Hello Reader,
While daydreaming on the Amtrak website, I found a few Amtrak service changes that aren't listed on Amtrak's Service and Alert Notices page, and I thought I would share them with you.
And a fun story that came from last week's newsletter!
Texas Eagle — Upcoming Bus Bridge
If you're booking the Texas Eagle and see "canceled" on certain dates, don't panic — it's not the entire route. From April 20 through 27, Amtrak is operating a bus bridge between Marshall, Texas, and Fort Worth while Union Pacific performs annual spring track work on the Dallas Subdivision. Affecting trains 21, 22, 421, and 422.
If your trip passes through the Marshall–Fort Worth corridor during those dates, you'll step off the train, board a motorcoach for under 5.5 hours, then reboard a waiting train on the other side. One reservation covers the entire trip. If your travel stays entirely north of Marshall or south of Fort Worth, you won't notice a difference. If you are booking during that time, select the mixed service option, and you will be fine.
City of New Orleans — Temporary Schedule, About Two Hours Early
From April 26 through May 28, Amtrak's City of New Orleans is operating on a modified schedule in both directions, with departures roughly two hours earlier than usual.
CN (Canadian National), the host railroad for part of the route, is performing track work that's driving the shift. During this period, the train runs as 1058 and 1059 instead of its usual numbers, 58 and 59. I am unsure where the work is being performed.
If you have an existing reservation, double-check your departure time and ensure your contact information is up to date in your Amtrak account so you'll receive notifications. Normal schedules resume after May 28.
The Newsletter That Found the Right Reader at the Right Time
Last week's newsletter almost looked very different. I had something else planned for the newsletter, but I wasn’t happy with it, so I scrapped it and wrote about the Sunset Limited instead.
Turns out, that last-minute switch was better timed than I could have engineered on purpose.
A few hours after the newsletter went out, I heard from Malia Yoshioka, a freelance food and travel writer based in Hawaii who also writes about train travel on ShoyuSugar.com. She’d received my email about the Sunset Limited and replied that she was, at that very moment, on the Sunset Limited.
Because of the newsletter, she made a point of watching for "Prada Store" in Marfa — the bizarre, wonderful fake luxury store in the middle of the West Texas desert. She saw it. She also got burritos from the legendary Juanita, the burrito lady in El Paso.
She got to experience them because the right email reached the right reader at exactly the right mile marker.
Malia has been crisscrossing the country on Amtrak, riding the long-distance routes one by one — and she’s adding the Empire Builder to her list this trip. She also does guidebook work for Lonely Planet, which is no small feat.
She’s generously letting me share her photos and experiences here, and you can follow her travels on Instagram at @maliayoshioka.
This is one of those weeks when the job feels especially good.
Below are the photos she sent me!
What is Kev Up To?
This weekend, I helped a friend from the organ club move — not my favorite thing, but when a friend needs help, you show up. It was a bunch of middle-aged guys and a few older folks, all doing our best. We ended up hiring some younger professional movers toward the end, and it was worth every dollar. I've already suggested that if Mike needs help moving again, I'd rather donate money for movers than give up my time and put up with aches and pains.
I've been mulling over a regional trip. Battle Creek, MI, has been on my mind since I haven't been there in a while. But there's a tight connection between Metra and Amtrak in Chicago, and I'm not sure I want to deal with the stress right now. I've got a few other options rattling around, too — St. Louis, MO, or maybe Galesburg, IL — but nothing's clicked yet. If I can make an overnight trip work, I wouldn't mind that either.
After a cold winter and a busy March, I'm itching to travel again, even if it's just a day trip. I think day trips are often dismissed as "not real" travel — a label I'd push back on. A traveler is anyone who travels, regardless of how far they go or how long they're gone. Travel is our own adventure, not the one others think we should take.
Thank You!
Thanks for reading, and thanks to Christine R for the PayPal support!
If you're interested in helping me continue, you can click the green button below, visit my support page for more options, or join my Patreon! With a paid Patreon membership, you get a monthly postcard and more, and I just ordered new postcards.
Until Next Week!
Safe travels & Happy Planning,
Kev Monteith
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