train travel.com

www.seat61.com

Welcome to the official website of...

The man in seat sixty-one.

• Buy train tickets
• Buy ferry tickets
• Book a hotel
• Privacy & cookies

Train travel UK & Ireland...

Train travel in europe..., train travel in asia..., train travel in africa..., train travel in america..., train travel in australasia.

Just a reminder... Seat61.com is not a company or a travel agency, but a personal site originally started as a hobby.  Ads & affiliate commission support the site and my travel habit (er... I mean research), and buy me a beer or two.   The information on this site aims to help, but I can't take responsibility for any inaccuracy.  All pages & photos © Mark Smith 2001-2024, except where shown.  Please donate!   If this site helps you, please consider donating to UNICEF or maybe contribute a photo or two .

• All Aboard: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide

• United States
• Asia/Pacific
• Most Scenic Train Rides
• Great Rail Journeys
• Memorable Moments
• VIA Rail (Canada)
• High-Speed Rail
• Good Guys & Bad Guys
• Transportation & Politics
• Special People
• Life in General

LATEST POST

This is Jim’s family. We’re sorry to inform you that Jim will no longer be updating this blog. He has asked us to express his deep gratitude and appreciation for this community, and for all the travelers and train lovers who have enjoyed his writing over the years. He especially loved hearing from you, reading your comments, and even meeting some of you in person on his travels. He often expressed that, through this blog, he has made friends all over the world. We hope you will take a moment to think of him the next time you ride a train.

Thank you for being part of our dad’s life, he truly enjoyed being part of yours.

With Aloha,

Jim’s Family

Join the Rail Passengers Association…

. . . you'll receive rail travel news alerts, valuable discounts from amtrak and other travel-related companies, plus many other benefits.

Now Available: FASCINATING FACTS about HAWAII

Recent posts.

Taking a Few Days Off.

Is Amtrak Going to Run Out of Sleepers?

Amtrak Superliners: Old but Still Super.

TRAINS & TRAVEL WITH JIM LOOMIS  © 2024

© Jim Loomis, 2018

• Train Rides
• Train Travel
• Train Trips
• Train Features

Train Traveling

$2.5b to california passenger rail … wv railroad fix after 40 years … optimism up for twin cities-duluth.

California awards $2.5B to passenger rail The California State Transportation Agency has awarded more than $2.5 billion in grants though its Transit and Intercity Rail Capital program. Awards include funding for the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit project, BART downtown San Jose to Santa Clara extension, Caltrain San Jose to San Francisco electrification, BART service upgrades between San Francisco and Oakland; and completion of three Metrolink critical infrastructure projects. [progressiverailroading.com]

WV railroad repaired after nearly 40 years Work to repair damage to the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad from the 1985 flood has finally been finished. The last stretch was a 15 mile section between Cass and Durbin in Pocahontas County. Work to restore the line has been ongoing for several years. All of the rails and bridge have been restored. The rail line reports the Greenbrier Express will depart Cass starting in the spring. The ride features secluded and remote wilderness areas in the West Virginia mountains. [wvmetronews.com]

MnDOT optimistic about Twin Cities-Duluth A long-awaited passenger train route running from the Twin Cities to Duluth could finally get state funding from the Minnesota legislature. Funding for the proposed Northern Lights Express route is under consideration in committee. After years of Republican opposition, DFL control of both houses has given MnDOT new optimism. With most of the $425 million project funding coming from the federal government, Minnesota lawmakers are looking to provide $99 million to move the project forward. [fox9.com]

Amtrak resumes weekend San Diego runs Amtrak will resume weekend passenger service between San Diego and Orange counties Saturday for the first time since it was suspended September 30th to begin a track stabilization project still underway at San Clemente. The work is expected to conclude by the end of March. Regional Metrolink passenger service remains suspended south of San Clemente while Amtrak and Coaster services between San Diego and Oceanside have been uninterrupted. [sandiegouniontribune.com]

Maine DOT seeks Brunswick-Rockland trial The prospect of regular passenger service on a state-owned route between Brunswick and Rockland, Maine, received a big boost last week when Maine’s Department of Transportation budgeted $3 million to advance a two-year pilot project utilizing 1950s-era Budd Rail Diesel Cars. Plans to extend the Boston-Brunswick Downeaster an additional 56 miles to Rockland have been contemplated since seasonal excursions ended in 2015 with Amtrak running a test train in 2019. [trains.com]

Read more Train Travel News

Biden hails baltimore tunnel fix … fta makes $21b avail for transit … nyc subway safety improving.

Joe Biden hails plans for Baltimore tunnel fix On Monday, President Joe Biden stood before the decrepit Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel to promote his 2021 infrastructure law which is just now ramping up the spending on major projects. Biden said replacing the tunnel could slash what’s now a 60-minute Baltimore-to-Washington commute in half. As a senator, the president regularly journeyed home to Delaware on Amtrak through the tunnel. The new tunnel will lead to 20,000 construction jobs and cut down on auto traffic and pollution. [apnews.com]

FTA makes $21B available for transit projs The Federal Transit Administration is making approximately $21 billion available to transit agencies and communities in the 2023 fiscal year, following the passage of the $1.7 trillion omnibus appropriations bill in December. The FTA says funding will allow agencies to address repair backlogs, modernize fleets, and transition to new technologies that address the climate crisis. California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas will each receive more than $500 million in funds. [smartcitiesdive.com]

Data shows NYC subway safety improving Since new safety initiatives were launched last fall, major crime in NYC’s subway system is down 16% with the overall crime rate dropping to pre-pandemic levels. Since October, both New York and Metropolitan Transportation Authority police departments have increased officer presence on platforms and the state’s Office of Mental Health has increased support for unhoused individuals sheltering in the subway system and those who are suffering from severe mental illness. [masstransitmag.com]

LA Metro signs on for Ingelwood people mover The Inglewood Transit Connector (ITC) Project, a three-stop, 1.6 mi people mover, is advancing thanks to a new agreement between L.A. Metro and the city of Inglewood. The people mover would connect L.A. Metro’s K Line to housing and commercial centers along an elevated guideway. The route will use Market Street, Manchester Boulevard and Prairie Avenue. The people mover will better connect Inglewood, L.A. County’s fastest growing city, with the L.A. Metro Rail system. [masstransitmag.com]

Burlington Amtrak service off to a strong start Early ridership numbers show strong support for the 6-month-old Ethan Allen Express rail service between Burlington, Vermont and New York City. Using statistics from Trains in the Valley, a rail advocacy organization in western Massachusetts, Vermont rail booster Carl Fowler reported that the extended Ethan Allen Express route surpassed advocates’ expectations by transporting 7,800 riders in October and 8,000 riders in November, the last month for which figures are available. [sevendaysvt.com]

LIRR pulls into Grand Central … Cincy streetcar ridership soars … Optimism rises for Duluth link

NYC’s LIRR pulls into Grand Central Madison The MTA’s Long Island Rail Road has begun direct train service into Grand Central Madison in New York City. Grand Central Direct trains operating between Jamaica and Grand Central Madison double LIRR capacity into Manhattan. The new terminal provides seamless connectivity throughout the MTA region, with LIRR and MTA Metro-North railroads and subway services all in one building for the first time. A new Main Line Third Track enables reverse-commuting options that were not previously possible. [progressiverailroading.com]

Cincinnati streetcar ridership hits all-time high Ridership on Cincinnati’s fare-free Connector rose most months throughout 2022 and hit its all-time annual record high in the year. In 2022, 846,601 people boarded the streetcar to travel along its 3.6 mi route that stretches through Over-the-Rhine and The Banks via the Central Business District. The previous record for ridership was 2017, the streetcar’s first full year of operation, 571,601 people rode the Connector. [progressiverailroading.com]

Twin Cities-Duluth rail advocates newly optimistic MinnesoMinnesota legislators have started to work on securing funding for a long-anticipated passenger rail line between Duluth and the Twin Cities, with bills in the House and Senate calling for $99 million from the state general fund to start the service. If Gov. Tim Walz signed off on that legislation, it would unlock $396 million in matching federal funding for the Northern Lights Express rail service. It would be the first passenger rail [twincities.com]

Mass sees push for Commuter Rail electrification State lawmakers are making another push for Commuter Rail electrification, now that a new governor is in office. Legislation was filed in both the House and Senate that calls for the MBTA and its rail contractor, Keolis, to operate a fully electric system by Dec. 31, 2035, and “ensure sufficient zero-emission infrastructure is in place” to meet that timeline. The proposed legislation directs the MBTA and MassDOT to pursue federal funding to accomplish zero-emission infrastructure and electrification. [masstransitmag.com]

Philly launches QR ticketing for up to five people Philadelphia’s SEPTA has launched a mobile ticketing pilot program, offering a QR code ticket for up to five people traveling together using its smartphone app. Key Tix is not intended to replace SEPTA’s Key Cards, but to provide an option for infrequent users who want to enjoy the same benefits, including one free transfer per trip. Key Tix is currently valid on metro, light rail and bus services, with expansion to suburban rail lines planned for later this year. [railwaygazette.com]

SoCal track set for service return … Rhode Island station opens … Amtrak moves on fleet replacement

Limited service returning to stabilized SoCal track Emergency track work in San Clemente, California, has stabilized coastal slope movement allowing weekend passenger-rail service to resume. Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner will resume weekend service on February 4th, while Metrolink trains will continue to operate on weekends as far as San Clemente Pier Station. The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) expects work to be completed by late March, when full service could be restored. Service was suspended in September.[progressiverailroading.com]

Long sought Rhode Island train station opens After two decades, the Pawtucket-Central Falls Transit Center finally opened Monday morning. The train station, located on Pine Street, adds a stop to the MBTA Providence/Stoughton line, connecting the Blackstone Valley with Boston. The first train left shortly before 4:30 a.m. The station was originally set to open last summer, but the project was delayed due to labor and supply chain problems. Gov. Dan McKee joined other leaders at 9 a.m. for a ceremonial ride to the station from Providence. [wpri.com]

Amtrak starts overnight fleet replacement proces After requesting information regarding replacement railcars for its overnight routes, Amtrak has received submissions from ten manufacturers. This marks the first formal step to completely reequipping Amtrak’s long-distance network. The new vehicles will be used to provide 14 overnight routes across the country including the Auto Train, California Zephr, Southwest Chief and Empire Builder. [railway-news.com]

NC passenger trains saw record ridership in ’22 North Carolina’s state-subsidized passenger trains had a record year in 2022. The Piedmont and Carolinian carried 522,550 people last year, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation. That eclipses the previous annual record of 481,491 in 2014. The numbers don’t include four long-distance Amtrak trains that make several stops as they pass through the state between New York and the Southeast. [aol.com]

Kansas City Streetcar extends hours of operation The KC Streetcar has extended weeknight hours to midnight in response to an increase in ridership and downtown activity. The streetcar’s ridership has steadily increased and rebounded since the early months of the Covid pandemic in 2020. Since opening in May 2016, the streetcar has served more than 11.2 million passenger trips. Strong demand from the community supports the decision to extend hours. [rtands.com]

Houston METRO launches new light-rail vehicle Harris County’s MTA (METRO) has launched the first of 14 new light-rail vehicles (LRVs) to be added to the Houston agency’s fleet over time. The new LRV entered service on the METRORail Red Line, which runs between the Northline Transit Center and Fannin South Station. Stops include downtown stations, Midtown, Museum District, Hermann Park/Houston Zoo, Texas Medical Center and NRG Park. The Siemens Mobility vehicles have wide aisles to accommodate wheelchairs, strollers and bicycles. [progressiverailroading.com]

Light rail for Brooklyn-Queens … Alaska-Canada train resuming … Brightline Florida sets records

Light rail chosen for Brooklyn-Queens connector New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority will develop Interborough Express-branded light rail services along the 22.5 km freight corridor between Bay Ridge in Brooklyn and Jackson Heights in Queens. The existing freight line links Bay Ridge docks at 65th Street Yard, which is served by a train ferry across the Hudson River, with short line operator New York & Atlantic Railway’s main marshaling yard at Fresh Pond in Queens; it then turns north to reach Jackson Heights. [railwaygazette.com]

White Pass & Yukon restart Alaska-Canada train The White Pass & Yukon Railway will resume trips between Alaska and Canada this summer, the first such operations since before the Covid pandemic, One-way passenger service from Skagway, Alaska to Fraser, British Columbia, will run daily from early May to early October, with return or continuing service by bus. Service to Carcross and Bennet, Yukon Territory, will begin in late May and continue through mid-September. [trains.com]

Brightline Florida sets ridership and sales records Aided by its seasonal Polar Express promotion and discounted $10 rides celebrating the opening of stations at Boca Raton and Aventura, Brightline’s Miami-West Palm Beach service carried 183,920 passengers in December 2022, generating $5.1 million of ticket revenue. Both are monthly records since service began in early 2018. The new stations only opened the week before Christmas, but they contributed nearly 10% to the December ridership total. [trains.com]

River-adjacent NYC stations suffer air quality loss New research from New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine found subway stations near river tunnels can have significantly higher concentrations of potentially dangerous particles in what they call a “river-tunnel effect.” Concentrations of particles can be 80% to 130% higher in stations neighboring river tunnels versus those stations that were two or three stop further from the rivers. Researchers hope their study will help prioritize mitigation and cleaning efforts. [masstransitmag.com]

Amtrak to add Vancouver trip … New Mexicans want HSR … Mex rail plan alarms scientists

Amtrak to restore second Vancouver round trip Amtrak will add a second round trip between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, starting March 7th, restoring the line to pre-pandemic levels of service. Amtrak will also increase the number of daily trips between Seattle and Portland from four to six this fall. Before the onset of the pandemic, more than 750,000 riders traveled along the Cascades line each year. The route to Vancouver was suspended in May 2020 and one trip was restored in September 2022. [seattletimes.com]

New Mexicans want high-speed rail investment Two bills pre-filed in the New Mexico State Legislature ahead of the new session, may pave the way for expanded rail service in New Mexico. The proposals seek to bring a high-speed rail line through the entire state, and into Colorado to the north and Chihuahua, Mexico, to the south. The bills would allocate $500,000 for a feasibility study and $1 billion for the rail project itself. [sourcenm.com]

Jungle railway plan alarms Mexican scientists Parts of Mexico’s remote southern jungles have barely changed since the time of the ancient Maya. In the eyes of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a railway his government is building — known as the Tren Maya — will bring modern connectivity to areas deprived of significant economic benefits. But the railway and its hasty construction also critically endanger pristine wilderness and ancient cave systems beneath the jungle floor, droves of scientists and environmental activists said. [abcnews.go.com

Study shows NC Triangle commuter rail options GoTriangle shared the results of a commuter rail feasibility study to gain input on options for a future commuter rail service. The agency is also launching a public feedback campaign in Durham, Cary, Raleigh and Clayton, areas through which the system would run. The proposed Greater Triangle commuter rail would help provide a congestion free transportation opportunity and serve a region slated to grow by more than a million people and a corresponding one million cars in the next 30 years. [masstransitmag.com]

SF’s Central Subway line opens … Universal backs Orlando station … Ohio eyes more Amtrak service

Central Subway Line opens in San Francisco San Francisco’s T-Third line has officially started its new route connecting Chinatown to Sunnydale and the Bayview in the new Central Subway. The new route will vastly improve transportation and reduce travel times to and from some of San Francisco’s most densely populated areas and major shopping corridors, expanding transit options and new connections. The new T-Third route runs north to the new Central Subway from 4th & King platform. [nbcbayarea.com]

Universal Orlando backs new SunRail Station Orlando’s Right Rail coalition and Universal Orlando Resort have announced plans to open a new SunRail station at the Orange County Convention Center at Universal Orlando. This project will advance the development of SunRail’s Sunshine Corridor program to offer a commuter rail line between Orlando International Airport and the Orange County Convention Center. The Corridor will also connect passengers to Brightline services at the airport. [railway-news.com]

Ohio eyes fed money for new Amtrak service The state of Ohio is “strongly considering” applying for federal dollars that could lead to expanded passenger rail service throughout the state, including establishment of a new route connecting Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati. Meanwhile, Northeast Ohio officials do plan to pursue funding to establish Cleveland as an Amtrak mini-hub, with more frequent service to Chicago and the East Coast. As one of the states most underserved by passenger rail, Amtrak has targeted Ohio for expansion. [cleveland.com]

Wellington-West Palm Beach light rail proposed A new travel option to get around town could be coming to Palm Beach County. The Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (PBTPA) has proposed adding a light rail system linking downtown West Palm Beach to The Mall at Wellington Green to help ease congestion. The Department of Transportation is expected to conduct a feasibility study in 2025 to decide if the proposal should move forward. [wptv.com]

Amtrak eyes NOLA-Miami revival … Seattle service ridership lags … Proposals sought for Vancouver proj

Amtrak eyeing New Orleans to Miami revival With an agreement forged for Amtrak to run from New Orleans to Mobile starting this year, there is new talk that passenger trains could continue on to Florida’s East Coast. A map outlining the possible new service was revealed at a recent meeting of the Amtrak board of directors.The proposed service would extend across the Florida panhandle and onto Jacksonville, enabling through service to Orlando and Miami. Passenger trains haven’t operated between Jacksonville and New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. [masstransitmag.com]

Post-covid ridership lag besets Seattle service In April 2020, two months after the first reported case of the coronavirus in the U.S., the future of the Sounder commuter rail line looked bright. But in the months that followed, use of the train evaporated, as it did on all forms of public transportation. Nearly three years later, that ridership is barely returning, hovering at roughly a third of pre-pandemic ridership. [seattletimes.com]

Proposals sought for Vancouver SkyTrain proj British Columbia officials have invited two pre-qualified bidders to respond to a request for proposals (RFP) for the Surrey Langley SkyTrain project. The RFP addresses the design, construction and financing of the elevated guideway, roadworks, utilities and active transportation elements of the project. The Surrey Langley SkyTrain project calls for extending the Expo Line by 10 miles on an elevated guideway from King George SkyTrain Station in Surrey to 203rd Street Station in Langley City. [progressiverailroading.com]

Study looks at North Adams-Boston service The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is conducting a study to examine the costs, benefits, and investments necessary to implement passenger rail service from North Adams to Greenfield and Boston. Dubbed the “Northern Tier Passenger Rail Study,” the work looks to ensure future rail service would have the speed, frequency, and reliability necessary to be a competitive travel option along this corridor. [news10.com]

Brightline adds 2 SoFla stops … Grand Central LIRR delayed … LA Union Station Link proj a go

Brightline adds two new South Florida stations Brightline has opened two new stations in South Florida, launching service in Aventura and Boca Raton. The rail network has existing stops in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. The Aventura station will allow commuters to travel to Miami Central in about 20 minutes. The 34,000 square-foot station features a pedestrian skybridge for train platform access. Brightline is planning a second pedestrian bridge to connect the platform with the nearby Aventura Mall. [rtands.com]

Grand Central Madison LIRR opening delayed The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has missed the planned late December opening of Long Island Rail Road service to its new station beneath Grand Central Terminal. The new east side station for Long Island Rail Road trains requires additional days to complete. Grand Central Madison will allow the estimated half of LIRR riders that work on Manhattan’s east side to bypass doubling back from Penn Station. A January opening date is possible. [ny1.com]

LA Metro/HSR ink Union Station Link agreement The California High-Speed Rail Authority has approved a $423.34 million-dollar agreement with Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) to modernize L.A.’s historic Union Station through the Link Union Station (Link US) project. The Link US project will allow trains to enter and exit from both north and south of the station, to increase rail service capacity and reduce train idling times. The project will also improve transit connections and accommodate future high-speed rail service. [masstransitmag.com]

Toronto Bloor-Yonge station makeover funded Funding has been finalized for a major expansion of Toronto’s Bloor-Yonge TTC station, the busiest on the Toronto metro network. The cost of the project, C$1.5 billion, will be split between city, provincial and federal governments. Plans call for subway platforms to be modified and expanded; station infrastructure to be replaced; and a new fully accessible entrance to be added. Construction is planned to begin in 2024. [railwaygazette.com]

Warren Buffett opposes Omaha streetcar proj Billionaire investor Warren Buffett broke with his practice of staying out of local politics to urge his hometown of Omaha to abandon its planned streetcar project because he says it’s too expensive and not as flexible as buses. Buffett wrote a letter to the editor of the Omaha World-Herald and met with the mayor this week to lobby against the $306 million project and urge the city to let residents vote on it. But city officials are moving forward with the streetcar because they believe it will spur development. [apnews.com]

New Hampshire ditches commuter rail study New Hampshire’s Republican-led Executive Council has terminated a $5.5 million engineering and financial study on restoring commuter rail service from Boston through Manchester. A council member said that stopping the work now would allow the Department of Transportation to divert $1.5 million that remains unspent to other mass transit services. The rejection came after the party conducting the study asked to extend the completion date for the study from the end of January to the end of September. [masstransitmag.com]

Phoenix PHX sky train debuts … FRA sets $686M in station access projs … Houston Metro glimpses first new-gen LRV

Phoenix debuts final stage of the PHX sky train Just in time for the busy holiday travel season and next year’s Super Bowl, Phoenix celebrated the opening of the final stage of the PHX Sky Train. The long-awaited 2.5 mi extension connects the terminals with the Rental Car Center and adds two new stations – the Rental Car Center Station and the 24th Street Station. Trains arrive and depart every three to five minutes 24 hours a day. [internationalairportreview.com]

FTA grants $686M for transit station accessibility The Federal Transit Adminstration has announced approximately $686 million in grant funding for accessibility upgrades at transit stations across the United States. The grants represent the first round of funding under the new All Station Accessibility Program, or ASAP, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. They will go to 15 projects in nine states including Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Washington state. [trains.com]

Houston Metro glimpses first of 14 new-get LRVs The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO), based in Houston, Texas, has debuted the first of 14 new fourth-generation (H4) light rail vehicles (LRV). These vehicles will run on the METRORail Red Line, which operates in and around downtown Houston. The new cars have an open seating plan and almost four feet of aisle space to improve passenger flow and better accommodate wheelchairs, strollers and bicycles. [railway-news.com]

Atlanta set for 224 new MARTA rail cars in 2025 MARTA has debuted plans for the roll out of its new rail cars. With amenities like cell phone charging ports and luggage space, the project will attempt to move Atlanta’s public transportation rail system into the 21st century. The new railcar bodies were constructed by Stadler in Hungary and are on their way to Salt Lake City to be outfitted before returning to Atlanta to go into service in 2025, a year before Atlanta plays host to a round of the 2026 World Cup. [theatlantavoice.com]

RECENT POSTS

Get our Rail Planner app

Plan your trip, get extra discounts, and show your Pass as you go.

Our favorite spring routes

Celebrate spring with these 7 off-the-beaten-path train routes

All about seat reservations

Everything you need to know about booking your seats

Alternatives to Busy Routes

Travel between popular European cities without seat reservations

Through our Chatbot in the bottom right corner.

Ask the Community

Browse questions from fellow Eurail travellers, or ask your own!

• Order overview
• Reservations overview
• My Trips & Travelers
• {{translatedTraveler}} {{#promotional}} {{currencySign}} {{standardPrice}} {{/promotional}} {{quantity}}x {{currencySign}} {{finalPrice}}
• Child {{childPasses}}x FREE
• {{translatedPassType}}
• {{translatedValidityPeriodDescription}}
• {{translatedClass}}
• Remove Pass(es)
• {{variant.localizedTravelPackDescription}} {{quantity}}x Free
• {{variant.localizedPassUpgradeDescription}} {{quantity}}x {{currency}} {{price}}
• Your order will arrive by {{expectedDeliveryDate}} 1 x {{currency}} {{price}}

Your cart is empty

Tour Europe with 1 rail Pass

Follow your curiosity around up to 33 countries, traveling at your own pace by train

Tour Europe by train

with 1 Pass

Create the itinerary

for your perfect trip

Travel flexibly on trains

that don’t need reservations

Stay conscious

and travel sustainably

Build your Eurail adventure in 4 easy steps

1 plan your route.

Plan where you’re going and which trains will take you there.

2 Find your Pass

Travel with a Global Pass or a One Country Pass - It’s up to you.

3 Reserve your seats

Do your trains need seat reservations? Book them early!

4 Activate your Pass

Add your Pass to the app, activate it, and jump on a train!

Secure your plans by reserving seats

Most popular rail passes.

Global Pass

7 travel days

• Travel any 7 days within 1 month
• Perfect for visiting 6-8 destinations
• Change your mind? 85% refundable

10 travel days

• Travel any 10 days within 2 months
• Perfect for visiting 9–11 destinations

“We were on the road for two months and traveled to 16 cities and 10 countries. Through Eurail you get the chance to create your own individual route.” Tamara and Natalie

“I had the freedom to go at my own pace and find unexpected adventures, enjoying spectacular landscapes and discovering natural beauty. In short, a unique and unforgettable adventure." Lucas

“I loved Eurailing! It was cool to see how trains operate in different countries, and how the European network is interlinked. I can’t wait for more international trains and for international rail travel to become the new norm!” Floris

“I loved exploring Europe with my Eurail Pass! It was the perfect complement to my study abroad program and a valuable resource! I was able to visit so many places, and I can’t wait to come back to visit more!” Taylor

“Traveling by train is more than just going from A to B. Your trip already starts at the station, and the experiences and encounters are priceless.” Bram

Ready to travel?

Download our Rail Planner app

Plan your trip and show your Pass as you go.

Change of currency

You cannot change the currency once you have a Pass in your cart. Remove the Pass, and then change the currency on the website header.

Vintage photos show how first-class train travel has changed over the past 100 years

• First-class train cars used to include gramophones and leather armchairs.
• Travelers would dress up in suits and fur coats for their trips.
• Celebrities like Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger traveled in first class.

Modern first-class train tickets include perks like lounge access and meals, but trains used to be even more luxurious.

Train travel has experienced a renaissance in recent years, with more passengers opting to avoid rising airfare costs and the environmental impact of flying. Amtrak reported its ridership reached 28.8 million in 2023 — a 24.6% increase from the previous year.

Here's a look back at how glamorous first-class train cars once were and how they've changed through the years.

In the early 1900s, first-class train carriages featured club cars with sumptuous leather furniture.

This ornate 1905 club car was part of the British railway company Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway.

In 1912, meals on the Great Eastern Railway's first-class dining cars were served on fine china and silverware embossed with the GER logo.

The carriages also featured upholstered leather booths with covers, known as antimacassars that were embroidered with "GER."

First-class lounges looked more like living rooms aboard the London, Midland, and Scottish Railway in 1928.

First-class lounges on LMS trains were furnished with leather armchairs, drapes, and carpeting.

Passengers dressed to the nines in hats, gloves, and fur coats in a first-class London North Eastern Railway car in 1930.

The lounge also included a gramophone and decorative wood panels.

Travelers on the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1930 passed the time by reading newspapers or listening to the radio.

The first-class car featured plenty of windows, as well as striped furniture and tabletop lamps.

In 1937, sleeping carriages on luxury Pullman trains included perks like being served breakfast in bed.

The carriages included clothing racks and shelves for storing luggage, as well.

In 1951, waitstaff served food and drinks in a first-class dining saloon on a train at Marylebone Station in London.

The tables were set with white tablecloths and patterned china.

Lunch was also a dressy affair in British Railways' first-class dining car.

Passengers wore suits and ties, as did the waitstaff.

Glamorous Golden Arrow trains, operated by Pullman, ran between London and Paris from 1929 to 1972.

The Golden Arrow's Trianon Bar, the first-class bar car pictured above, debuted in 1951.

Pullman offered rides on restored Golden Arrow trains in 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of its final run.

Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger traveled in style in first class in 1967.

The musicians rode the train from London's Euston Station to Bangor.

King Charles (then Prince of Wales) also rode in first class in 1978.

Charles chatted with a journalist in a first-class cabin on a train in the UK.

In 1992, the first-class lounge on Indian Pacific trains offered entertainment in the form of board games like Scrabble.

Passengers were photographed playing Scrabble as an Indian Pacific train pulled out of the Broken Hill station in Australia.

In 1997, British Prime Minister John Major and his wife, Norma, ate a meal in first class as they rode a train from King's Cross Station in London.

Their table featured a rose in a vase and blue linen napkins.

Today's first-class cars on Amtrak don't look much different from the rest of the train.

Business Insider's Joey Hadden rode in a first-class Amtrak Acela car in 2022 and concluded that while she enjoyed the meal service and travel experience, she didn't feel it was worth the $270 price tag.

Some trains still offer the old-world glamour of yesteryear, like the Venice Simplon-Orient Express.

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express consists of vintage luxury train cars from the 1920s and 1930s that transported passengers through Europe as part of the Orient Express.

The sleeper trains now travel to 17 European cities on 60 routes. Prices for a private cabin range from $9,000 to $26,000.

• Main content

• BOOK TICKETS
• BUY RAIL PASSES
• TRAIN TRAVEL GUIDE
• ITALY TRAVEL TIPS
• RAIL PACKAGES

Italy by train: Book with the experts and save

Book train tickets worry-free with the italian train travel specialists..

A child is between the ages of 4 and 11 years.

Many trains in Italy and beyond offer a discounted fare between 30% & 50% off the Adult fare for Children.

The child offer is now extended to children ages 4 to 14 years when traveling on high-speed Frecciarossa, Frecciabianca, Frecciargento, InterCity, InterCityNotte, EuroCity, and Thello trains. Your child will be assigned his/her own seat and children must be accompanied by an Adult when traveling on this offer.

Regional trains will still offer discounted fares for children ages 4 to 11 years.

Infants & Children 3 & under travel for free and will share a seat with the adult companion.

This option is for customers that have already purchased a Eurail Pass or InterRail Pass and wish to reserve seats or sleeping berths. Learn more about rail passes.

Most high-speed and long-distance trains require seat reservations. The fare rules for each train indicate whether seat reservations are necessary.

Note: An ItaliaPass does not entitle customers to use of passholder fares.  Roundtrip tickets are not available using a Eurail Pass or InterRail Pass.

By clicking the "I ACCEPT" button below you acknowledge that passholder fares may only be used in combination with a valid Eurail Pass or Interrail Pass.

Save as much as 10-30% OFF rail Enjoy flexible ticket changes Amazing deals on tours, transfers, and more Dedicated travel coordinator (for the best service, book at least 2 weeks in advance)

Get Started Now >>

Rome Tour Pass

Best of Florence & Tuscany by High-Speed Train from Rome

Pompeii and the Art of Pasta in the Shadow of Mt. Vesuvius

The Ultimate Bucket List Orientation Tour of Rome

Amalfi Coast Day Trip by High-Speed Train from Rome

Day trip to Pompei from Rome

Frascati Wine Road from Rome: Tasting & Lunch

Popular train routes, train from rome to, train from florence to, train from milan to, train from italy to.

• Switzerland

• Share full article

Advertisement

Subscriber-only Newsletter

Climate Forward

Trains are cleaner than planes, right.

The surprising carbon footprint of an Amtrak trip across America.

By Hiroko Tabuchi

Recently, I did something I’ve long dreamed of. I took the train across America.

The views were majestic, particularly as we swayed through the West. The Wi-Fi was bad, and the food not much better. But I wanted to do it partly because trains are cleaner than flying.

But when I got back home and crunched the numbers, I discovered something surprising: it would have been less polluting for me to have flown.

As a climate journalist, I often fly to report my articles, but I’ve always worried about the climate cost. Flying in jets that burn a lot of fuel is probably one of the most polluting things we do. By taking a flight to report on a problem, I’m basically making that problem worse by causing tons of planet-warming emissions that are heating up our planet to dangerous extremes.

So when I started to work on a story that would involve spending time with two climate scientists at Stanford University — one who wants to rid the school of fossil fuel funding, the other fully funded by Exxon — I wondered whether I could try something different.

What if I traveled from New York to Stanford by train, a method of transportation that generally has a far smaller climate footprint ?

The most direct route was to take the Lake Shore Limited train to Chicago, then the California Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville, Calif., just outside San Francisco.

That 3,400-mile journey would take a daunting 72 hours. But I convinced my editors to let me use a work day, plus a few vacation days, to take the trip.

I was set. And I was doing my part to save the planet. Right?

Wrong. In short, I took a train across America and ended up emitting more planet-warming emissions, not less. I’ll explain why in just a bit.

The journey itself was epic . I boarded a packed train at New York Penn Station and was quickly speeding along the Hudson River at sunset. After a train change in Chicago, and traversing Iowa and Nebraska, we reached the Colorado Rockies. Our ascent from the flat plains to the green forests, then through the snow-capped Rockies, the deserts of Utah and the panoramic Sierra Nevada, was nothing short of magical.

It was also a slog. A sleeper cabin would have cost more than $2,000, so I was in an upright seat the entire trip. (Compression socks helped.) That still cost $600, about the same price flying the same route would have cost during the holiday season. I’d heard that the dining car was expensive, so I brought along vegetable sticks, crackers, cheese, hummus, instant noodles and miso soup. I tried to work on the Lake Shore Limited, but the Wi-Fi was down. There was no internet at all on the California Zephyr.

But then I did the math on my emissions.

A nonstop flight from New York to San Francisco emits, on average, about 840 pounds of carbon dioxide per economy class passenger, according to Google Flights, whose data is independently reviewed . That’s equivalent to burning 420 pounds of coal, or more than the annual emissions of someone living in Cameroon. Air travel is wildly polluting.

But what about trains? I tracked down several estimates of carbon emissions per passenger-mile, including Amtrak’s official estimate. What I got back: My cross-country train journey had emitted somewhere from 950 to 1,133 pounds of carbon dioxide per passenger.

There are a few reasons for this result. Amtrak is far cleaner than flying where its tracks are electrified, along the Northeast Corridor, from Washington to Boston. But outside the Northeast, Amtrak trains run on diesel, a highly polluting fuel.

What’s more, Amtrak’s trains are decades old. (Its single-level Amfleet cars were built in the late 1970s.) Add to that generous seat pitches, large old-fashioned private rooms for longer-distance trains, a longer, winding route across the country and “per-passenger-mile emissions go through the roof,” said Justin Roczniak , a co-host of “Well There’s Your Problem,” a podcast about engineering.

Amtrak is still the more climate-friendly option for the vast majority of travelers, who on average travel 300 to 400 miles, said Olivia Irvin, a spokeswoman for the rail company. (That is, not many people are crazy enough to go cross-country by train.) A 2022 Department of Transportation study found that traveling by train from Los Angeles to San Diego generated less than half the emissions , per passenger, of flying, or driving. For Boston to New York, an electrified route, taking the train generated less than a fifth the emissions of flying or driving.

It’s when journeys start getting longer than about 700 miles that planes start to gain an advantage on trains. Planes burn the most fuel when they take off and climb to altitude. That makes short flights very inefficient — you’re burning all that fuel only to travel a short distance. (Some countries, like France and Spain , have tried to ban the shortest flights when rail alternatives are available.)

Longer flights also tend to use larger aircraft, which provide economies of scale. And aircraft have become more fuel-efficient over the years. But choosing flights with several connections, for example, can quickly add to your footprint, because you’re taking off and landing multiple time

Flights for the same route can differ in terms of emissions by a factor of three, according to Dan Rutherford, director of research at the International Council on Clean Transportation, who advises Google on its flight emissions calculations. And comparing air and train travel can be tricky: Amtrak does not provide emissions estimates for different seat classes. Airplanes also emit other pollution like nitrogen oxides and soot, and form contrails , all of which warm the planet further.

And experts agree that aviation is going to be one of the hardest industries to decarbonize. With trains, electrification is already readily available. The technology is there. China, for example, has managed to electrify 70 percent of its train lines over the past decades and made them faster, too. And as the electric grid gets cleaner by adding more solar and wind, so will trains that run on electricity from that grid.

An electric, long-distance passenger plane is much further in our future.

Whether Amtrak will ever electrify outside of the Northeast corridor is another question, however. In America, tracks are owned by freight companies, which have resisted electrification. (Freight trains are also why some Amtrak trains stop frequently to make way. And all that stopping and starting makes America’s passenger trains even less energy-efficient.) Amtrak is currently updating its fleet with newer diesel trains, albeit ones that are less polluting and slightly faster.

One thing I did learn during my cross-country train journey: There are still a lot of Americans who love trains. The trains I took were booked solid. Among my fellow travelers were a college student traveling to see her long-distance boyfriend, and grandparents on a family trip (but they didn’t want to travel by car with their grandchildren).

But would I travel cross-country by train again? Probably not, unless Amtrak electrified the route. We can only dream.

More climate news

Only 57 oil, gas, coal and cement producers accounted for 80 percent of global fossil fuel carbon emissions in the last decade, a new report reviewed by Axios shows .

The Biden administration’s $7.5 billion investment in electric car charging has only produced seven stations in two years, The Washington Post reports .

Most of the European Union’s embattled farming subsidies go to meat and dairy products, researchers reported in The Conservation .

An earlier version of this newsletter stated incorrectly the train’s route after leaving Chicago. It traversed Iowa and Nebraska, not Indiana and Nebraska.

An earlier version of this newsletter also described incorrectly the pollution from airplanes. It contains nitrogen oxides, not nitrogen.

How we handle corrections

Hiroko Tabuchi covers the intersection of business and climate for The Times. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years in Tokyo and New York. More about Hiroko Tabuchi

Learn More About Climate Change

Have questions about climate change? Our F.A.Q. will tackle your climate questions, big and small .

“Buying Time,” a new series from The New York Times, looks at the risky ways  humans are starting to manipulate nature  to fight climate change.

Big brands like Procter & Gamble and Nestlé say a new generation of recycling plants will help them meet environmental goals, but the technology is struggling to deliver .

The Italian energy giant Eni sees future profits from collecting carbon dioxide and pumping it  into natural gas fields that have been exhausted.

New satellite-based research reveals how land along the East Coast is slumping into the ocean, compounding the danger from global sea level rise . A major culprit: the overpumping of groundwater.

Did you know the ♻ symbol doesn’t mean something is actually recyclable ? Read on about how we got here, and what can be done.

• Help Center
• 1-866-921-7925

Start Searching

• Packages  
• Hotels  
• Cruises  
• Rental Cars  

* Indicates required fields

Rental Period:

pickUpDate - dropOffDate

Pick-Up: pickUpTime - Drop-Off: dropOffTime

Pick-Up Location:

pickUpAddress

pickUpAgencyName

pickUpAgencyAddress

Drop-Off Location:

Same as Pick-Up Location

dropOffAddress

dropOffAgencyName

dropOffAgencyAddress

Coupon Override

Please call.

For drivers under the age of 25, additional fees and/or restrictions may apply.

For information and assistance in completing your reservation, please call:

We're unable to find your location.

Alaska Cruise Tours:

A cruise tour is a voyage and land tour combination, with the land tour occurring before or after the voyage. Unless otherwise noted, optional services such as airfare, airport transfers, shore excursions, land tour excursions, etc. are not included and are available for an additional cost.

Family-Friendly Fun

Experience the disney difference.

• Immerse Yourself in the Magic
• Member Value at Disneyland® Resort and More

Limited-Time Deal

Rental car savings, $25 digital costco shop card.

• Valid for Rentals Through 5/31/24
• While Supplies Last
• Book by 4/14/24

The Big Apple

Experience new york.

• Included Extras or Digital Costco Shop Card

Two-Island Experience

Cook islands, pacific resort rarotonga and aitutaki package.

• Special Savings
• Round-Trip Airfare

On Ka'anapali Beach

The westin maui resort & spa, ka'anapali package.

• $250 Resort Credit
• Exclusive Costco Member Savings

Choose Fun!

Carnival cruise line, kirkland signature and buyer's choice.

• Exclusive Savings and Shipboard Credit
• Digital Costco Shop Card with Every Sailing

Alaska Cruises

Kirkland Signature and Buyer's Choice Exclusive Savings and Included Extras Digital Costco Shop Card with Every Sailing

NEW Hot Buys

Plus More Limited-Time Packages Book Before They're Gone

Included Extras with Every Package Round-Trip Airfare

London and Paris: Your Way

Daily Breakfast $400 London Tour Credit Rail Tickets on Eurostar, Executive Member Benefits

Key West: Casa Marina Curio Collection by Hilton Package

Stay 4 / Pay 3 Oceanfront Property Private Beach

Costa Rica: The Westin Reserva Conchal Package

All-Inclusive Resort $50 Spa Credit Westin® Kids Club

Featured Travel

Los cabos: marquis package.

Adults-Only, All-Inclusive Resort Digital Costco Shop Card

North America Vacations

Stay Close to Home or Get Out and Explore Vacation Packages, Hotel Only Bookings or Build Your Own Package

Oahu: Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa Package

Luau VIP Seating Tickets Digital Costco Shop Card Daily Resort Fee Included

Dominican Republic: Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana Package

Family-Friendly, All-Inclusive Resort Beachfront, Digital Costco Shop Card

Last-Minute Travel

It's Not Too Late To Book! Member Value in Every Package

New Orleans: Sheraton New Orleans Hotel Package

$30 Food and Beverage Credit New to Costco Travel

Featured Destinations

Seattle, washington.

The Emerald City

Savannah, Georgia

Beautiful Coastal Landscapes

Houston, Texas

Known for Space Center Houston

Featured Cruises

Alaskan explorer cruise.

Holland America Line | Eurodam® Digital Costco Shop Card, Round-Trip Seattle

7 Nights from $449*

Western Mediterranean Cruise

Royal Caribbean | Oasis of the Seas® Digital Costco Shop Card, Round-Trip Barcelona

7 Nights from $750*

Panama Canal with Costa Rica & Caribbean Cruise

Princess Cruises | Emerald Princess® Digital Costco Shop Card, Round-Trip Fort Lauderdale

12 Nights from $538*

Western Caribbean and Perfect Day Cruise

Royal Caribbean | Wonder of the Seas℠ Digital Costco Shop Card, Round-Trip Port Canaveral

7 Nights from $842*

Pacific Coastal Cruise

Princess Cruises | Grand Princess® Digital Costco Shop Card, Vancouver to Los Angeles

4 Nights from $205*

Hawaii Inter-Island Cruise

Norwegian Cruise Line | Pride of America Digital Costco Shop Card, Round-Trip Honolulu

7 Nights from $1,479*

Hidden Gems

Trending now, think costco travel first.

• Exclusively for Costco members
• We are Costco and we know travel
• The value you want with the quality you expect
• No surprises when you're ready to pay
• Additional advantages of membership

Learn more about the Costco Travel difference.

• Executive Members earn an annual 2% reward
• 3% cash back rewards on Costco Travel with the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

Click here to maximize your rewards.

Explore More Travel

Discover oahu or kauai.

Digital Costco Shop Card with Every Package

Choose from Four Family-Friendly Resorts

Escape the Ordinary

All-Inclusive Resorts in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica or Mexico

Condo Resorts

Enjoy Your Vacation with a Touch of Home

Whether You're Staying For Awhile or Just For the Weekend

Travel Items on Costco.com

Shop featured deals, headphones & earbuds.

We are processing your payment.

Do not refresh your browser or exit this page.

{{errorMsg}}

Journey Information  

Queensland rail travel home page.

Travel by rail to experience the wonders of Queensland. Get away on your next vacation, visit friends and family or explore more of the Sunshine State. Relax, take in the changing scenery and enjoy our onboard amenities and friendly service.

{{banner.Title}}

{{banner.qrt_TileTeaserText}} {{banner.ButtonText}} >>

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Watch CBS News

Earthquake snarls air and train travel in the New York City area

By Megan Cerullo

Edited By Aimee Picchi

Updated on: April 5, 2024 / 4:36 PM EDT / CBS News

An  earthquake  centered in New Jersey and felt across the New York City region on Friday disrupted air and rail travel, with ground stoppages at airports in the New York City area and delays in train service. 

Travel operations were momentarily halted Friday morning with ground stoppages at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens and at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, with crews working to resume normal air traffic operations. By early afternoon, the ground stoppage at JFK had been lifted. 

Arriving and departing flights in Newark also resumed in the afternoon, but delays averaged roughly two hours,  according  to the Federal Aviation Administration. 

The earthquake, which occurred roughly 10:20 a.m. Eastern time, had either a 4.7 or 4.8 magnitude and was centered near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, 40 miles west of New York City,  according to the United States Geological Survey.

Newark airport is experiencing average departure delays of 43 minutes, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. Inbound aircraft that are already airborne are delayed by about an hour. Inbound flights that have not yet taken off are being held until 12:30 p.m., according to the site.  

Flights in and out of LaGuardia airport in Queens were also delayed, likely in order for airport staff to check for damage to the airport and runways and clear away any debris. 

The ground stoppages and delays are not expected to last long. 

Additionally, New Jersey Transit said it's experiencing up to 20-minute delays across its entire rail service system, in both directions. NJ Transit said it's inspecting a bridge for damage to ensure train travel is safe. 

—CBS News' Kris Van Cleave contributed reporting.

Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News Streaming to discuss her reporting.

More from CBS News

Feds rush to open probe of Ford recall prompted by possible engine fires

Robert MacNeil, longtime PBS news anchor, dies at 93

Botox shots, possibly counterfeit, linked to botulism-like illnesses

John Legend, Rae Wynn-Grant discuss new memoir published by Legend's imprint

Train drivers strike for third time in four days

Members of the Aslef union are walking out in an almost two-year dispute over pay with no sign of a breakthrough.

News reporter @niamhielynch

Monday 8 April 2024 08:20, UK

Passengers on some of the UK's busiest rail routes will face travel chaos on Monday as train drivers are set to strike for the third time in four days.

Members of Aslef will walk out resulting in significant reductions in services, especially in East Anglia and the South East.

Train strikes: Full list of who will strike when

Aslef is embroiled in a near two-year long dispute over pay, with no sign of a breakthrough and no talks planned.

The strike will hit c2c, Gatwick Express, Greater Anglia, Southeastern, Southern, South Western Railway, Great Northern and Thameslink.

What train operators are affected?

No c2c trains will run on Monday, with its managing director Rob Mullen saying he was "really disappointed" an agreement hadn't been reached.

"The impact of this ongoing action is significant for our customers and colleagues," he said.

"I'm hopeful that further meetings with the unions are productive and see progress made toward concluding this challenging time for the railway."

Gatwick Express

There will be no Gatwick Express services but Gatwick Airport will continue to be served by the limited non-stop Southern shuttle.

Great Northern

There will be no Great Northern services on Monday.

Greater Anglia

Greater Anglia said its first trains of the day will start later and last trains finish earlier than normal, excluding the Stansted Express.

An hourly train service will operate on the following Greater Anglia routes: Norwich/Colchester and London Liverpool Street, Southend Victoria and London Liverpool Street, and Stansted Airport and London Liverpool Street

A bi-hourly train service will run between Cambridge and London.

No other Greater Anglia services will operate on any other routes.

Southeastern

The operator said most of its routes and stations will be closed. There will be an extremely limited service where trains are running and the operator advised customers not to travel.

A statement said: "If you do travel, expect severe disruption, plan ahead and allow much more time for your journey.

"Trains that are running will be extremely busy, they start later and finish early.

"You may be unable to board trains at some stations, and we estimate that there could be queues for up to two hours due to the very limited service.

"Only 29 out of 165 Southeastern stations will be open. No rail replacement buses will serve stations that are closed."

Southern said there will be no trains running across the vast majority of its network, with a limited shuttle service running non-stop between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport.

South Western Railway

South Western Railway said a significantly reduced service will operate on a small number of lines, while the rest of its network will be closed.

Trains will only run between 7am and 7pm.

There will be no Thameslink services running, except for a limited shuttle service calling at Luton, Luton Airport Parkway and London St Pancras and another limited non-stop shuttle service between London Kings Cross and Cambridge.

The union says the dispute has cost the industry over £2bn, far more than it would have cost to resolve the conflict.

Aslef members at 16 train companies are also banning overtime on Monday and Tuesday which will further disrupt services.

More on Rail Strikes

Train strikes in April and May 2024: Full list of dates and lines affected

Train drivers at five companies vote to continue strike action for another six months - ASLEF

Rail strikes: LNER train drivers to walk out for five extra days in February

Related Topics:

• Rail strikes

Picket lines will be mounted outside the railway stations of operators affected by the strike.

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said his members remained solidly behind the industrial action and criticised the government and rail companies for the lack of contact over the past year.

The government introduced a new law last year aimed at ensuring minimum levels of service during strikes, but none of the train companies have opted to use it.

A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: "Train companies are working through plans to manage the unnecessary disruption to our passengers caused by this damaging industrial action.

"Minimum service levels are one potential tool for that but they are not a silver bullet.

"In the meantime, we remain committed to resolving this dispute and our offer, which would take average driver salaries to £65,000 for a four-day week without overtime, remains on the table."

Read more from Sky News: Man wanted over fatal stabbing of woman with pram 'Hardest Geezer' runs length of Africa Man arrested after human torso found

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "Aslef is the only rail union continuing to strike, targeting passengers and preventing their own members from voting on the pay offer that remains on the table.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

"Having resolved disputes with all other rail unions, the transport secretary and rail minister have ensured that a pay offer is on the table - taking train drivers' average salaries from £60,000 up to £65,000."

Related Topics

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Aslef’s final strike day disrupts rail services in south and east England

Cancellations or reduced service on many routes on Monday including commuter lines into London

Rail passengers on many routes in the south and east of England including key commuter lines into London can expect significant disruption on Monday as train drivers stage the last strike in three days of action.

Aslef union members began a 24-hour strike at eight operating companies on Monday: c2c, Gatwick Express, Greater Anglia, Great Northern, Southeastern, Southern, South Western Railway and Thameslink. The action is part of a long-running dispute over pay and conditions that began in 2022.

Great Northern, c2c and the Gatwick Express have confirmed that they will not be running any services across the day.

Southern will run only one shuttle service throughout the day, calling at Gatwick airport and London Victoria only, while Thameslink will be operate two shuttle services, one calling at London St Pancras, Luton Airport Parkway and Luton only, and one between London King’s Cross and Cambridge only.

Southeastern said it would be running a limited service, with only 29 of the 165 stations it serves open. Greater Anglia will also have much-reduced services, running only hourly trains between London Liverpool Street and Southend, Norwich and Stansted Airport.

South Western has said it will continue to operate an extremely limited timetable, running on a small number of lines to and from London Waterloo. All services would stop by 7pm and it warned passengers to travel only if absolutely necessary.

All companies have said the strikes could lead to some services on Tuesday being disrupted.

The strikes coincide with an overtime ban called by the union at 16 operators across England on Monday and Tuesday after similar action between Thursday and Saturday.

It is expected that ban will increase the likelihood of short-notice cancellations and disruption. Train drivers in Scotland and Wales are not involved in the dispute or the industrial action, but cross-border rail services could be disrupted.

The strikes on the remaining eight operating companies follow two days of action on other parts of the network on Friday and Saturday.

In a video posted on Aslef’s X account on Friday, the general secretary of the union, Mick Whelan, said: “As we’ve seen from the 17 pay deals we have done, and the recent resolution on London Underground shows that when people come to the table there is a resolution, there is a way forward and we are willing to find one.

after newsletter promotion

“It’s now time for the government and employers to come back to the table, to work with us to resolve this long-running dispute.”

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, said it was sorry the strikes called by Aslef’s leadership risked disrupting journeys.

“While we are doing all we can to keep trains running and we will work with our industry partners to keep as many trains running as possible, unfortunately there will be reduced services between Thursday 4 April to Tuesday 9 April,” it added. “Our advice is to check before you travel and follow the latest travel information.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Aslef is the only rail union continuing to strike, targeting passengers and preventing their own members from voting on the pay offer that remains on the table.”

• Rail strikes
• Rail industry
• Trade unions
• Industrial action

More on this story

Aslef says more train strikes likely as drivers’ pay row continues

Rail passengers face rolling strikes but London Underground action called off

Train drivers at Northern and LNER to strike in March, Aslef union announces

Weekend rail strikes: travel disrupted across Great Britain

Train drivers will keep striking to ‘raise profile’ of pay dispute, says Aslef boss

Weekend rail strikes and overtime ban disrupt UK travel

Rail strikes: trains in south-east England halted as rolling stoppages begin

North of England faces travel disruption amid train drivers’ strike

Train drivers call off extra strike days after LNER minimum service law U-turn

LNER train drivers to strike for five extra days in minimum service row

Most viewed.