Dec 6, 2020 - Politics & Policy

"Amtrak Joe's" inaugural arrival

Alayna Treene

Biden holds a newspaper in a black and white photograph while waiting for a train — Joe Biden stood on a platform in Wilmington, Del., in 1988 before taking a train back to Washington after being treated for a brain aneurysm. Photo: Joe McNally/Getty Images

There's talk within Bidenworld of the president-elect ditching the typical flourish of arriving in Washington on an Air Force plane, pulling in instead on the same Amtrak train he rode to and from Delaware for 30 years as a senator.

Why it matters: A train trip would be very on-brand for "Amtrak Joe." It also would mirror Barack Obama, who rode into Washington on a vintage railcar in January 2009.

Sources involved in the planning tell Axios that Biden plans to forgo the traditional inaugural balls and parades because of the coronavirus, choosing instead to celebrate with close family and advisers.

Both Donald Trump and George W. Bush came to D.C. on the Air Force version of a Boeing 757.

While not the bigger 747 that ferries a president as Air Force One, the planes gave a preview of coming attractions. They were emblazoned in the presidential blue-and-white paint job and the words "United States of America."

The Biden campaign declined to comment on his plans.

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"Amtrak Joe's" inaugural arrival

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