California Zephyr

Imagine a journey stretching nearly 2,500 miles, crossing plains, scaling mountains, and traversing deserts — all by train. The California Zephyr offers one of America's most epic and scenic rail adventures, connecting the vibrant cityscape of Chicago with the sunny San Francisco Bay Area. It's more than just transportation; it's a moving panorama of the American West, rich with history and breathtaking views that unfold right outside your window. The California Zephyr is Amtrak's longest daily route, offering an unparalleled cross-country rail experience. The train is celebrated for its stunning scenic views, particularly through the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada. Its modern route is a testament to perseverance, piecing together fragments of a grand, competitive railroad past.

Source: Wikipedia

AI Summary

Imagine a journey stretching nearly 2,500 miles, crossing plains, scaling mountains, and traversing deserts — all by train. The California Zephyr offers one of America's most epic and scenic rail adventures, connecting the vibrant cityscape of Chicago with the sunny San Francisco Bay Area. It's more than just transportation; it's a moving panorama of the American West, rich with history and breathtaking views that unfold right outside your window.

An Epic Journey Across America

Today's California Zephyr is an Amtrak legend, a steel ribbon weaving 2,438 miles from the bustling heart of Chicago to the picturesque San Francisco Bay Area, specifically Emeryville, California. This incredible voyage, often lasting around 52 and a half hours, makes it Amtrak's longest daily route and a true test of endurance — for the train and a delight for its passengers.

More than just distance, it's the scenery that captivates. As the train glides through the upper Colorado River valley, the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains unfurls before your eyes. Later, the rugged beauty of the Sierra Nevada mountains offers another spectacular vista, cementing its reputation as one of the most scenic train journeys in North America.

This grand route is immensely popular, carrying over 328,000 passengers in fiscal year 2023. While that's a welcome increase from post-pandemic lows, it still shows a strong desire for this unique travel experience, as travelers seek to immerse themselves in the unfolding landscapes rather than rush past them.

A Grand Past: Pre-Amtrak Rivalries

Before Amtrak took the reins of American passenger rail in 1971, the tracks between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area were a battleground for three competing luxury trains. Each offered its own unique path and experience, vying for the attention of cross-country travelers.

The original California Zephyr, a private venture, was inaugurated in 1949 with much fanfare. Operated jointly by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy; Denver and Rio Grande Western; and Western Pacific Railroads, it carved a scenic path through Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Oroville. Sadly, this iconic train ceased operations in March 1970, just before Amtrak's arrival.

Other notable competitors included the 'City of San Francisco,' run by the Milwaukee Road, Union Pacific, and Southern Pacific via Cheyenne and Reno. And further south, the 'San Francisco Chief' traversed a route through Kansas City and Amarillo, operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Each offered a distinct way to experience the vast American landscape.

Amtrak's Rocky Start

When Amtrak was formed, it envisioned reviving the much-loved California Zephyr route. The plan was to utilize the old Burlington Northern tracks east of Denver, the Denver & Rio Grande Western through the Rockies, and the Western Pacific west of Ogden. This route promised to serve more populated areas and showcase unparalleled scenery.

However, these plans hit a snag. The Western Pacific Railroad, having already discontinued its passenger service, declined to participate with the new national rail system. This forced Amtrak to reroute, instead opting for the Southern Pacific's route between Ogden and Oakland—a significant deviation from the original Zephyr's path.

Adding to the complications, the Denver & Rio Grande Western also initially refused to join Amtrak. They worried that Amtrak's future service increases would overcrowd their single-track mainline, which already competed with Union Pacific's double tracks. This led the D&RGW to continue operating its own 'Rio Grande Zephyr' between Denver and Ogden, leaving Amtrak to scramble for an alternative route through Wyoming.

The San Francisco Zephyr and Superliner Era

For a period, travelers had to connect between two different trains — the 'Denver Zephyr' and the 'City of San Francisco' — to travel between Chicago and the Bay Area. But eventually, Amtrak consolidated these into a single service, christening it the 'San Francisco Zephyr' in homage to its predecessors.

A major upgrade came in 1980 with the introduction of new bi-level Superliner I passenger cars, manufactured by Pullman-Standard. These distinctive cars, with their upper-level observation decks, dramatically enhanced the passenger experience. The 'San Francisco Zephyr' also began exchanging cars with other long-distance trains, creating incredibly long, multi-destination trains.

The dream of uniting the route was finally realized in 1983 when the Denver & Rio Grande Western, facing mounting losses, decided to join Amtrak. This monumental decision allowed Amtrak to reroute the 'San Francisco Zephyr' onto the D&RGW's breathtaking Moffat Subdivision between Denver and Salt Lake City—the very path Amtrak had desired from the beginning.

With this crucial piece of the puzzle in place, Amtrak renamed the train to the 'California Zephyr,' reclaiming its iconic name and much of its original, scenic route east of Winnemucca, Nevada. The journey was finally whole again, a seamless blend of history and stunning geography.

For many years, the California Zephyr operated in tandem with the 'Pioneer' (headed to Seattle) and 'Desert Wind' (to Los Angeles). This meant a single, massive train of up to 16 Superliner cars would depart Chicago, splitting into its various components in Utah. Imagine the spectacle of such a behemoth, requiring four powerful locomotives to conquer the steep grades of the Rockies!

However, managing such a colossal train proved challenging. To ease the load, the 'Pioneer' eventually split from the Zephyr in Denver, and later, both the 'Pioneer' and 'Desert Wind' services were discontinued in 1997. This allowed the California Zephyr to operate as its own dedicated, albeit still impressive, entity.

The train's western terminus experienced a few changes over the years, shifting between Oakland Central Station and Emeryville, California. Today, Emeryville serves as the final stop, offering convenient Amtrak Thruway bus connections to San Francisco itself, ensuring travelers can easily reach the city by the bay.

Like many travel services, the California Zephyr faced disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, with temporary suspensions and reduced frequencies. However, with renewed funding and passenger demand, daily service was proudly restored, demonstrating the resilience and enduring appeal of this magnificent route.

Life Aboard: Rolling Stock

The California Zephyr uses Amtrak's distinctive Superliner equipment, instantly recognizable with their bi-level design. A typical train consist features powerful GE Genesis or Siemens ALC-42 locomotives, a baggage car, and multiple Superliner cars for sleeping, dining, and observation.

The heart of the train for many is the Superliner Sightseer Lounge car, offering panoramic views from its upper level – truly the best seat on the train for witnessing the passing landscapes. Plans are already in motion to replace current locomotives and Superliner cars with next-generation equipment by the early 2030s, promising an even more modern and comfortable journey.

The Grand Journey: A Route Description

Our journey westbound begins at the historic Chicago Union Station. The train quickly leaves the urban sprawl behind, transitioning into the vast Illinois prairies. Soon, you'll cross the mighty Mississippi River into Iowa, offering a sense of crossing a major American threshold.

After an overnight passage through Nebraska, the train pulls into Denver, Colorado, in the morning. Here, the landscape dramatically changes as the train switches to Union Pacific tracks and begins its ascent into the majestic Rocky Mountains, a true highlight of the trip.

The route plunges into the renowned Tunnel District, including the impressive 6.2-mile-long Moffat Tunnel, which burrows directly under the Continental Divide. Emerging from the tunnel, the train faithfully follows the winding Colorado River, offering unparalleled views of canyons and untamed wilderness.

This stretch along the Colorado River is so iconic that it's earned a quirky nickname: 'Moon River.' Why? Because whitewater rafters along the river have been known to 'moon' the passing train passengers, adding an unexpected, humorous touch to the scenic journey!

Beyond the unique river views, this section of the route also sees connections with other specialized services. The 'Winter Park Express' carries skiers during peak season, while the 'Rocky Mountaineer' offers another scenic passenger service between Denver and Utah, sharing portions of these incredible tracks.

Entering Utah, the train traces the southern rim of the distinctive Book Cliffs before cresting the Wasatch Mountains at Soldier Summit. The descent then leads into the urban expanse of the Wasatch Front, culminating in a stop at Utah's capital, Salt Lake City.

From Salt Lake City, the Zephyr embarks on its desert crossing, paralleling Interstate 80. You'll traverse the shimmering Bonneville Salt Flats and encounter the rugged ranges of Nevada, including tunnels through the Pequop Mountains and skirting the northern edge of the beautiful Ruby Mountains.

Following the Humboldt River and crossing the infamous Forty Mile Desert, the train eventually reaches Reno, Nevada—'The Biggest Little City in the World.' From there, the ascent into the mighty Sierra Nevada begins, marking the final mountain challenge of the journey.

In California, the train hugs Donner Lake and conquers the historic Donner Pass, a route steeped in pioneering legend. The descent winds through high ridges, eventually emptying into the verdant California Central Valley, a stark contrast to the deserts and mountains just crossed.

The final stretch takes you along San Pablo Bay, with stops in cities like Sacramento, Davis, and Richmond, where connections to BART can whisk you further into the Bay Area. Finally, the California Zephyr arrives at its western terminus in Emeryville, completing a truly unforgettable transcontinental rail adventure.

Article

California Zephyr

The California Zephyr is a long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area (at Emeryville), via Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Reno. At 2,438 miles (3,924 km), it is Amtrak's longest daily route, and second-longest overall after the Texas Eagle's triweekly continuation from San Antonio to Los Angeles, with travel time between the termini taking approximately 521⁄2 hours. Amtrak claims the route as one of its most scenic, with views of the upper Colorado River valley in the Rocky Mountains, and the Sierra Nevada. The modern train is the second iteration of a train named California Zephyr; the original train was privately operated and ran on a different route through Nevada and California.

During fiscal year 2023, the California Zephyr carried 328,458 passengers, an increase of 13.1% over FY2022, but down from its pre-COVID-19 pandemic ridership of 410,844 in FY2019. The train had a total revenue of $51,950,998 in FY2016, the last year that route-specific revenue data was given.

History

Previous service

The eastbound California Zephyr on Altamont Pass in March 1970

Prior to the 1971 creation of Amtrak, three competing trains ran between Chicago and the East Bay, with bus connections to San Francisco:

• The original California Zephyr was operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q), the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW), and the Western Pacific Railroad (WP). It operated between Chicago and Oakland – along what is today called the Central Corridor and Feather River Route – via Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City and Oroville. Amid much fanfare and publicity, the California Zephyr was inaugurated on March 20, 1949. It was discontinued in March 1970 – the only one of the three trains not still operating when Amtrak took over service. • The City of San Francisco was operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road), Union Pacific Railroad (UP), and Southern Pacific Railroad (SP). It operated between Chicago and Oakland on the Overland Route via Omaha, Cheyenne, Ogden and Reno. • The San Francisco Chief was operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF) via the more southerly Southern Transcon. It operated between Chicago and Richmond via Kansas City, Amarillo, and Bakersfield.

Railpax (renamed Amtrak in late April 1971) originally intended to revive the California Zephyr as part of its original route network, using the Burlington Northern (ex-CB&Q) east of Denver, the DRG&W between Denver and Ogden, Utah, and the WP west of Ogden. The California Zephyr route would serve more populated areas (including Denver and Salt Lake City) than the Overland Route, would run through rural communities that lacked good highway access, and could attract passengers to its scenic routes.

However, since the WP had shed the last of its money-losing passenger service by terminating the California Zephyr, it was not eligible to participate in Amtrak's formation. On April 12, 1971, the WP refused to cooperate with Railpax, and the SP route between Ogden and Oakland was chosen instead.

On April 26, the D&RGW elected not to join Amtrak. The contract specified that Amtrak could later increase service, and D&RGW feared that would crowd its single-track mainline that competed with the UP's double-track route. The D&RGW chose to operate the Denver–Ogden Rio Grande Zephyr. Amtrak scrambled to piece together a Denver–Cheyenne–Ogden routing on the UP.

Amtrak

An EMD FP7 and two EMD SDP40Fs pull the eastbound San Francisco Zephyr through the Yuba Gap in 1975.

Between the spring of 1971 and the summer of 1972, passengers traveling between Chicago and Oakland would have to travel on two different trains: the Denver Zephyr, which operated daily between Chicago and Denver, and the City of San Francisco, which operated three times a week, between Denver and the San Francisco Bay Area. Eventually, however, after several false starts, Amtrak consolidated the two trains into one, dubbed the San Francisco Zephyr, homage to both the California Zephyr and the San Francisco Chief, between Chicago and Oakland. The Rio Grande continued to operate the Rio Grande Zephyr between Denver and Ogden. The San Francisco Zephyr and the Rio Grande Zephyr were scheduled as to facilitate a connection between them in Ogden, but not Denver.

San Francisco Zephyr running with the new Superliner I cars in November 1980

In July 1980, the San Francisco Zephyr was outfitted with new bi-level Superliner I passenger cars built by Pullman-Standard – one of the last Amtrak's western long-distance trains to receive them – (already running with such cars were the Southwest Limited, Desert Wind and Empire Builder), and began exchanging through cars at Ogden with the Seattle–Chicago Pioneer and the Los Angeles–Chicago Desert Wind. Between Ogden and Chicago, the Zephyr, Desert Wind, and Pioneer operated as a combined train.

The Rio Grande Zephyr arriving at Union Station in Denver, Colorado in 1983. In April of that same year, and after 12 years, the service ceased operations, being replaced by Amtrak's new California Zephyr.

In 1983, Rio Grande elected to join Amtrak, citing increasing losses in passenger operations. The company made the last run of its Rio Grande Zephyr on April 24 and delivered most of the rolling stock with which that service was provided, although Amtrak was already replacing with new Superliners to its Heritage Fleet and thus the ex-D&RGW cars did not make it to service on the new California Zephyr. Amtrak re-routed the San Francisco Zephyr over the D&RGW's Moffat Subdivision between Denver and Salt Lake City, its original preference from 1971. The change was scheduled for April 25, but a mudslide at Thistle, Utah, closed the line and delayed the change until July 16. With the change of route, Amtrak renamed the train as the California Zephyr. The modern California Zephyr uses mostly the same route as the original east of Winnemucca, Nevada. The train uses the route of the former City of San Francisco, along the Overland Route (First transcontinental railroad), west of Wells, Nevada. Across central Nevada, the two rail lines have been combined to use directional running. As such, the exact spot the train switches lines depends on the direction of travel.

The California Zephyr rounds a curve along the Colorado River near McCoy, Colorado in 2016.

For most of the 1980s and 1990s, the California Zephyr operated in tandem with the Seattle-bound Pioneer and Los Angeles-bound Desert Wind. Since 1980, the Pioneer and Desert Wind had exchanged through coaches with the San Francisco Zephyr at Ogden. The exchange point was moved to Salt Lake City when the latter train became the California Zephyr. This created a massive train of 16 Superliner cars running from Chicago to Utah, easily the longest train Amtrak had operated outside of the Auto Train. Amtrak required at least four EMD F40PH locomotives to pull this behemoth over the steep grades of the Moffat subdivision. To ease the load, Amtrak began splitting the Pioneer from the Zephyr and Desert Wind at Denver in 1991, while the Desert Wind continued splitting from the Zephyr at Salt Lake City. The Pioneer and Desert Wind were both discontinued in 1997.

The western terminus of the train was cut back to Emeryville station when Oakland Central station closed on August 5, 1994. The California Zephyr was re-extended to Oakland with the opening of the Jack London Square station on May 12, 1995. However, this required a complicated reverse move along street running tracks to reach the wye at West Oakland. The train was cut back again to Emeryville on October 26, 1997.

Service between Reno and Denver was suspended for about a month in April 2020, as part of a round of service reduction in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Frequency was reduced to tri-weekly in October 2020, but was restored to daily service on May 24, 2021, after additional Amtrak funding was included in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. A resurgence of the virus caused by the Omicron variant and associated staffing and equipment shortages caused Amtrak to reduce the train's service to a five days a week Tuesday through Saturday schedule from January 19 to May 23, 2022. Daily service resumed in June 2022.

Rolling stock

California Zephyr

The California Zephyr uses Superliner equipment like Amtrak's other long-distance trains in the Western United States. As of 2024, a typical California Zephyr has:

• 2 GE Genesis/Siemens ALC-42 locomotives • Viewliner II baggage car • Superliner transition sleeper • 2 Superliner sleepers • Superliner diner • Superliner Sightseer Lounge • 1 Superliner coach • 1 Superliner coach/baggage car • 1 Superliner coach/cafe car

As of March 2025, Amtrak plans to add a third coach in May and a third sleeper in June to meet demand. As with the other long-distance routes, Amtrak plans to fully replace the P42DCs with ALC-42 locomotives by 2027, and the Superliner cars with new long-distance cars by 2032.

Route description

California Zephyr

California Zephyr route map

The westbound train is Amtrak number 5 (number 6 eastbound). Upon leaving Chicago Union Station, the train travels along the Metra BNSF Line, with an intermediate stop in Naperville, Illinois.

After passing through Aurora, Illinois, the train travels across the Illinois prairies, using the Burlington Rail Bridge to cross the Mississippi River in Burlington, Iowa. After running through southern Iowa, the Zephyr reaches the Missouri River between Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska. From Omaha, the train travels overnight through southern Nebraska and northeastern Colorado, making a morning arrival in Denver.

At Denver, the Zephyr switches over from BNSF to Union Pacific tracks. Westbound, the train is routed over the Central Corridor for the trip through the Tunnel District. The line crosses the Continental Divide via the 6.2 mile-long Moffat Tunnel under James Peak. Leaving the Moffat Tunnel, the tracks then follow the Colorado River from Winter Park Resort to Ruby Canyon, west of Grand Junction, which is also where the train enters Utah. The Colorado River portion of the trip is informally called "moon river", as whitewater rafters pull down their pants and moon the passengers.

Between Denver and Fraser–Winter Park station, the Zephyr shares a route with the Winter Park Express, a service that runs only during the peak Winter season (mid-December through March) and is used primarily by tourists heading to the ski resorts located in Winter Park.

California Zephyrs eastbound and westbound meeting in the Glenwood Canyon Siding

Also between Denver and Crescent Junction, Utah, the Zephyr shares the route with Rocky Mountaineer's Rockies to the Red Rocks passenger service.

The westbound Zephyr stops at the station at Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

In Utah, the train follows the southern rim of the Book Cliffs to their end near Helper. The Zephyr crosses the Wasatch Mountains, cresting at Soldier Summit before descending into the Wasatch Front to arrive at Salt Lake City.

The westbound California Zephyr at Colfax in 2019

From Salt Lake City to Emeryville, the Zephyr route loosely follows Interstate 80, traveling along the south shore of the Great Salt Lake and across the Bonneville Salt Flats towards Nevada. After crossing into Nevada at Wendover, Utah/West Wendover, Nevada, the route passes the Toano Range, via Silver Zone Pass, across the Goshute Valley, tunnels under the Pequop Mountains and then skirts the northern edge of the Ruby Mountains.

The line first reaches the Humboldt River near Wells, which it loosely follows until the river's end in the Humboldt Sink near Lovelock. Here, the tracks cross the center of the Forty Mile Desert; on the other side of this desert valley is the Truckee River, which provides the line's path to Reno and up the Sierra Nevada in California.

In California, the tracks round Donner Lake, crest the Sierra Nevada at Donner Pass, and descend a high ridge between the American and Yuba Rivers, through Emigrant Gap. The line empties out into the California Central Valley, and then runs along the San Pablo Bay, with stops in Sacramento and Davis. It crosses the Benicia Bridge and has stops in Martinez and Richmond, where BART provides connections to Berkeley and Oakland. The trip ends in Emeryville, where Amtrak Thruway service provides connecting service to San Francisco.

Stations

<table><thead><tr><th>State</th><th>Municipality</th><th>Station</th><th>Connections</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Illinois</td><td>Chicago</td><td>Chicago Union Station</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Naperville</td><td>Naperville</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Princeton</td><td>Princeton</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Galesburg</td><td>Galesburg</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Iowa</td><td>Burlington</td><td>Burlington</td><td>Burlington Urban Service</td></tr><tr><td>Mount Pleasant</td><td>Mount Pleasant</td></tr><tr><td>Ottumwa</td><td>Ottumwa</td></tr><tr><td>Osceola</td><td>Osceola</td></tr><tr><td>Creston</td><td>Creston</td></tr><tr><td>Nebraska</td><td>Omaha</td><td>Omaha</td><td>Metro (Omaha)</td></tr><tr><td>Lincoln</td><td>Lincoln</td><td>StarTran</td></tr><tr><td>Hastings</td><td>Hastings</td></tr><tr><td>Holdrege</td><td>Holdrege</td></tr><tr><td>McCook</td><td>McCook</td></tr><tr><td>Colorado</td><td>Fort Morgan</td><td>Fort Morgan</td></tr><tr><td>Denver</td><td>Denver Union Station</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Fraser</td><td>Fraser–Winter Park</td><td>Amtrak: Winter Park Express</td></tr><tr><td>Granby</td><td>Granby</td></tr><tr><td>Glenwood Springs</td><td>Glenwood Springs</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Grand Junction</td><td>Grand Junction</td><td>Grand Valley Transit</td></tr><tr><td>Utah</td><td>Green River</td><td>Green River</td></tr><tr><td>Helper</td><td>Helper</td></tr><tr><td>Provo</td><td>Provo</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Salt Lake City</td><td>Salt Lake City</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Nevada</td><td>Elko</td><td>Elko</td></tr><tr><td>Winnemucca</td><td>Winnemucca</td></tr><tr><td>Reno</td><td>Reno</td><td>Amtrak Thruway: 20</td></tr><tr><td>California</td><td>Truckee</td><td>Truckee</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Colfax</td><td>Colfax</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Roseville</td><td>Roseville</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sacramento</td><td>Sacramento</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Davis</td><td>Davis</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Martinez</td><td>Martinez</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Richmond</td><td>Richmond</td><td>Amtrak: Capitol Corridor, Gold Runner BART: Orange Line, Red Line</td></tr><tr><td>Emeryville</td><td>Emeryville</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Rail line subdivisions

From east to west the current route of the Zephyr uses the following rail subdivisions:

• Chicago Subdivision Chicago Union Station to Aurora, Illinois • Mendota Subdivision Aurora to Galesburg, Illinois • Ottumwa Subdivision Galesburg to Creston, Iowa • Creston Subdivision Creston to north-northwest of Plattsmouth, Nebraska • Omaha Subdivision north-northwest of Plattsmouth to north-northeast of Ashland, Nebraska • Creston Subdivision north-northeast of Ashland to Lincoln, Nebraska • Hastings Subdivision Lincoln to McCook, Nebraska • Akron Subdivision McCook to Brush, Colorado • Brush Subdivision Brush to Denver

• Greeley Subdivision to East Denver Belt Line in Denver just west of Broadway • Moffat Tunnel Subdivision Denver (just west of Broadway) to south-southeast of Bond, Colorado between [MP-128] and [MP-129] • Glenwood Springs Subdivision Bond to Grand Junction, Colorado • Green River Subdivision Grand Junction to Helper, Utah • Provo Subdivision Helper to Salt Lake City • Lynndyl Subdivision Salt Lake City to Kennecott Smokestack [MP-767] west of Salt Lake City • Shafter Subdivision [MP-911] Kennecott Smokestack to Elko, Nevada • Elko Subdivision Elko to Weso (switching point east of Winnemucca, Nevada) • Nevada Subdivision Weso to Sparks, Nevada • Roseville Subdivision Sparks to Roseville, California • Martinez Subdivision Roseville to Emeryville