For the city itself, see New Orleans, Louisiana.

For the song, see City of New Orleans (song).

The City of New Orleans is a 926-mile (1490-km) nightly passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago, Illinois and New Orleans, Louisiana. Before Amtrak's formation in 1971, the train was operated by the Illinois Central Railroad along the same route (though changes have been made since then). The trip is currently scheduled to be completed in 19½ hours. The line within Illinois is also served by a daily afternoon train, the Illini.

Because of damage to the states of Mississippi and Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina, Amtrak was forced in late August 2005 to cancel service south of Memphis, Tennessee. On October 8, 2005, Amtrak resumed service to New Orleans, Louisiana. [1]

Route details

The tracks used were once part of the Illinois Central Railroad system, and are now owned by the CN. The following lines are used:

• St. Charles Air Line Railroad (IC), Chicago Union Station to the shore of Lake Michigan, now CN
• Illinois Central Railroad Chicago Branch and main line, Chicago to Cairo, Illinois, now CN
• Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans Railroad (IC), Cairo to Fulton, Kentucky, now CN
• Chesapeake, Ohio and Southwestern Railroad (IC), Fulton to Memphis, Tennessee, now CN
• Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad (IC), Memphis to Lake Cormorant, Mississippi, now CN
• Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad (IC) branch, Lake Cormorant to Lambert, Mississippi, now CN
• Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad (IC) branch, Lambert to Swan Lake, Mississippi, now CN
• Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad (IC) branch, Swan Lake to Black Bayou, Mississippi, now CN
• Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad (IC) branch, Black Bayou to Greenwood, Mississippi, now CN
• Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad (IC) Yazoo Branch, Greenwood to Jackson, Mississippi, now CN
• Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans Railroad (IC), Jackson to New Orleans, Louisiana, now CN

History

The City of New Orleans began life as the daytime companion train to the all-Pullman car Panama Limited that also traveled the IC's mailine from New Orleans, Louisiana to Chicago, Illinois. The daytime train was significantly cheaper. This train was a major part of the large migration of African Americans from the U.S. South during the early 20th century, as it was one of the cheaper transportation options available.

On September 10, 1995, the train was rerouted between Memphis and Jackson due to the Illinois Central Railroad's desire to abandon the original route (the Grenada District) in favor of the newer and flatter Yazoo District. The old route had been the Mississippi and Tennessee Railroad from Memphis to Grenada and the Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans Railroad from Grenada to Jackson. Station stops were at Batesville, Mississippi, Grenada, Mississippi, Winona, Mississippi, Durant, Mississippi and Canton, Mississippi.

On March 15, 1999, the City of New Orleans collided with a flat-bed semi-trailer near Bourbonnais. Of the 217 people aboard the train, eleven people were killed in the Bourbonnais train accident. The fourth car, where the fatalities occured, was engulfed in flames following the collision at the crossing.

Station stops

The City of New Orleans runs daily, northbound as train #58 and southbound as #59. It runs overnight, making the following station stops from north to south:

Illinois

• Chicago
• Homewood
• Kankakee
• Champaign-Urbana
• Mattoon
• Effingham
• Centralia
• Carbondale

Kentucky

• Fulton

Tennessee

• Newbern-Dyersburg
• Memphis

Mississippi

• Greenwood
• Yazoo City
• Jackson
• Hazlehurst
• Brookhaven
• McComb

Louisiana

• Hammond
• New Orleans (service resumed October 9)

Folk song

"City of New Orleans" is a folk music song written and first performed by Steve Goodman and subsequently recorded by many other artists, notably Arlo Guthrie and Willie Nelson. The song lyrics trace the trail of the train route (above) in celebrating the "...disappearin' railroad blues...."

References

• Mike Schafer, Amtrak's atlas, Trains June 1991
• Bob Johnston, Exiled to the Delta, Trains January 1996

External links

• Amtrak - City of New Orleans
• Champaign-Urbana MTD - History of Illinois Central Railroad
• Lyrics to Steve Goodman's song "City of New Orleans"
• The City Of New Orleans in the Memphis Area