If you’re hoping to catch a break heading over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house for the Thanksgiving holiday, the crew at Amtrak is adding a few extra runs to help you get the job done.
In anticipation of the busiest travel week of the year, Amtrak — America’s Railroad — is prepared to accommodate the surge of holiday travelers with additional capacity on several routes here in the Midwest, including the Pere Marquette passenger rail service to the St. Joseph Amtrak Depot below the bluff at Silver Beach Pizza.
Extra trains are scheduled to and from Chicago and the Illinois stations in Normal and Quincy, along with the Michigan stations in Ann Arbor and Holland.
Last year, Amtrak had the largest passenger count to date during the Thanksgiving week with more than 777,000 riders on their trains across the network. The busiest day in the 46-year history was on the Sunday following Thanksgiving 2017, with more than 160,000 customers.
The Chicago-Milwaukee corridor is the Midwest’s busiest and space is limited on Amtrak Hiawatha Service, so a reservation will be required to travel from November 20th to November 25th. That corridor is sponsored by the state transportation departments in Wisconsin and Illinois.
While Amtrak plans to also operate every available passenger railcar, their trains sell out quickly and customers are encouraged to plan ahead and book tickets early. At Chicago Union Station, Sleeping Car and Business Class customers, as well as top-tier Amtrak Guest Rewards members, can experience the Metropolitan Lounge and pre-board their trains. Coach customers can purchase Legacy Club passes to access similar amenities.
Passengers can now connect directly with customer service representatives via social media:
- Follow @Amtrak on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to connect with customer service and receive the latest news including sales and updates on new offerings.
- Amtrak encourages customers to share their train experience on all social media by tagging @Amtrak and using the hashtag #Amtrak in their posts.
- On Twitter follow @AmtrakNECAlerts for real-time service information on the NEC and follow @AmtrakAlerts for real-time service information on long distance and Midwest Corridor trains.
Amtrak offers a more comfortable and convenient travel experience with free Wi-Fi on most trains, plenty of leg room and no middle seat. With state and commuter partners, they move people, the economy and the nation forward, carrying more than 30-million Amtrak customers for each of the past seven years.
Amtrak operates more than 300 trains daily, connecting more than 500 destinations in 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian Provinces, and reaches 400 additional destinations via connecting bus routes. Book travel, check train status, access your eTicket and more through an Amtrak app. You can learn more online at Amtrak.com.
