What it's like to take the Texas Eagle to Chicago
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Look at all the sky you see on a train. Photo: Tasha Tsiaperas/Axios
There's something magical about choosing to pass through instead of over the so-called flyover states.
Why it matters: Train ridership is increasing across the U.S., particularly in areas with new or faster Amtrak service.
- Ridership on the Texas Eagle — which travels from San Antonio to Chicago, through Austin and Dallas — jumped about 14% last fiscal year from fiscal year 2024.
Driving the news: Amtrak typically sees an increase in train travel when fuel prices rise. Summer airfares are on track to be costlier than last year, in part due to the Iran war.
- "It's still too early to isolate the impact, but we do know Amtrak continues to be an important mobility option for travelers, businesses and communities," Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari tells Axios.
State of play: The Texas Eagle has been running since 1981, linking South Texas to the Midwest.
- The train runs daily between San Antonio and Chicago and connects three days a week to the Sunset Limited, which starts in Los Angeles and ends in New Orleans.
How it works: We opted to take the Eagle from Dallas to Chicago — a roughly 21-hour journey — instead of flying, to see what the long-distance route is like.
- Riders can choose a coach seat or a sleeper, which includes a roomette or a bedroom. We opted for a roomette, which has two seats that transition into bunk beds at night.
- The train typically leaves downtown's Union Station in the afternoon, with a brief stop in Little Rock overnight and an hour-plus layover in St. Louis in the morning.
- During our trip, we had to take a bus between Dallas and East Texas due to rail work.
What it's like: There are no long TSA lines or cramped airports. The seating is more comfortable than in an airplane, and it's easy to get up and walk around.
- The observation deck has windows that nearly reach floor to ceiling, giving a lot of natural light and a sense of spaciousness.
- On our journey, groups of travelers gathered in the observation cars to play cards and chat. Solo travelers tended to work on their computers or read a book.
Sleep check: Taller travelers may not enjoy the train bed as much, but overall it was cozy. The rocking of the railcar, the sound of the wheels on the tracks, and the occasional train horn provided a soothing white-noise backdrop.
- Quiet hours are 10pm-7am.
The bottom line: Without high-speed rail, it's still faster to fly. The trip from Dallas to Chicago via train took as long as the flight route to Africa.
- But the train offers a view of the U.S. travelers simply can't get from the air.