The City of New Orleans

The City of New Orleansis more than just a song - it's the very train that serves our state!

Amtrak's City of New Orleans, train numbers 58 and 59, runs every day from Chicago to New Orleans on a famous old route that connects Carbondale, Illinois; Memphis, Tennessee; Jackson, Mississippi; and smaller towns along the way.

At Chicago, the City connects with dozens of train routes connecting to hundreds of cities, including Albuquerque, Boston, Cleveland, Cincinnati, D.C., Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York, Omaha, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Seattle, and so many more.

The City features Superliner equipment, along Amtrak's most comfortable. The seats are wide, reclining and spacious.

Meals and snacks are served in the Cross-Country Cafe.

While interstate travelers crowd fast food outlets, you and yours get real table service!

For a higher price, you can travel first class in the Sleeper. Besides the extra comfort and privacy, you get complementary meal service. As an additional perk, sleeping car passengers have access to first class lounges in Chicago and in New Orleans.

Meal service on the City of New Orleans is served up in the Cross Country Cafe. This unique car offers all-day meal service with some regional specialties, such as jambalaya and red beans and rice. You can also purchase appetizers, specialty drinks, sweets and souveniers. Click here to view a sample menu with pricing.

You have plenty of scenery to enjoy from this train. The southernmost part of the route is bayous and swamplands as well as expansive cottonfields. The northern half of the route is expansive farmland before turning into cityscape as the train approaches Chicago.

Quaint small towns pass all along the route, not to mention neighborhoods, farms and industrial sites. You truly get an authentic view of everyday American life away from the Interstate Highway system.

Passengers who travel to and from the Amtrak stations in Birmingham, Atlanta, or select cities in Virginia and the Carolinas will travel on Amtrak's Crescent. The main difference between the Crescent and the City of New Orleans is that the Crescent operates with single-level Amfleet equipment as opposed to the double-level Superliner equipment. Although the Amfleet cars are smaller, they're quite comfortable. You still get plenty of legroom and a seat that reclines.

The Amfleet Lounge Car features easy chairs, tables and a cafe. The Crescent also has a full-service Dining Car with freshly prepared meals served in a handsome setting. The sleeper car on the Crescent are the single-level Viewliners, which are some of Amtrak's newest and most modern cars.