
225 South Canal Street
Chicago, IL 60606

Megabus offers a relatively easy and inexpensive way for Nashville area residents to get to Chicago Union Station and make easy connections with various trains. Chicago Union Station serves Amtrak trains in all directions from coast to coast and in between. Megabus arrives and departs at a curbside about a block away from Chicago Union Station. Go to www.megabus.com for schedules, fares, and other information.

Select Greyhound buses serve Chicago Union Station directly. Go to www.greyhound.com for schedules, fares, and other information. Be sure to select "Chicago Amtrak" when searching for schedules on the Greyhound website.

Some practical advice:

Allow yourself plenty of time (two hours or more) to make connections between the train and the bus. Take advantage of the time you have to explore downtown Chicago while you're between connections.

You can store your luggage in the luggage lockers at Chicago Union Station while you look around. It's not cheap, but it's very convenient. See our section on Train Travel Advice for more discussion on Chicago Union Station.

Greensboro, NC

Greensboro is about a 4-hour drive from either Knoxville or the Tri-Cities and has one of Amtrak's very best facilities.

Greensboro is served by the Crescent, train numbers 19 and 20, with service from New York to New Orleans serving cities along the way, including Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlottesville (VA), Charlotte (NC), Atlanta, and Meridian (MS).

It's also served by the Carolinian and Piedmont services to and from other North Carolina Cities as well as D.C. and the Northeast.

The extremely handsome station offers a ticket/baggage office, QuikTrak ticket machines, restrooms, and an enclosed waiting room.

Parking directions and advice:

There is a large long-term parking lot at the station. Try to arrive in town about 90 minutes before train time to make sure you get your car unloaded and parked in plenty of time.

Other ways to get there:

Greyhound buses stop at the train station. Select buses offer direct service from Knoxville. Go to www.greyhound.com for schedules, fares, and other information.

Spartanburg, SC

290 Magnolia Street
Spartanburg, SC 29303

Spartanburg, SC is about a 3-hour drive from either Knoxville or the Tri-Cities.

Spartanburg is served by the Crescent, train numbers 19 and 20, with service from New York to New Orleans serving cities along the way, including Newark, Philadephia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlottesville (VA), Charlotte (NC), Atlanta, and Meridian (MS).

The Spartanburg station is unstaffed and does not have ticketing or checked baggage service. When you make your reservation with Amtrak, you can print an e-Ticket from your home or office computer or you can display your eTicket barcode using your Smartphone.

You will need to pack lightly when traveling to or from Spartanburg. Carry-on luggage is limited to two-pieces per ticketed passenger (not counting purses, laptop computers, or diaper bags) that cannot exceed 50 pounds per piece.

View Larger Map

Parking directions and advice:

There is a large long-term parking lot at the station. Try to arrive in town about 90 minutes before train time to make sure you get your car unloaded and parked in plenty of time.

St. Louis, MO

St. Louis Gateway Station
430 South 15th Street
St. Louis, MO 63103

St. Louis Gateway Station serves Amtrak trains to and from the West and Midwest. Greyhound buses serve Gateway Station directly, which makes train and bus connections relatively easy from Nashville, Clarksville, and Memphis. Go to www.greyhound.com for schedules, fares, and other information.

Some practical advice:

Allow yourself plenty of time (two hours or more) to make connections between the train and the bus. Take advantage of the time you have between trains and buses to explore the nearby St. Louis Union Station - an enormous shopping, dining, and entertainment complex only a short walk from Gateway. You can store your luggage at the Checked Baggage Department in St. Louis. A small fee applies.

Washington, DC

Washington Union Station
50 Massachusetts Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002

Knoxville-area residents have relatively easy access to Washington Union Station by way of Megabus, which serves Union Station directly. Go to www.megabus.com for schedules, fares, and other information. Amtrak offers direct rail service from D.C. to cities throughout the East and Midwest. Connections are available to Montreal and Toronto by way of New York.

Allow yourself plenty of time (two hours or more) to make connections between the train and the bus. Take advantage of the time you have between trains and buses to explore our nation's capital. Subways and local buses are easily accessed. You can store your luggage at the Checked Baggage Department in Washington. A small fee applies.

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