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snljamie0518

Service Attendant
Joined
Apr 29, 2016
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131
Location
Aurora, Colorado
I just wanted to pop in & say Hi to the members.

I also have a question.

If I want to take a trip from CO to NYC again, is there a train that goes from Chicago Union Station to NYC through DC?

When it goes through DC how long is the layover & can you see DC while on the train or does it go underground like in NYP?
 
3 times a week the cardinal runs Chicago - Washington - NYP, the run takes 26 hours ( in theory but often runs late), the timetable doesnt show a significant layover in the Washington and I believe they just change the power cars from Diesel to Electric Eastbound and are on their way again, and I cant recall how much of Washington you get to see from the train north of Union Station and I haven't taken the Cardinal yet to be able to advise on views from the train

If you are looking for a layover in Washington then Id personally consider taking the Capitol Limited from Chicago getting in to Washington (supposedly) at around 1pm and then take a eveing NEC from Washington to NYP.

If you are going to do this then please make sure you book it as one ticket just incase the Capitol Limited is running extremely late to ensure you get a guaranteed connection :)
 
The Cardinal #50 runs (sadly) only 3 days/week CHI - NYP via WAS.

The New River Gorge as seen from the eastbound Cardinal is scenic, historic, and well worth seeing.

As for the "District" you won't see much. No Layover (Maybe 20 minutes for engine change).. WUS is close to the nation's Capitol, the Mall, all those great museums, but you'll not see them from the train. And the Cardinal arrives NYC late evening at best.

Me, I would take the Cardinal for sure - but schedule a day layover in DC at a minimum (and find a cheap hotel for a day or two just to see the museums)

If you are just passing through to NYC the Cardinal's only selling point is the morning in West Virginia and the New River Gorge. If you haven't seen that part of America, I totally recommend the Cardinal.
 
The CL vs Card debate just had a pretty long thread discussing many of the pluses and minuses of the respective trains. Take a look at it, it is pretty recent, probably still on page 2. There are a number of factors that enter into the choice, look at them carefully and then decide.
 
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snljamie0518 said:
If I want to take a trip from CO to NYC again, is there a train that goes from Chicago Union Station to NYC through DC?

When it goes through DC how long is the layover & can you see DC while on the train or does it go underground like in NYP?
Click to expand...
I suggest taking one train CHI to WAS then a second train WAS to NYP. That way you can schedule any length of layover you want and have time to visit some of the sites in DC.
 
IF nothing has changed, you can stay in a city for up to 23 hours and 59 minutes on certain fares and it is considered a layover. I don't know if this applies to all fares but if it does, the Capitol-Regional combination is the way to go.

Otherwise, if you're not looking to hang out and you're just interested in the scenery from the train, you'll only find it approaching WAS from the Cardinal. You'll have a decent view of downtown ad the Potomac if 50 is on time (which is rare). When you enter WAS, you'll do so through a tunnel. Once you depart WAS on train 50, there is ABSOLUTELY nothing to see other than gentrification and if you're lucky, you can see the top of Catholic University.

The view of DC is not much better from the Capitol either.
 
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I definitely recommend scheduling a layover in Washington DC if you've never been there and your schedule allows for it. I had a five-hour layover, and I was able to see quite a few landmark buildings, including the Supreme Court, Washington Monument, and Capitol Building. I also walked around inside the Library of Congress and the Folger Shakespeare Library.

I used the Metro to get to/from Union Station. Their Metro system is super easy to use. If you've used subways before, and it sounds like you have, you shouldn't have any trouble. The card works for the buses too.
 
I did a seven hour layover in DC once at Christmas time. I saw the White House, two museums, walked the mall, the Capitol building, and got lunch.
 
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