Back by popular demand, the Amtrak Autumn Express will operate this year on Oct. 29 and 30 through parts of New York, New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania. Once again, the train will operate through small towns, historic tunnels and past key landmarks including parts of Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley not traversed by passenger trains since the 1960’s.
This year’s Autumn Express departs New York Penn Station, passing under the Hudson River and stopping in Newark, N.J. to accept passengers and transition from electric to diesel power. From Newark, the train heads west along the former Lehigh Valley Railroad, through the famous Musconetcong Tunnel, opened in 1875, and across the Delaware River en route to Allentown.
Following the former route of the Queen of the Valley passenger train, which hasn’t seen regularly scheduled passenger service in decades, the train changes direction in Harrisburg and returns to Philadelphia along the route of the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Blue Ribbon Fleet. The train then rejoins the Northeast Corridor at Zoo Tower for a high speed run back to Newark and New York.
Tickets can be purchased starting Monday, Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. on Amtrak.com or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL. Seating is limited. Tickets are $149 for adults. Children aged 2-12 ride for half price with each adult ticket. Customers also receive a boxed lunch, souvenir tote and complimentary lapel pin with the purchase of their ticket.
