List of major cities in the United States lacking inter-city rail service

Many major cities and regional population centers in the United States lack any form of inter-city passenger rail service, which would typically be provided by Amtrak. Six metropolitan statistical areas of more than one million residents do not have inter-city train service, nor do the states of South Dakota or Wyoming. There are no international passenger trains between the United States and Mexico, nor to Canada outside of Ontario, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Cities lacking inter-city rail service

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For purposes of this list, a city is considered served if it is within 35 miles (56 km) of an Amtrak or other inter-city passenger rail station. However, some of these cities may be served directly by Amtrak Thruway services. Unless otherwise noted, the provider of the last passenger service is noted in each of the following cities was Amtrak. A partial list of the cities with a greater metropolitan population of over 100,000 that are not served by some form of inter-city rail service is as follows (in order by decreasing population):[1][2]

Cities with nearby services

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In addition, the following cities are not directly served by inter-city rail service, but have a rail station within 35 miles (56 km) of the city.

Cities with regional rail connections

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The following cities are not directly served by inter-city rail service, but have regional or commuter rail service that connects to the inter-city rail network.

Other gaps

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Amtrak provides no service to Mexico. From 1973 to 1981 Amtrak operated the Inter-American, which allowed for transfers between Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas for connecting service with the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México. The closest Amtrak service to Mexico may be found at stations along the western portion of the Sunset Limited and southwestern portion of the Texas Eagle in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California; as well as the Pacific Surfliner service to Union Station in San Diego.

Amtrak has studied rail lines formerly canceled that could renew service to some cities. Cities involved include Boise, Mobile, Tallahassee, the Quad Cities (four adjoining cities in northwest Illinois and southeastern Iowa),[36][67] Billings, and Wichita.[68] Proposals for high-speed rail could also restore service for several cities. Other services Amtrak could restore include the Pioneer (serving Chicago-Denver-Seattle via the California Zephyr), the Black Hawk (Chicago-Dubuque, eastern Iowa), the North Coast Hiawatha (serving Chicago-Fargo-Seattle via the Montana Rail Link), the Montrealer (Extension of the Vermonter from St. Albans, VT to Montreal, QC), the Coast Daylight (supplementing the Coast Starlight between Los Angeles and the Bay Area), and the New Orleans-Orlando segment of the Sunset Limited.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Metzger, Bill; Van Hattem, Matt; Richards, Curstis W. (May 2010), "Map of the Month: Amtrak: Now, then, and before", Trains, vol. 70, no. 5, Waukesha, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing, pp. 32–33, ISSN 0041-0934
  2. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012 (CBSA-EST2012-01)". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on March 17, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  3. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the United States and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al Producer, Evan Sobol, Digital Content. "Amtrak announces 'Connects US' plan to grow rail services over next 15 years". FOX Carolina. Retrieved April 1, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)"Invest in America. Invest in Amtrak". Amtrak Connects US. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  5. ^ A metal "Amshack" replaced Union Station, though only for two years, from 1977 to 1979.
  6. ^ a b "Amtrak pitches passenger train from Nashville to Atlanta". WTVF. January 17, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  7. ^ "OKC-to-Tulsa passenger rail service falls through". Randy Ellis, Tulsa World, August 6, 2019. August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  8. ^ "Advocates for proposed regional passenger rail system renew efforts". FOX 8 WVUE New Orleans. October 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  9. ^ "Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot | Sarasota History Alive!". www.sarasotahistoryalive.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  10. ^ Seaboard Coast Line December 1970 timetable, Table 4
  11. ^ "Senators land $225k to study adding Amtrak spur in Colorado Springs". KOAA. February 29, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  12. ^ "Iowa City favored for proposed new Amtrak route". The Gazette. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. November 1, 2012. Archived from the original on February 17, 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  13. ^ Lynch, Ryan (June 6, 2023). "Brightline just bought more land; see how it might be used". Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  14. ^ COURIER, DAVID MCGEE. "Bristol gets $100K for passenger rail study". HeraldCourier.com. Bristol Herald Courier. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  15. ^ Courier, Bristol Herald. "Putting the guard rails on the return of Amtrak". HeraldCourier.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  16. ^ "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  17. ^ Hussey, Kate (June 6, 2023). "Fort Pierce preemptively planning Brightline station downtown". Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  18. ^ a b Kirby, Brendan (August 3, 2023). "Mississippi cities ready with Amtrak platforms, while key details remain unresolved in Mobile". Fox 10 News. WALA. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  19. ^ "Connecting Cities across New Hampshire". Amtrak Connects US. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
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  21. ^ Richardson, Terri (March 2, 2012). "TxDOT, AMTRAK kick off Dallas-to-Shreveport corridor study". The Marshall News Messenger. Marshall, Texas. Retrieved August 23, 2013.[permanent dead link]
  22. ^ Ketz, Jonathan (October 23, 2019). "Rail group celebrates 'big win' for Amtrak line from QC to Chicago". WQAD.com. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  23. ^ "$223 Million Announced to Restore Chicago to Rockford Amtrak Service". Archived from the original on January 21, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  24. ^ DeCoaster, Ken (September 24, 2020). "Stadelman: Passenger rail service to Rockford gains traction". Rockford Register Star. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  25. ^ Neveau, James (July 6, 2023). "Metra to restore rail service between Rockford, Chicago for first time in 40 years". Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  26. ^ Kerr, Drew (March 18, 2013). "High-speed train to Duluth clears hurdle". Finance & Commerce. Minneapolis. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  27. ^ Moffett, Kaitlyn (February 10, 2020). "NLX project leaders request $40 million in state funding". KBJR. Archived from the original on April 26, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  28. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  29. ^ Langton, Diane (April 10, 2014). "Last Passenger Trains". The Gazette (Cedar Rapids). Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  30. ^ Langton, Diane (March 16, 2014). "Last passenger trains". The Gazette. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  31. ^ "Passenger Trains Operating on the Eve of Amtrak" Trains magazine http://ctr.trains.com/~/media/import/files/pdf/f/7/7/passenger_trains_operating_on_the_eve_of_amtrak.pdf Archived August 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ "LIMA - VAN WERT - CELINA". CityPopulation.de. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  33. ^ Edmonson, Harold A. (1972). Journey to Amtrak. Kalmbach Publishing. pp. 102–104. ISBN 978-0890240236. as mentioned in "Passenger trains operating on the eve of Amtrak" (PDF). Trains. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 24, 2021.
  34. ^ "The Tuscola and Saginaw Bay" http://railfan.com/archive/rf_archive_0384_TSBY.php Archived December 21, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  35. ^ "ELMIRA - CORNING". CityPopulation.de. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  36. ^ a b Stephenson, Meg (April 18, 2008). "Amtrak, DOT say 'yes' to rail service between Q-C, Iowa City". Quad-City Times. Davenport, Iowa. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  37. ^ "Senators land $225k to study adding Amtrak spur in Colorado Springs". KOAA. February 29, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  38. ^ Manch, Rob (September 21, 2017). "Group pushing for Amtrak to come to Christiansburg by 2020". WSLS. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  39. ^ "TUPELO". CityPopulation.de. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  40. ^ "Connecting Cities across New Hampshire". Amtrak Connects US. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  41. ^ Jimenez, Dylan (July 23, 2024). "Amtrak eyes Wichita Falls as a future stop in railroad system". KFDX/KJTL. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
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  44. ^ "ITHACA - CORTLAND". CityPopulation.de. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  45. ^ "EUREKA - ARCATA". CityPopulation.de. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  46. ^ "JAMESTOWN - DUNKIRK - FREDONIA". CityPopulation.de. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  47. ^ "AUGUSTA - WATERVILLE". CityPopulation.de. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  48. ^ "AUGUSTA - WATERVILLE". CityPopulation.de. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  49. ^ "Dubuque County, Iowa Population 2022". World Population Review. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  50. ^ "Supporters say Dubuque-to-Chicago passenger rail closer to reality than ever". Biz Times. April 7, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  51. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the United States and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  52. ^ Sandler, Larry (January 15, 2012). "Wisconsin, Minnesota ponder expanding Amtrak service". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  53. ^ "Walker wants Amtrak and road cuts". April 30, 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2013.[permanent dead link]
  54. ^ Stearns, John (May 7, 2013). "Wichita's Amtrak supporters plan announcement Friday". Wichita Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  55. ^ "CHULA VISTA". CityPopulation.de. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  56. ^ "FONTANA". CityPopulation.de. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  57. ^ "HUNTINGTON BEACH". CityPopulation.de. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  58. ^ "ELK GROVE". CityPopulation.de. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  59. ^ "Population of the Ottawa Area, Illinois (Metro Area)". Statistical Atlas. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
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  61. ^ "The Coast Daylight".
  62. ^ Matier, Phil (February 6, 2019). "BART, Amtrak assess building new shared transbay crossing -". SF Chronicle. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  63. ^ "Economic Round Table Report". Issuu.org. March 14, 2019. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  64. ^ "LONG BEACH". CityPopulation.de. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  65. ^ "MORENO VALLEY". CityPopulation.de. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  66. ^ "LOWELL". CityPopulation.de. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  67. ^ Martyn, Chase (July 24, 2009). "Amtrak could go to Quad Cities, Dubuque by 2011". The Iowa Independent. Archived from the original on July 27, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
  68. ^ Wistrom, Brent D. (January 7, 2010). "Study finds strong economic incentives for new Amtrak route through Kansas". KTKA. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2010.

Further reading

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