PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — According to a new ranking from travel site TheTravel, two of the busiest Amtrak routes in the U.S. are ones that have stops in the Rose City.
TheTravel says it looked at the train service’s 2019 fiscal year ridership data to determine how popular each route was regarding ridership.
The Empire Builder train, a 46-hour ride from Portland or Seattle to Chicago, was listed at No. 5 out of 10 routes. With stops in Spokane, and Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., TheTravel says this route is recognized as one of the most scenic in the country.
The train ride also includes views of the Mississippi River, Minnesota’s Twin Cities’ skyline and Glacier National Park.
No. 3 on the travel site’s ranking is the Cascades train, which runs from Vancouver, B.C., to Eugene. The ride is a little over 10 hours long and has stops in Pacific Northwestern cities like Seattle, Tacoma, Portland and Salem. According to TheTravel, this route is also markedly sustainable, with biodiesel fuel, environmentally-safe cleaning products and its recycling programs.
And earlier this year, Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell announced Amtrak’s plans to restore the Cascades line to pre-pandemic levels by adding more daily trains between Portland and Seattle.
“I-5 corridor in the State of Washington is one of the most congested corridors in the nation and the Cascades service provides a convenient alternative to travelers,” Cantwell said.
Other routes listed as the busiest in the U.S. were the Carolinian/Piedmont between New York and Charlotte, N.C., the Downeaster between Boston and Brunswick, Maine, and the Pacific Surfliner between San Diego and San Luis Obispo, Calif.