Nashville is a city of more than 700,000 people, and you can’t catch an Amtrak train there.
Neither can you in Knoxville or Chattanooga. In all of Tennessee, only two stations have Amtrak trains: Memphis and Newbern.
That doesn’t mean you’re stuck. Board in Memphis on a Friday night and you’re in Chicago Saturday morning. And from Nashville, a three-hour drive to Birmingham or Carbondale puts you on a daytime train to New Orleans or Chicago.
Where You Can Board Amtrak in Tennessee
Memphis Central Station and Newbern-Dyersburg share the same route: the City of New Orleans. It runs daily in each direction between Chicago and New Orleans, with direct stops including Carbondale, Illinois, and Jackson, Mississippi.
Jackson, Tennessee, has no Amtrak rail station.
Memphis Central Station, at 545 South Main Street, is the practical starting point for Memphis-area residents. Southbound trains leave at 6:55 a.m. Central; northbound departures toward Chicago are at 10:45 p.m. Central.
Memphis has station staff, a waiting room, and checked-baggage service. Going north means boarding late and spending the night aboard.
Newbern-Dyersburg station is in Newbern, at 108 Jefferson Street, roughly 10 miles northeast of Dyersburg. It can shorten the drive for northwestern Tennessee residents and some travelers from the Jackson area.
The tradeoff is the clock. Northbound trains leave at 12:28 a.m. Central; southbound trains leave at 4:37 a.m. Central. A ticket for 12:28 a.m. Saturday means arriving late Friday night.
Newbern is unstaffed, with no ticket counter or checked-baggage service. Bring bags you can manage yourself, and use a restroom before arriving.
Compare more than mileage when choosing between them. Memphis offers staff, baggage handling, and a later southbound departure; Newbern may save you driving time at the cost of a less convenient boarding hour.
Amtrak Options for Middle Tennessee Residents
For Nashville residents, Birmingham is worth considering for New Orleans. Carbondale offers daytime departures for Chicago.
| Boarding station | Approximate drive from Nashville | Useful service | Main tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, Alabama | 193 miles; about 3 hours | Crescent to New Orleans | Daytime boarding, but a substantial access drive |
| Carbondale, Illinois | 203 miles; about 3–3½ hours | Saluki and Illini to Chicago | Daytime trains; some returns leave a late drive home |
| Fulton, Kentucky | 168 miles; about 2½–3 hours | City of New Orleans | Shorter drive, overnight boarding |
These are approximate city-to-city driving estimates, before station arrival time.
Birmingham’s southbound Crescent leaves at 1:03 p.m. Central, reaching New Orleans at 9:12 p.m. That allows a morning drive from Nashville followed by an afternoon and evening aboard.
The return leaves New Orleans at 9:10 a.m. and arrives in Birmingham at 5:15 p.m. Central. Plan for an evening drive home. Birmingham’s staffed station lists free day and overnight parking.
For Chicago, Carbondale’s Illini leaves at 4:15 p.m. Central and arrives at 9:45 p.m. Its afternoon departure gives you time to drive up that morning.
Coming back, the Illini leaves Chicago at 4:05 p.m. and reaches Carbondale at 9:35 p.m. Add three more hours behind the wheel and the return becomes a much longer evening.
Chicago’s 8:15 a.m. Saluki reaches Carbondale at 1:45 p.m. You lose the morning in Chicago but gain an earlier drive home. Compare both using Amtrak’s dated timetables.
Fulton also serves northwestern Tennessee, but boarding is overnight: 1:10 a.m. Central northbound and 3:55 a.m. southbound. Check shelter arrangements before choosing a pre-dawn wait there.
Amtrak Options for East Tennessee Residents
Start with Atlanta for Chattanooga-area travelers taking the Crescent, and Roanoke for northeastern Tennessee residents heading toward Washington and the Northeast. Knoxville residents face longer access drives and should compare these stations against their destination. A station that looks closest on a map may offer the less useful departure.
Atlanta’s Peachtree Station is roughly 118 miles from Chattanooga, an estimated two- to two-and-a-half-hour drive before heavy traffic. The southbound Crescent leaves at 9:08 a.m. Eastern for Birmingham and New Orleans, requiring an early start or an Atlanta hotel.
Northbound service toward Charlotte, Washington, and New York leaves at 11:29 p.m. Eastern. Returns from the Northeast arrive in the morning; those from New Orleans arrive late at night. Consider the arrival time before planning the drive home to Chattanooga.
Roanoke, Virginia, offers Northeast Regional trains toward Charlottesville, Washington, and other Northeast destinations. Bristol is roughly 150 miles away; Knoxville is about 259 miles away.
Washington is roughly five hours away by train after that drive, making this more appealing for a longer stay than a quick Knoxville getaway. Northeast Regional offers coach and Business Class, with no sleeping rooms. Departure times and endpoints vary by dated train.
Toccoa, Georgia, also serves the Crescent, but mountain-road access and departures around 1 a.m. northbound or 6:45 a.m. southbound limit its convenience.
Cincinnati’s Cardinal serves Chicago and West Virginia. From Knoxville, it involves roughly four hours of driving, overnight boarding, and service only three days weekly in each direction. Missing a departure can mean waiting days.
What an Amtrak Trip Actually Involves
Memphis to New Orleans takes about 8 hours, 52 minutes, arriving at 3:47 p.m. Central. You have time to settle into your accommodation before the evening, but this requires an overnight stay: the northbound train leaves New Orleans at 1:45 p.m., before the southbound train arrives.
Memphis to Chicago takes about 10½ hours, arriving at 9:15 a.m. the next day. It’s also how Memphis travelers can join a 13-day national parks train tour that starts in Chicago. A Friday-night departure gives you Saturday in Chicago. Take the Sunday 8:05 p.m. return and you reach Memphis Monday morning—something to account for when requesting time off.
Memphis–Jackson, Mississippi, can work as a same-day outing on the published schedule. Arrival is 11:49 a.m. Central, with the return departing at 5:40 p.m. That gives you 5 hours, 51 minutes between trains, before boarding margins, and gets you back to Memphis late evening. Delays can shorten the visit.
Coach gives you a reclining seat. A roomette gives you seats that convert into upper and lower beds, with shared restrooms and showers. A standard roomette differs from an accessible bedroom. Choose the accommodation around how you want to spend the night.
On the City of New Orleans and Crescent, private rooms include meals served during your time aboard; coach passengers buy food separately. Boarding Memphis at 10:45 p.m. does not mean dinner will be waiting. Bring something suitable for late boarding rather than counting on continuous café service.
Carbondale’s Saluki and Illini have no sleeping rooms. Their roughly 5½-hour Chicago journeys offer coach, Business Class, and café purchases.
Compare coach and room totals for your full party and dates. Add parking, driving, meals, and any hotel nights to the budget.
Scenic and Excursion Trains
These outings return you to your departure point. Durations include the activities and layovers described, rather than continuous moving-train time.
| Ride | Departure location | Approximate duration | Main experience / layover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missionary Ridge Local | Grand Junction Station, Chattanooga | 65 minutes overall | Tunnel ride, turntable demonstration, restoration-shop visit |
| Tennessee Central excursions | Nashville | 1½ hours for selected Santa rides; 5–6 hours for selected longer trips | Themes vary; longer outings may include a town layover |
| Christmas Lantern Express | Knoxville | About 2 hours | River-area history, seasonal storytelling, treats, Santa |
| Hiwassee Loop | Delano | About 4½ hours | River scenery and spiral loop; no layover |
| Big South Fork standard excursion | Stearns, Kentucky | About 3 hours | Blue Heron mining-community layover |
| Nantahala Gorge excursion | Bryson City, North Carolina | About 4½ hours | Fontana Lake crossing; Nantahala Outdoor Center stop |
Missionary Ridge Local suits first-time riders curious about railroad operations and leaves time for another Chattanooga stop, such as the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway. Historic cars require independent boarding and a standard seat; use depot restrooms beforehand. TVRM’s 75-minute North Pole Limited is a separate holiday ride. See our guide to Christmas train rides in Tennessee for dates and prices.
Tennessee Central offers a shorter seasonal outing for families or longer trips for rail enthusiasts. Boarding involves five steps, and some trips require everyone to get off during the layover. Some 2027 trips aren’t on sale yet, so check the individual booking listing.
Christmas Lantern Express suits families wanting a local holiday train outing. A boarding lift is available, but narrow car doors and limited train-restroom accessibility require discussion with the operator before buying.
Hiwassee Loop suits passengers comfortable with a longer seated outing. Dome seating requires stairs.
November 6, 2026 update: After the November 5 flooding around Copperhill, confirm your Hiwassee departure and access roads with TVRM before you go.
Big South Fork and Nantahala Gorge suit travelers who want a sightseeing stop as part of the outing. Their regular 2026 seasons have ended, so watch for 2027 dates. These railroads’ holiday products have separate schedules and experiences.
Where the WeGo Star Fits
The WeGo Star connects Lebanon and intermediate communities with Nashville Riverfront. It is commuter rail, with no regular Saturday, Sunday, or holiday service.
One published weekday pairing leaves Lebanon at 6:35 a.m. Central, reaches Riverfront at 7:30 a.m., and returns at 5:10 p.m., arriving in Lebanon at 6:05 p.m.
The last listed Riverfront departure is 5:55 p.m., suiting a daytime visit better than dinner and a late show. Special-event trains are separate services.
Before You Book
Check both directions: boarding dates after midnight, time zones, destination stations, and every segment. If Amtrak’s site shows a Nashville departure, it’s a bus connection, not a train. Verify seasonal dates and special-event services for your outing.
Buy before arriving at an unstaffed station. Checked baggage depends on the train and both stations, so keep luggage manageable and carry medication and overnight necessities with you.
Confirm parking location, cost, availability, and permission for your full stay. Allow for traffic and follow station arrival guidance, with extra time for baggage handling or assistance.
For accessibility, confirm parking-to-platform access, boarding assistance, seats or rooms, toilets, and excursion layovers. A station lift does not make every historic car or onboard restroom accessible.
Leave space between a long-distance arrival and anything you cannot miss. Check operating notices, download your ticket, and arrange transportation home—especially after midnight.
My Take
If you live in Middle Tennessee, the drive to the train is the real decision. For New Orleans, Birmingham’s afternoon Crescent is the most civilized option in the region. For Chicago, Carbondale wins on daytime trains, but plan for a long evening drive on the way home. And if you’re in Memphis, you’re lucky: an overnight train to Chicago and a daytime train to New Orleans, right from downtown.
