Where can you go from Jackson by train? Curious Mississippi answers

Editor’s note: This is the latest edition of Curious Mississippi, a service to the readers of the Clarion Ledger. Other questions answered by Curious Mississippi included road safety, potholes, cicadas and the international nature of the Jackson airport. Last week, we answered the question of why Mississippi roads are brown. Readers can submit questions by email to CuriousMississippi@ClarionLedger.com and editors will pick out the best and reporters will answer them in an upcoming edition.

Looking to take a trip from Jackson? The city’s Amtrak station located in Union Station allows travelers to take a train to a handful of different destinations via a direct route.

However, there are downsides when opting for a train ride.

Getting North and South by train from Jackson is relatively easy. Going East or West, and you are out of luck.

Three major cities with direct routes by train from Jackson include New Orleans, Memphis and Chicago. A trip to New Orleans in your own car takes just under three hours compared to the four-and-a-half-hour train ride from Union Station. A car drive to Memphis takes about one and a half hours less than a train ride. A plane ride to Chicago is significantly shorter and comparative in price.

So, why opt for a train over a plane or automobile?

Some find trains a romanticized mode of transportation, offering a unique experience not found when sitting on a plane or car or bus. Trains often offer passengers with more room and leisurely views of the surrounding scenery. Train stations and trains themselves are also often easier to navigate for those with disabilities.

Jackson resident Khalilah Wright and her daughter Chandler Wright waited in Union Station Tuesday afternoon for the evening train heading to Chicago, where they had moved from four years ago. Khalilah said they opted for a train ride because Chandler doesn’t like planes.

Khalilah said she and her family travel to Chicago often. She takes a plane when traveling with her husband and train when traveling with her daughter. While both have advantages and disadvantages, Khalilah said riding the train provides more bonding time with Chandler because they can chat while waiting in the station and during the longer ride.

The train is “nice and relaxing,” Khalilah said, and she enjoys the views from the train cars with large windows. She also said a train is a much better option for her mother, who is disabled, to travel to Jackson from Chicago.

Like plane tickets, Amtrak ticket prices vary depending on upgrades and when you book the ticket. Read on to find out which cities you can reach directly from the Jackson Amtrak station. These “direct routes” refer to the cities to which you can buy a one-way or round-trip ticket. There are often several stations in between Jackson and these final destinations, so they are not considered “non-stop” routes.

How to get to Chicago by train

A trip to Chicago from Jackson by an Amtrak train takes about 15 to 16 hours. Overnight rides are offered so you can board the train at 6 p.m. and arrive in the Windy City by 10 a.m. the next morning.

A one-way ticket to Chicago from Jackson for one adult will set you back about $150 to $200 for a coach ticket or anywhere from $300 to $900 for a private room with a restroom and shower.

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How to get to New Orleans by train

A train ride to New Orleans from the Jackson Amtrak station takes around four and half hours. A round trip is feasible for a quick weekend get away.

A ticket for a single adult one-way is about $50 to $60 for a coach ticket or about $100-$150 for a private room with a restroom or sink.

How to get to Memphis by train

Memphis is also a good option for a weekend trip. A train ride from the Amtrak Jackson station to the Memphis station clocks in at just over four and a half hours.

Tickets cost anywhere from about $30 to $50 for a single adult coach ticket or from $100 to $300 for a private room.

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Where else can I go by train from Jackson?

There are several other stops on the direct route from Jackson. The stations on this route are not the only Mississippi stations. There is a line that runs from New Orleans connecting stations in Picayune, Hattiesburg, Laurel and Meridian before continuing through Alabama.

Here are all the cities with Amtrak stations on the direct route to and from Jackson, starting with New Orleans and heading north ending with Chicago:

• New Orleans
• Hammond, Louisiana
• McComb, Mississippi
• Brookhaven, Mississippi
• Hazlehurst, Mississippi
• Jackson
• Yazoo City, Mississippi
• Greenwood, Mississippi
• Marks, Mississippi
• Memphis
• Newbern-Dyersburg, Tennessee
• Fulton, Kentucky
• Carbondale, Illinois
• Centralia, Illinois
• Mattoon, Illinois
• Effingham, Illinois
• Champaign-Urbana , Illinois
• Kankakee, Illinois
• Homewood, Illinois
• Chicago

Got a news tip? Contact Mary Boyte at mboyte@jackson.gannett.com