Amtrak National Limited Service Through the Years

The only Northeast-Midwest train that crossed the Mississippi lasted less than a decade

Amtrak National Limited Service began on May 1, 1971, connecting New York City and Washington, D.C., with Kansas City. It carried Nos. 30-31. The route roughly paralleled Interstate 70, which connects Baltimore and Kansas City. The name was a nod to a Baltimore & Ohio train that served Washington and St. Louis, but on a different route via Cincinnati.

Streamlined diesel locomotives on Amtrak National Limited service with city skyline — The Amtrak *National Limited* service ends in Dayton, Ohio, in 1978. Freed from the need to follow railroad termini, Amtrak officials were able to make the National the first to cross the traditional Mississippi River barrier for intercity passenger service. Collection Brian M. Schmidt

Under Amtrak, the National LimitedThe eastern portion split at Harrisburg, Pa., to serve both the Big Apple and our nation’s capital. West of Pittsburgh, it used the former Pennsylvania Railroad’s “Panhandle” line, so named because it ran through the northern panhandle of West Virginia. The train provided the only Amtrak service of its time to Pittsburgh; Columbus and Dayton, Ohio; and Jefferson City, Mo. Notably, Columbus and Jefferson City are the capitals of their respective states.

The train initially operated with EMD E units purchased at the start and a mix of steam-heated heritage fleet equipment. An example of a train from August 1972 shows a baggage car, two 10-and-6 sleepers, two coaches, a diner, and four more cars. One coach and sleeper ran via Kansas City to Los Angeles on the Southwest Limited. One car ran west of Harrisburg only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays after arriving from Washington, D.C. This was to fulfill a legal requirement that Amtrak provide service from Washington to Kansas City. Three cars ran only from New York to Pittsburgh, and one of those three ran only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

On 13 August 1978, the train was re-equipped with a new, electrically equipped terminus with heritage equipment (sleeping cars, dining and lounge cars) and new Amfleet cars.

The National Limited disappeared in October 1979 during a system-wide reduction in service, leaving Indianapolis, Dayton and Columbus, Ohio, without intercity passenger rail service at the time.