The Empire Builder is a daily long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great Northern Railway and was retained by Amtrak when it took over intercity rail service in 1971.
Empire Builder on the Stone Arch Bridge, Minneapolis, c. 1929.
The train at Winona Junction, Wisconsin, in 1958
The Portland section of the Empire Builder at Union Station in Portland, Oregon.
A GE Genesis in 40th-anniversary Phase I paint leads a stub Empire Builder out of St. Paul, Minnesota after floods suspended service west. (2011)
Long-distance Amtrak routes
The Long Distance Service Line is the division of Amtrak responsible for operating all intercity passenger train services in the United States longer than 750 miles (1,210 km). There are fifteen such routes as of 2023, serving over 300 stations in 39 states.
The Capitol Limited arriving at Harpers Ferry en route from Washington, D.C., to Chicago
The Superliner Sightseer Lounge aboard the Southwest Chief
Dining car breakfast served aboard the California Zephyr
The North Coast Hiawatha (1971–1979) at Bozeman Pass en route to Billings
