Amtrak’s Lakeshore Limited route connects Chicago with New York City and Boston and provides views of the Hudson River and Erie Canal. Trains travel overnight through Ohio; sleeper cars are available between Albany and Chicago if you would like to have private accommodations and a bed.
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Things to Know
- Exit at Buffalo to reach Niagara Falls.
- New York City and Boston trains split and merge at the Albany-Rensselaer station.
- Boston to Albany trains are coach seats only (sleeper cars attach in Albany).
- Business class is available on the Boston – Albany – Chicago trains.
- There is WiFi along with a dining car, lounge and sleeping accommodations.
- There is a station near the University of Notre Dame (South Bend).
Schedule
- Trains are in Ohio overnight.
- Trains depart Chicago in the evening.
- Trains depart Boston and New York City in the afternoon.
- Travel time between Chicago and Boston is about 22.5 hours.
- Travel time between Chicago and New York City is about 20 hours.
View latest schedules and timetables on Amtrak.com.
Popular Stops
Stations
- Chicago, IL – Union Station (CHI)
- South Bend, IN (SOB)
- Elkhart, IN (EKH)
- Waterloo, IN (WTI)
- Bryan, OH (BYN)
- Toledo, OH (TOL)
- Sandusky, OH (SKY)
- Elyria, OH (ELY)
- Cleveland, OH (CLE)
- Erie, PA (ERI)
- Buffalo, NY – Depew Station (BUF)
- Rochester, NY (ROC)
- Syracuse, NY (SYR)
- Utica, NY (UCA)
- Schenectady, NY (SDY)
- Albany-Rensselaer, NY (ALB)
- Pittsfield, MA (PIT)
- Springfield, MA (SPG)
- Worcester, MA (WOR)
- Framingham, MA (FRA)
- Boston, MA – Back Bay Station (BBY)
- Poughkeepsie, NY (POU)
- Croton-Harmon, NY (CRT)
- Boston, MA – South Station (BOS)
- New York, NY – Penn Station (NYP)
History
“Lake Shore” was the nickname of the Cleveland, Painesville & Ashtabula railroad, which traveled between Cleveland, Ohio and Erie, Pennsylvania starting in 1852 (source). This railroad was merged with several others and became part of the New York Central Railroad. New York Central officially used the Lake Shore Limited name for its first luxury train route that traveled between Chicago and New York City starting in 1897 (source). Service ended in 1956 and Amtrak revived the route in 1971 and 1972, called the Lake Shore. The route returned in 1975 and has been in operation since under the Lake Shore Limited name.
Lake Shore Limited at a Glance
| Number of Stops | 22 |
| Ticket Types | Coach, Roomette, Bedroom, Accessible Bedroom |
| Dining Options | Café car and free meals for sleeper car passengers |
| End-of-Line Stations | Chicago, Boston, New York City |
Amtrak Guide 