72-536: The Empire Builder is a daily long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane . Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great Northern Railway and was retained by Amtrak when it took over intercity rail service in 1971. The end-to-end travel time of the route is 45–46 hours for an average speed of about 50 mph (80 km/h), though
144-510: A $ 10 million TIGER grant from the US Department of Transportation to assist with the state portion of the cost. Work began in June 2012, and the track is being raised in two stages: 5 feet (1.5 m) in 2012, and another 5 feet in 2013. Two bridges and their abutments are also being raised. When the track raise is complete, the top-of-rail elevation will be 1,466 ft (446.84 m). This
216-463: A fee. However, baggage and bikes cannot be checked at certain unstaffed stations. Small dogs and cats in carriers are allowed on trips shorter than seven hours for an additional fee. Service animals are exempt from pet restrictions. All long-distance routes have café car service offering takeaway meals, snacks, drinks, and alcohol. As of 2023 , sleeping car passengers also have access to one of two types of restaurant-style dining. Traditional Dining
288-1145: A high of 554,266 in FY 2008. Revenue peaked in FY 2013 at $ 67,394,779. About 65% of the cost of operating the train is covered by fare revenue, a rate among Amtrak's long-distance trains second only to the specialized East Coast Auto Train . The current Amtrak Empire Builder passes through Oregon , Washington , Idaho , Montana , North Dakota , Minnesota , Wisconsin , and Illinois . It makes service stops in Spokane, Washington ; Havre, Montana ; Minot, North Dakota ; and Saint Paul, Minnesota . Its other major stops include Vancouver, Washington ; Whitefish, Montana ; Williston, North Dakota ; Fargo, North Dakota ; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin . It uses BNSF Railway 's Northern Transcon from Seattle to Minneapolis, Minnesota Commercial Railway from Minneapolis to St. Paul, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (former Milwaukee Road ) from St. Paul to Rondout, Illinois , and Metra 's Milwaukee District / North Line (former Milwaukee Road) from Rondout to Chicago. The St. Paul to Chicago portion currently follows
360-538: A more leisurely 58 hours, making more intermediate stops and serving branches the Empire Builder bypassed, such as Grand Forks, North Dakota and Great Falls, Montana . The Star used equipment from the Empire Builder , which had been completely reequipped. On March 7, 1966, the westbound Star crashed head-on with the eastbound Empire Builder at Buelow, 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Chester , while Great Northern's then-president John M. Budd road along in
432-551: A solution, Congress created Amtrak, a government-owned company, to operate intercity rail as a public service. Most railroads opted-in and transferred their passenger rail operations to Amtrak on May 1, 1971. After the Southern Railway opted-in to Amtrak in 1979, and the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in 1983, Amtrak was left as the sole long-distance train operator in the US. In
504-823: A terminus and an intermediate stop. In FY2023, Amtrak's long-distance trains carried 3,944,124 riders, around 14% of the company's total. However, the routes account for about 42% of passenger miles traveled. Amtrak operates two types of long-distance trains: single-level and bi-level. Due to height restrictions on the Northeast Corridor , all six routes that terminate at New York Penn Station operate as single-level trains with Amfleet coaches and Viewliner sleeping cars. The remaining nine long-distance routes operate as bi-level trains with Superliner coaches and sleeping cars. Both single-level and bi-level trains are equipped with Viewliner baggage cars . Amtrak plans to replace all of its long-distance rail cars by 2032, except for
576-607: Is 10 feet above the level at which the lake will naturally overflow and will thus be a permanent solution to the Devils Lake flooding. In the spring and summer of 2011 flooding of the Souris River near Minot, North Dakota blocked the route in the latter part of June and for most of July. For some of that time the Empire Builder (with a typical consist of only four cars) ran from Chicago and terminated in Minneapolis/St Paul; to
648-406: Is a long-standing threat. The lowest top-of-rail elevation in the lake crossing is 1,455.7 ft (443.70 m). In spring 2011, the lake reached 1,454.3 ft (443.27 m), causing service interruptions on windy days when high waves threatened the tracks. BNSF, which owns the track, suspended freight operations through Devils Lake in 2009 and threatened to allow the rising waters to cover
720-534: Is added to the rear of the train between Chicago and St. Paul. It is left overnight in St. Paul for the next day's return trip to pick up. This car is designated train 807 westbound and train 808 eastbound. Amtrak’s Siemens Charger ALC-42 locomotives were first used in revenue service on the Empire Builder on February 8, 2022. When first launched in 1929, the Great Northern provided new heavyweight consists. When
792-519: Is available on eight routes and consists of full table service in a dining car . Six routes instead feature Flexible Dining, where passengers may order hot meals to be delivered to their room or lounge. Passengers may also bring their own food and drink. Amtrak provides free basic Wi-Fi on seven of its long-distance routes: the Auto Train , Cardinal , Crescent , Lake Shore Limited , Palmetto , Silver Meteor , and Floridian . The service
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#1732845435162864-579: Is intended to support low-bandwidth uses only. Onboard internet is dependent on cell towers along the route of the train, so speed and availability correspond to regional cell coverage. Amtrak's long-distance network is a legacy of the railroad age , when trains operated by private railroad companies were the fastest and sometimes only mode of intercity transportation. The mid-20th century saw steep disinvestment in passenger rail relative to air and highway travel. Passenger trains became financial burdens for railroad companies, who sought to discontinue them. As
936-793: The City of San Francisco was renamed the San Francisco Zephyr and the Lake Shore was discontinued. The Inter-American entered service in 1973 as short-distance train between Laredo and Fort Worth . It was extended north to St. Louis in 1974 and further to Chicago in 1976. In 1974 Amtrak renamed the Super Chief to the Southwest Limited and the Texas Chief to the Lone Star following
1008-597: The Empire Builder became the first route to receive the new locomotives. In FY2022, Amtrak's long-distance trains averaged 48 mph (77 km/h) between stations. Dwell time at stations averaged four minutes each, while dwell time at stations with crew changes or enroute servicing averaged 20 minutes each. Trains operating on the Northeast Corridor reach top speeds of 125 mph (201 km/h) in some stretches. The top speed for long-distance trains outside
1080-567: The Empire Builder divides at Spokane , with sections to Seattle and Portland . Eastbound from Chicago the Lake Shore Limited divides at Albany–Rensselaer , with sections to New York and Boston . The Texas Eagle and Sunset Limited are combined between Los Angeles and San Antonio , where the Texas Eagle continues to Chicago and the Sunset Limited to New Orleans . On
1152-626: The Empire Builder was rerouted to St. Cloud . Meanwhile, the Southern Railway transferred its last remaining passenger route, the Southern Crescent , to Amtrak, who renamed it the Crescent . The Desert Wind also entered service in 1979. In 1981 the Capitol Limited began service, while the Inter-American was truncated to San Antonio, stripped of its Houston section, and renamed
1224-583: The Palmetto involve at least one night of travel, and so are outfitted with sleeping and dining cars . Routes depart once daily in each direction, at most, so some stops are served only at night. Delays are commonplace on long-distance trains, as the tracks are generally controlled by freight railroad companies. While anchored by major cities, long-distance trains also serve many rural communities en route (unlike commercial flights). A minority of passengers ride an entire route at once, with most traveling between
1296-615: The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway revoking permission to use the "Chief" names. The Mountaineer and Lake Shore Limited began service in 1975, and the Palmetto in 1976. The Mountaineer lasted only until 1977, at which point it was replaced by the Hilltopper . The Pioneer also entered service in 1977, and the James Whitcomb Riley was renamed the Cardinal . 1979
1368-631: The Builder travels along the middle fork of the Flathead River , crossing the Continental Divide at Marias Pass . After crossing Marias Pass, the Empire Builder leaves Glacier National Park and enters the Northern Plains of eastern Montana and North Dakota . The land changes from prairie to forest as it travels through Minnesota . From Minneapolis-St. Paul , the Empire Builder crosses
1440-667: The COVID-19 -related drastic drop in demand. Additionally, local travel was allowed between Chicago and Milwaukee. These adjustments lasted until the train resumed its normal schedule in May 2021. The line has come under threat from flooding from the Missouri, Souris, Red, and Mississippi Rivers, and has occasionally had to suspend or alter service. Most service gets restored in days or weeks, but Devils Lake in North Dakota , which has no natural outlet,
1512-595: The COVID-19 pandemic . For most of the fall and winter of 2020–21, trains departed Chicago on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays and departed Seattle or Portland on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. However, in March 2021, Amtrak announced the train would return to its pre-pandemic daily schedule on May 24, 2021. On May 27, 1931, the eastbound Empire Builder was struck by a tornado in Clay County, Minnesota. The train, carrying 117 passengers, had all of its cars, minus
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#17328454351621584-691: The Capitol Limited , creating a single Chicago–Washington–Miami route: the Floridian . This was the first direct train service between the Midwest and Florida since the 1979 discontinuance of the original Floridian , albeit following a longer route. St. Petersburg, FL Miami, FL Miami, FL In 2017, North Carolina and Connecticut were in talks to extend the Carolinian from New York to New Haven . The resultant 779-mile (1,254 km) route would cross
1656-675: The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad 's mainline along the Mississippi River through Wisconsin. The service also used to operate west from the Twin Cities before turning northwest in Willmar, Minnesota , to reach Fargo. Amtrak added a Portland section in 1981, with the train splitting in Spokane. This restored service to the line previously operated by the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway . It
1728-718: The D&;RGW's Rio Grande Zephyr between Denver and Salt Lake City , renaming the train the California Zephyr . Amtrak also began operating the Auto Train in 1983. In 1984 Amtrak renamed the Southwest Limited to the Southwest Chief alongside the deployment of Superliner equipment, and also initiated the River Cities as a section of the City of New Orleans . In 1988
1800-812: The Eagle was renamed the Texas Eagle , and in 1989 Amtrak began the Gulf Breeze as a section of the Crescent . In 1990 the Capitol Limited and Broadway Limited were rerouted between Pittsburgh and Chicago, bypassing Fort Wayne . The Capitol Limited was moved to serve Cleveland and South Bend , the Broadway Limited to Youngstown and Akron . Amtrak extended the Sunset Limited east to Florida in 1993, creating its only coast-to-coast route. The River Cities
1872-468: The Eagle . The Empire Builder was rerouted to Wenatchee , bypassing the Yakima Valley , while a Portland section was added. The Panama Limited was renamed back to the City of New Orleans in hopes of capitalizing on the song of the same name . The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad opted-in to Amtrak in 1983. As a result, Amtrak rerouted its San Francisco Zephyr over the former route of
1944-589: The Empire . The engineers of each train died and 79 were hurt with 29 of those having to be hospitalized. The accident became known as the Great Northern Buelow wreck . The Western Star and a connecting train between Havre and Great Falls continued operating until May 1, 1970. Amtrak did not retain the Western Star as part of its national route network and the train was discontinued, although it did re-route
2016-522: The Empire Builder on June 10, 1929. It was named in honor of the company's founder, James J. Hill , who had reorganized several failing railroads into the only successful attempt at a privately funded transcontinental railroad . It reached the Pacific Northwest in the late 19th century, and for this feat, he was nicknamed "The Empire Builder". Following World War II , Great Northern placed new streamlined and diesel-powered trains in service that cut
2088-491: The Empire Builder was rerouted to operate over the North Coast Hiawatha ' s old route between Minneapolis and Fargo, North Dakota . With this alignment change, the Empire Builder dropped Willmar, Minnesota ; Morris, Minnesota ; and Breckenridge, Minnesota , while adding St. Cloud, Minnesota ; Staples, Minnesota ; and Detroit Lakes, Minnesota . Another alignment change came on October 25, 1981, when
2160-600: The Empire Builder, with the train running on time 44.5% in November 2013, the worst on-time performance of any Amtrak route and well below congressional standards. In some cases, the delays resulted in an imbalance of crew and equipment, forcing Amtrak to cancel runs of the Empire Builder . By May 2014, only 26% of Empire Builder trains had arrived within 30 minutes of their scheduled time, with delays averaging between 3 and 5 hours. In some cases, freight congestion and severe weather resulted in delays as long as 11 to 12 hours. This
2232-591: The Mississippi River at Hastings, Minnesota and passes through southeastern Minnesota cities on or near Lake Pepin before crossing the Mississippi again at La Crosse, Wisconsin . The service travels southeast through rural south-central Wisconsin, turns due south at Milwaukee, and ends at Chicago Union Station . The westbound Empire Builder leaves Chicago in early afternoon, arriving in Milwaukee just before
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2304-555: The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA), Congress divided Amtrak's routes into three strictly-defined service lines: Northeast Corridor routes, short distance corridors (less than 750 mi (1,210 km)), and long-distance routes of more than 750 mi (1,210 km). Unlike short distance "state-supported" corridors, long-distance routes could continue to receive full federal funding. In Amtrak's first year, 1971, it significantly overhauled
2376-709: The Union Pacific ; these also went to New Jersey. One of the 28 seat coach-dinette cars also remains in New Jersey and is stored near Interstate 78 wearing tattered Amtrak colors. Amtrak Long Distance [REDACTED] The Long Distance Service Line is the division of Amtrak responsible for operating all intercity passenger train services in the United States longer than 750 miles (1,210 km). There are fourteen such routes as of 2024 , serving over 300 stations in 39 states. Amtrak's long-distance routes form
2448-468: The Viewliner II fleet. Long-distance trains are typically hauled by GE Genesis diesel locomotives. Trains which traverse the Northeast Corridor use Siemens ACS-64 electric locomotives for that segment of their routes, switching engines at Washington Union Station . Amtrak is in the process of replacing all of its long-distance locomotives with diesel-electric Siemens Charger units by 2032. In 2022
2520-450: The 1947 coaches went to the pool of spare and extra-movement cars. Ownership of the cars on the Empire Builder was by-and-large split between the Great Northern and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q), though a couple of cars in the original consists were owned by the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway (SP&S). In this consist, one of the 48-seat "chair" cars and one of
2592-612: The 4-section sleepers were used for the connection to Portland, while the rest of the consist connected to Seattle. The Great Northern coaches eventually found their way into state-subsidized commuter service for the Central Railroad of New Jersey after the Burlington Northern merger and remained until 1987 when NJ Transit retired its last E8A locomotive. Some of these cars remain in New Jersey . Some coaches were acquired from
2664-681: The 750-mile (1,210 km) threshold required to categorize the Carolinian as a long-distance train, thus freeing North Carolina of its funding obligations. In November 2021, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act . Section 22214 of the law orders the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to study the restoration of all long-distance Amtrak routes that had been discontinued, daily service on non-daily trains (the Cardinal and Sunset Limited ), and
2736-470: The FRA released its preferred draft network of fifteen new long-distance routes. The plan would increase the coverage of the long-distance Amtrak network by 23,200 route miles, reaching an additional 45 million population, 61 metropolitan statistical areas, 24 congressional districts, twelve National Park Service sites , and two states ( Wyoming and South Dakota ). Another round of public input will take place before
2808-614: The Great Northern merged with three other closely affiliated railroads to form the Burlington Northern Railroad , which assumed operation of the Builder. Amtrak took over the train when it began operating most intercity routes a year later. To improve its farebox recovery ratio , Amtrak shifted the Chicago–;St. Paul leg to run through Milwaukee via the Milwaukee Road . Before 1971, the Chicago–St. Paul leg used
2880-528: The Metra station at North Glenview , to eliminate stops which block traffic on Glenview Road. North Glenview would have to be modified to handle additional traffic, and the move depends on commitments from Glenview, the Illinois General Assembly , and Metra. In Minnesota, the Empire Builder returned to Saint Paul Union Depot on May 7, 2014, 43 years after it last served the station the day before
2952-416: The Pacific Northwest. In 1970, the construction and filling of Lake Koocanusa necessitated the realignment of 60 miles (97 km) of track between Stryker, Montana , and Libby, Montana , and the construction of Flathead Tunnel , leading the Empire Builder to drop service to Eureka, Montana . The Empire Builder also served Troy, Montana , until February 15, 1973. On October 1, 1979,
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3024-687: The Seattle section was rerouted from the old Northern Pacific (which had also become part of the BN in 1970) to the Burlington Northern Railroad 's line through the Cascade Tunnel over Stevens Pass . This change eliminated service to Yakima, Washington ; Ellensburg, Washington ; and Auburn, Washington . This change also introduced the Portland section, which returned service to the former Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railroad line (which became part of BN in 1970) along
3096-472: The Washington shore of the Columbia River. The route kept Pasco , but added Wishram , Bingen-White Salmon, and Vancouver (all in Washington) to the route. From Vancouver, the Portland section of the Empire Builder uses the same route as the Coast Starlight and Cascades trains to Portland Union Station. It has been proposed that the Empire Builder and Hiawatha trains servicing Glenview , Illinois have their station stop be shifted one station north to
3168-563: The afternoon rush and in St. Paul in the evening. After traveling overnight through Minnesota, it spends most of the following day traveling through North Dakota and Montana, arriving at Glacier National Park in the early evening and splitting late at night in Spokane. The Seattle section travels through the Cascades overnight, arriving in Seattle in mid-morning. The Portland section arrives in the Tri-Cities just before breakfast and in Portland in mid-morning. The eastbound Seattle and Portland sections leave within five minutes of each other just before
3240-509: The afternoon rush, combining in Spokane and traveling through Montana overnight before arriving at Glacier National Park in mid-morning and Williston at dinner time. After traveling overnight through North Dakota and Minnesota, it arrives in St. Paul at breakfast time, Columbus/Madison at lunch time, Milwaukee in early afternoon and Chicago just before the afternoon rush. Stops at Milwaukee Airport and Sturtevant were added beginning March 21, 2020, to replace Hiawatha trains suspended due to
3312-449: The backbone of the US national rail network, providing an alternative to intercity drives or flights. They are also noted for their scenery, and are popular as vacations and experiential travel. A few routes provide direct service to National Parks , with Amtrak Thruway buses reaching many more. The rider experience of Amtrak's long-distance trains is distinct from its Northeast Corridor and state-supported services. All trains except
3384-414: The demolition of Minneapolis Great Northern Depot in 1978. Like all long-distance trains west of the Mississippi River, the Empire Builder uses bilevel Superliner passenger cars (except for the baggage car). The Empire Builder was the first train to be fully equipped with Superliners, with the first run occurring on October 28, 1979. A typical Empire Builder consist includes: In Spokane,
3456-498: The final set of routes are recommended to Congress in spring 2024. Western Star (train) The Western Star was a named passenger train operated by the Great Northern Railway between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest via Minneapolis / St. Paul , Minnesota . Between Chicago and St. Paul the train used the route of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad ; in later years eastbound passengers were accommodated on Burlington trains east of St. Paul. Through cars from
3528-406: The line unless Amtrak could provide $ 100 million to raise the track. In that case, the Empire Builder would have been rerouted to the south, ending service to Rugby , Devils Lake , and Grand Forks . In June 2011 agreement was reached that Amtrak and BNSF would each cover 1/3 of the cost with the rest to come from the federal and state governments. In December 2011, North Dakota was awarded
3600-417: The locomotive and coal tender, thrown off the tracks by the tornado, with one car being thrown 80 feet (24 m) off the track. One passenger died, with 57 others injured. On March 7, 1966, the eastbound Empire Builder suffered a head-on collision with a Western Star mail and passenger train going in the opposite direction. This occurred near Chester while Great Northern's then-president John M. Budd
3672-429: The long-distance rail network in the United States. In addition to selecting which existing routes to retain, Amtrak created several new routes: the Coast Starlight , North Coast Hiawatha , and Lake Shore . It also renamed several routes: the Spirit of St. Louis became the National Limited , the City of New Orleans the Panama Limited , and the South Wind the Floridian . The following year, 1972,
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#17328454351623744-403: The northeast is 100 mph (160 km/h), reached by the Texas Eagle between Chicago and St. Louis . In a practice not seen elsewhere in the Amtrak network, four long-distance trains divide partway along their routes. This allows trains to serve multiple endpoints without requiring passengers to transfer, and provides efficiency over the shared route segments. Westbound from Chicago
3816-479: The possibility of new long-distance routes—particularly those that were discontinued upon the formation of Amtrak. Work on the Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study began in September 2022. Materials published in February 2023 indicated that the FRA was studying 18 discontinued long-distance Amtrak routes, as well as four that were discontinued in 1971: the City of Miami , George Washington , Pan-American , and San Francisco Chief . In February 2024,
3888-425: The rail network. The Silver Palm was renamed to Palmetto in 2002, restoring the route's former name. In 2005 the Three Rivers was discontinued following the cancellation of a related Postal Service contract. That same year, the Sunset Limited was suspended east of New Orleans due to track damage from Hurricane Katrina . In November 2024 Amtrak truncated the Silver Star at Washington and merged it with
3960-405: The railway received five new streamlined trainsets in 1947, the old heavyweight sets were used to reintroduce the Oriental Limited . In 1951 the Empire Builder was re-equipped with six new streamlined trainsets; the 1947 cars were used to launch the Western Star , while the Oriental Limited was retired. When the GN acquired dome coaches in 1955, the 1951 coaches went to Western Star , while
4032-402: The reverse trips the trains are coupled at these stations. All long-distance Amtrak trains have checked baggage service, save for the Auto Train , which instead allows passengers to transport items in their vehicles. On every other route, passengers are allowed two personal items, two carry-on bags, and two free checked bags. Two additional bags, oversized bags, and bicycles may be checked for
4104-401: The route of the former Twin Cities Hiawatha , and beginning in May 2024 has been supplemented by the Borealis . In pre-Amtrak days it used the Twin Zephyrs routing. The Seattle section uses the Cascade Tunnel and Stevens Pass as it traverses the Cascade Range to reach Spokane , while the Portland section runs along the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge . The cars from
4176-409: The route, " Trails and Rails " volunteer tour guides in the lounge car give commentary on points of visual and historic interest that can be viewed from the train. After running daily for the better part of a century, the Empire Builder was cut back to tri-weekly operation along with most of Amtrak's other long-distance routes on October 12, 2020, as part of a round of service reductions due to
4248-454: The scheduled 2,211-mile trip between Chicago and Seattle from 58.5 hours to 45 hours. The schedule allowed riders views of the Cascade Mountains and Glacier National Park , a park established through the lobbying efforts of the Great Northern. Re-equipped with domes in 1955, the Empire Builder offered passengers sweeping views of the route through three dome coaches and one full-length Great Dome car for first class passengers. In 1970,
4320-422: The start of Amtrak. Renovation of the 1917 Beaux Arts terminal was undertaken in 2011, continuing through 2013, resulting in a multi-mode terminal used by Jefferson Lines , Greyhound Lines , commuter bus and the Metro Green Line , providing a light rail connection to downtown Minneapolis. The station replaced Midway Station which opened in 1978 after the initial abandonment of Saint Paul Union Depot in 1971 and
4392-443: The train operated between Spokane, Washington and Portland, Oregon via the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway . It operated from 1951 to 1971. The Western Star was inaugurated on June 3, 1951, replacing the Oriental Limited as the secondary train along the Great Northern's transcontinental route. The Great Northern's primary train was the famed Empire Builder , which made the run in 45 hours. The Western Star required
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#17328454351624464-423: The train travels as fast as 79 mph (127 km/h) over the majority of the route. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route. During fiscal year 2023, the Empire Builder carried 338,993 passengers, an increase of 15.0% from FY2022 but 21.8% below pre- COVID-19 levels (433,372 passengers during FY2019). During FY2022, the train had a total revenue of $ 49,600,000. The Great Northern Railway inaugurated
4536-449: The two sections are combined at Spokane. The combined train then traverses the mountains of northeastern Washington , northern Idaho and northwestern Montana , arriving in Whitefish in the morning. The schedule is timed so that the train passes through the Rocky Mountains (and Glacier National Park ) during daylight – an occurrence that is more likely on the eastbound train during summer. Passengers can see sweeping views as
4608-446: The west, the Empire Builder did not run east of Havre, Montana. (Other locations along the route also flooded, near Devils Lake, North Dakota and areas further west along the Missouri River.) An oil boom from the Bakken formation , combined with a robust fall 2013 harvest, led to a spike in the number of crude oil and grain trains using the Northern Transcon in Montana and North Dakota. The resulting congestion led to rampant delays for
4680-426: The westbound train is split: the locomotives, baggage car, and first six passenger cars continue on to Seattle as train 7, while a single locomotive is used to take the remaining cars (including the lounge/cafe) to Portland as train 27. Eastbound the sections are combined in a reverse fashion, with the Seattle section numbered as train 8 and the Portland section as train 28. During peak travel periods, an additional coach
4752-543: Was a marked change from past years in which the Empire Builder was one of the best on-time performers in the entire Amtrak system, ahead of even the flagship Acela Express . Due to the increasingly severe delays, Amtrak adjusted the route's schedule west of St. Paul on April 15, 2014. Westbound trains left St. Paul later, while eastbound trains left Seattle/Portland approximately three hours earlier. Operating hours for affected stations were also officially adjusted accordingly. The Amtrak announcement also said that BNSF
4824-401: Was a year of major restructuring. Six long-distance routes were discontinued by the Carter Administration for not meeting a minimum farebox recovery ratio: the Lone Star , Champion , North Coast Hiawatha , National Limited , Floridian , and Hilltopper . As limited compensation, a Houston section was added to the Inter-American , a St. Petersburg section to the Silver Meteor , and
4896-452: Was aboard. The two engineers both died in the collision and 79 were injured; 29 of those were hospitalized in what came to be known at the Great Northern Buelow wreck . The westbound Empire Builder derailed near Joplin, Montana , on September 25, 2021, with three fatalities. The Empire Builder is Amtrak's most popular long-distance train. Over fiscal years 2007–2016, Empire Builder annual ridership averaged 500,000, with
4968-398: Was discontinued the same year. Amtrak discontinued the Tampa section of the Silver Meteor in 1994. In 1995 Amtrak discontinued the Gulf Breeze , Palmetto , and Broadway Limited , the latter being partially replaced with the short-distance Three Rivers . Meanwhile, the City of New Orleans was rerouted west to Greenwood between Memphis and Jackson . In 1996 the Three Rivers
5040-414: Was extended to Chicago and the Silver Palm was introduced, essentially restoring service on the routes of the Broadway Limited and Palmetto that had ended the prior year. The Sunset Limited was rerouted to bypass Phoenix at the request of Union Pacific . In 1997, funding issues forced Amtrak to discontinue the Desert Wind and Pioneer , severing Las Vegas , Wyoming , and Southern Idaho from
5112-460: Was not the first time that the train had operated Seattle and Portland sections; Great Northern had split the Builder in Spokane for much of the 1940s and 1950s. In 2005, Amtrak upgraded service to include a wine and cheese tasting in the dining car for sleeping car passengers and free newspapers in the morning. Amtrak's inspector general eliminated some of these services in 2013 as part of a cost-saving measure. During summer months, on portions of
5184-529: Was working on adding track capacity, and it was anticipated that sometime in 2015 the Empire Builder could be returned to its former schedule. In January 2015, it was announced that the train would resume its normal schedule. Even during the worst of the delays, the train has seen frequent patronage from workers in the Bakken fields and their families who board and detrain in Williston . Passengers travel from as far as
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