Amtrak Sunset Limited Service

Amtrak's Sunset Limited is the only transcontinental service across the USA and runs from Los Angeles, California skirting the Southern coast all the way to Orlando, Florida. For a short while it went all the way to Miami but now you need to change in Orlando to either the Silver Star or Silver Meteor service if you are destined for Miami.

The Sunset Limited runs three services a week in each direction with journey times of nearly 3 days (68 hours) covering 2764 miles (4448 km) making it the longest passenger train service in the USA.

Because you are travelling right across the USA from the Pacific to the Atlantic, you pass through several time zones en route, from Pacific Standard Time in the west to Eastern Standard Time in the east, a 3 hour difference. Note that Arizona does not observe daylight saving so local times will be one hour earlier during the summer.

Due to the long distance and freight railroad congestion, the Sunset Limited is often behind schedule and delays of 6 to 12 hours are not uncommon.

En route you cross the Mississippi River on the Huey P. Long Bridge west of New Orleans. At 135 ft (41 m) tall and 4.5 miles (7.2 km) long, it is the longest railroad bridge in the USA.

Volunteer rangers from the National Park Service provide a narrative along the route, courtesy of the Trails and Rails Program as you pass through the Southwestern desert close to the Mexican border before skirting the Gulf Coast and on through the Bayou swamps into Florida.

Train 1 operates the westbound service currently leaving New Orleans at 11:55am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and arriving in Los Angeles at 10:10am on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, two days later. When services resume from Orlando, it will leave Orlando on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Amongst the main stops are Palm Springs in California, Lordsburg in New Mexico, Tuscon in Arizona, El Paso, San Antonio and Houston in Texas, New Orleans in Louisiana, Biloxi in Mississippi, Mobile in Alabama and then Jacksonville and Orlando in Florida.

The eastbound train 2 leaves Los Angeles at 2:30pm on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays and arrives in New Orleans at 4:00pm on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Stops in Florida are Pensacola, Crestview, Chipley (Panama City), the state capital Tallahassee, Madison, Lake City, and then it follows the Silver Star and Silver Meteor route through Jacksonville, Palatka, DeLand, Winter Park and finally Orlando.

A number of destinations on the Florida Gulf Coast are catered for by a Thruway motorcoach service (see panel).

Seating and sleeping cars

All seats must be reserved and the cheapest tickets are a Coach Seat or a Lower Level Coach Seat in one of the bi-level Superliner coaches which is a bit like a typical Business Class airline seat, which reclines with a fold down tray and individual reading lamp.

It you want a bit more privacy and to sleep in a bed then there is a choice of a Superliner Roomette, Superliner Bedroom or Family Bedroom.

The Superliner Roomette is designed for one or two passengers with two comfortable reclining seats facing each other by a large picture window. At night the seats convert into a bed and a second upper berth folds down from the wall. The cabin also includes a garment rack, fold-down table and climate control. Roomettes are situated on both decks of the Superliner sleeping cars.

Note that the cabin does not have a washbasin, toilet or shower; these are located nearby in the same car

The Superliner Bedroom is similar to the Roomette but can accommodate three passengers at a pinch (two sharing the lower berth). Most of the facilities are the same as the Roomette, but the lower berth converts from a two seater sofa and the room also has an enclosed toilet and private shower and a separate armchair. Superliner Bedrooms are located on the upper level of the Superliner sleeping cars.

For a family of four (2 adults and 2 children), there is the Family Bedroom which spans the entire width of the car and has two picture windows.

A sofa and two reclining seats convert into two lower beds and the two upper berths (suitable for children) fold down from the wall.

Family Bedrooms are located on the lower level of the Superliner sleeping cars and have the same facilities as the Roomettes, i.e. they do not have en-suite toilet and shower facilities.

For larger parties there is a Superliner Bedroom Suite which is two adjoining Superliner Bedrooms.

For wheelchair passengers, there is also the Superliner Accessible Bedroom

The Superliner Accessible Bedroom spans the whole width of the car on the lower level and has ample space for a wheelchair. The lower berth is suitable for a passenger with a mobility impairment and the upper berth for a companion. There is also a wheelchair accessible toilet in the cabin and meals can be served in the cabin if required.