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Sunset Limited

Amtrak's Sunset Limited is a 68-hour railroad route that connects Orlando, Florida to Los Angeles, California. The service, which started in 1971, is operated three days a week. Most of the route is operated at 70 mph, though stops and delays are common.

Railfans have pointed out that Sunset Limited is behind schedule almost 100% of the time. This is said to be due to extensive sharing of congested Union Pacific lines. A delay of about 6 to 12 hours is common.

Some of the stops include:

A highlight of the trip is the crossing of the Huey P. Long Bridge southwest of New Orleans. This is the longest railroad bridge in the United States, at 4.5 miles, and takes the train 135 ft above the Mississippi River.

Amtrak's worst disaster, the Big Bayou Conot train disaster in 1993, was on the Sunset Limited.


Last updated: 01-28-2005 06:55:31
Last updated: 05-03-2005 17:50:55