Lesser Served (Passenger Rail) US States & Regions
States & Regions w/ Less or Any Passenger Rail
If you read the last blog post; not only are there a lot of large cities without passenger rail in the US, but also large swaths of the country. Large regions, even entire states lack passenger rail access, losing their right to mobility in the last 50 years. Some quite amazing lines through all different types of landscapes criss cross applesauce the entire US. Even just up until 30 years ago, there was a more wide spanning Amtrak system. A system, in which the federal government is planning on finally expanding in future plans.
*All Data as of 10/30/2023*
State of Wyoming // Pop. 576,851
No Passenger Rail In State
STATE LAST // Amtrak Pioneer // Chicago-Seattle (1977-1997)
Cheyanne, WY // Metro Pop. 100,512
CITY LAST // Amtrak’s San Francisco Zephyr (1979)
State of South Dakota // Pop. 895,376
No Passenger Rail In State
STATE LAST // Milwaukee Road Sioux // Chicago-Rapid City, SD (1928-1971)
Sioux Falls, SD // Metro Pop. 281,958
CITY LAST // Milwaukee Road’s Arrow (1965)
State of Kentucky // Pop. 4,509,342 //
4 Stops on Amtrak Cardinal (Chicago-NYC),
1 Stop on Amtrak City of New Orleans (Chicago-New Orleans)
Louisville, KY // Metro Pop. 1,395,634
CITY LAST // Amtrak Kentucky Cardinal (2003)
State of Tennessee // Pop. 7,051,339
2 Stops on Amtrak City of New Orleans (Chicago-New Orleans)
7 Stops on Nashville’s Music City Star (Riverfront-Lebanon)
Nashville, TN // Metro Pop. 2,046,828
CITY LAST // Amtrak Floridian (1979)
State of Iowa // Pop. 3,190,369
5 Stops on Amtrak California Zephyr (Chicago-Emeryville, CA)
1 Stop on Amtrak Southwest Chief (Chicago-LA)
Des Moines, IA // Metro Pop. 707,915
CITY LAST // Rock Island Train No. 7 (1970)
State of Idaho // Pop. 1,975,000
1 Stop on Amtrak Empire Builder (Chicago-Seattle)
Boise, ID // Metro Pop. 764,718
CITY LAST // Amtrak Pioneer (1997)
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula // Pop. 301,609
No Passenger Rail In Region
Region Last // Chicago & NorthWestern (C&NW) “Peninsula 400” (Chicago, IL - Ishpeming, MI)
State of Montana // Pop. 1,122,867
12 Stops on Amtrak's “Empire Builder”
Billings, MT // Metro Pop. 117,116
CITY LAST // Amtrak’s “North Coast Hiawatha” (Chicago, IL - Billings, MT - Seattle, WA)
