Lauren Rivera 
By 2026, we probably will not have cracked the code to time travel (crossing our fingers), but a coast-to-coast, three-day train route from Hoboken to Los Angeles, California, may be well within reach. The private transit company AmeriStarRail has proposed plans for a cross-country rail route via a new train called The Transcontinental Chief. The company is currently seeking a partnership with Amtrak to bring this project to life by next May. Read on for what to know about The Transcontinental Chief, a rail line aiming to revolutionize long-distance travel, with service from Hoboken to LA potentially launching as early as spring 2026.
About The Transcontinental Chief
Imagine this: a three-day journey by rail that starts in the Garden State and ends under the California sun, making stops in landmark cities like Chicago, Kansas City, and Albuquerque along the way. This is the vision of AmeriStarRail, a Delaware-based private transit company proposing a direct trip from Hoboken to Los Angeles in just under 72 hours.
The Transcontinental Chief, named after “the Native American heritage of our great nation,” per a public letter addressed to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, would replace Amtrak’s current transcontinental trains, The Southwest Chief + The Pennsylvanian. These trains, though, come with transfers and typically take anywhere from 74 to 90 hours in total.
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The Transcontinental Chief, aiming to “revolutionize rail passenger and express logistics services,” as stated in the letter, would be a fixed-route train potentially operating up to two days faster and featuring services like an auto train service and intermodal express service for tractor-trailer trucks. This would mean the train would double as a passenger + freight rail service. There would also be a luxury railroad car called the Chief Class for select passengers.
The standout feature, though, is the wide range of stops along the route to Los Angeles. Travelers would be able to stop at major cities like Chicago, Albuquerque, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland, as well as lesser-known areas typically reached by car, like Lancaster, PA, Toledo, OH, and Flagstaff, AZ. See the full list of proposed stops here.
The plan would also bring new Amtrak service to places like Hoboken, Reading, Bethlehem, and Lebanon for the first time.
Plus, for readers in the Washington, D.C. area (psst, The Fairfax Girl), AmeriStarRail’s plan includes a second starting point right in D.C. This D.C. train would travel north to Philadelphia, then west to Harrisburg, where it would meet the Hoboken–originating train. At Harrisburg, the two trains would couple together into one long train for the trek across the country to Los Angeles. No transfers are required, as passengers would stay in their current seats or sleeper rooms.
In honor of America’s 250th birthday next year, AmeriStarRail hopes to begin services on The Transcontinental Chief on Sunday, May 10th, 2026, also known as National Train Day. The proposed date, pending approval from BNSF, Norfolk Southern, and New Jersey Transit, would be just before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled to take place from June 11th to July 19th, 2026.
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