After riding the streetcars in New Orleans, I took the Amtrak City of New Orleans to Chicago. About 1,500 km, 22 hours, crossing five states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois.
This was my second Amtrak long-distance train after the Empire Builder. Booking and Roomette details are covered in that article, so this one focuses on what’s specific to the City of New Orleans.
Itinerary
Roomette again.
Lounge at New Orleans Station
New Orleans’ Union Passenger Terminal has a small lounge for sleeper car passengers. Seattle, the departure station for the Empire Builder, had no lounge, so this was a welcome difference. It’s modest but air-conditioned — a comfortable place to sit before departure.
Dining Car
The biggest difference from the Empire Builder is the dining car. The Empire Builder served freshly cooked meals on board, while the City of New Orleans served pre-prepared meals. The dining car itself exists and you eat at a table in the same format — the difference is in how the food is prepared.
Scenery
Right after departure, the vast wetlands of the Mississippi River basin spread out along the tracks. Trees standing in water, muddy terrain — a completely different landscape from the Empire Builder’s plains and mountains.
The train was supposed to stop at Memphis along the way, but I was already asleep by then and don’t remember it.
By the next morning, the train was running through farmland.
Switchback Before Chicago
Just before Chicago, the train reverses direction in a switchback maneuver — necessary for the train to enter the station head-first. The view switches from one side of the train to the other. We arrived at Chicago Union Station slightly ahead of schedule, just before 9 AM.