Cardinal
Chicago, IL → New York, NY · 1146 miles · 27h
Railway Travel is an independent rail travel information service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Amtrak, VIA Rail or any railway operator. Disclaimer
1146 miles
27h
3x weekly
79 mph
10
About the Cardinal
The Cardinal takes the road less travelled — through the New River Gorge in West Virginia, arguably the finest mountain scenery on any eastern route.
What makes this route worth taking
- New River Gorge in daylight
- Serves Charleston WV, Charlottesville and Cincinnati
- Quietest long-distance train on the network
- Sleeper service with private roomettes
Travel tip
Only Sun/Wed/Fri from Chicago. Missing the departure means a two-day wait — let us build the schedule.
Classes of service on this route
The Cardinal operates with Viewliner II + Amfleet II. Available accommodation:
Sleeping-car fares on long-distance routes typically include meals for everyone in the room, along with priority boarding, station lounge access where available and a dedicated car attendant. Inclusions vary by route and change without notice, so confirm what your fare covers with the carrier.
States and provinces served
Stations along the route
| # | Station |
|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago |
| 2 | Dyer |
| 3 | Rensselaer |
| 4 | Lafayette |
| 5 | Crawfordsville |
| 6 | Indianapolis |
| 7 | Connersville |
| 8 | Cincinnati |
| 9 | Maysville |
| 10 | South Portsmouth |
| 11 | Ashland |
| 12 | Huntington |
| 13 | Charleston |
| 14 | Montgomery |
| 15 | Thurmond |
| 16 | Prince |
| 17 | Hinton |
| 18 | Alderson |
| 19 | White Sulphur Springs |
| 20 | Clifton Forge |
| 21 | Staunton |
| 22 | Charlottesville |
| 23 | Culpeper |
| 24 | Manassas |
| 25 | Alexandria |
| 26 | Washington DC |
| 27 | Baltimore |
| 28 | Philadelphia |
| 29 | New York |
Station lists reflect the principal calling pattern. Individual departures may omit stops or add seasonal calls. Schedules, equipment and station stops are set by the carrier and change without notice — confirm current details directly with the carrier before you travel.
Planning a journey on the Cardinal
Fares on Amtrak routes move in tiers that generally only step upward, so booking once your dates are firm is usually cheaper than waiting. Sleeping-car accommodation is capped per car and tends to sell out well ahead of coach on this kind of route.
Want to talk it through before you book? Call +1 (888) 821-4679 and we will walk you through the route, the accommodation and the accessibility arrangements. Free, and no obligation.
