Amtrak Crescent in Alabama

The Crescent is a daily Amtrak long-distance passenger train between New York City and New Orleans, Louisiana. It covers 1,377 miles with 33 stops and serves three Alabama cities: Anniston, Birmingham and Tuscaloosa.[1] It has been the state’s main long-distance passenger train since Amtrak took it over in 1979.[1][2]

Route and service

The train links the Northeast to the Gulf Coast through the Appalachian Piedmont, with major stops at Charlotte, Atlanta and Birmingham. The average southbound trip takes about 30 hours 47 minutes and northbound about 32 hours 36 minutes, at an average speed of 43.4 mph. A typical consist includes two locomotives, Amfleet II coaches, a café car, Viewliner sleeping cars and a baggage car, and Amtrak plans to replace the Amfleet cars by 2032.[1] The Crescent carried 316,213 riders in fiscal year 2025, up 4.3 percent.[1]

History

The Southern Railway’s streamlined Southerner ran a similar route from 1941 to 1970, when Southern merged it with its sister train, the Crescent, as the Southern Crescent, which ran through Birmingham. Amtrak took over most intercity passenger trains in 1971, and on February 1, 1979, it took full operation of the train and renamed it the Crescent.[1] A Gulf Breeze section ran between Birmingham and Mobile from 1989 to 1995 before being cancelled. Hurricane Katrina cut service back to Atlanta in 2005, and service to New Orleans resumed on October 9, 2005.[1]

Alabama stations

The Tuscaloosa station at 2105 Greensboro Avenue opened in 1911, is unstaffed and is served only by the Crescent; it recorded 10,726 passengers in fiscal year 2025. It was originally operated by the Southern Railway and was one of the last U.S. passenger stations still run by a railroad.[2] The Crescent also stops at Anniston and at Birmingham. Alabama’s second Amtrak route, the Mardi Gras Service, began in 2025.

Challenges

The Crescent runs on Norfolk Southern track. In 2024 the U.S. Department of Justice sued Norfolk Southern for not giving Amtrak priority on its tracks, and about one in four southbound trains arrived on time in 2023.[1] For more on the state’s railroads, see the railroad history of Alabama.

Service in Alabama

The Crescent provides daily service between New York City, Atlanta and New Orleans. Its current Alabama stops include Anniston (toward New York) and Tuscaloosa (toward New Orleans), along with Birmingham. On February 1, 1979, Southern Railway transferred its passenger service to Amtrak, and the Southern Crescent began serving the former L&N station in Birmingham.[3]

Birmingham and Tuscaloosa stations

The Birmingham Intermodal Facility opened in 2017 at a cost of million, combining MAX bus, Greyhound, Megabus, Amtrak and the Zyp bike program on the site of a 1960 L&N station; Birmingham Terminal Station served from 1909 until it was demolished in 1969. Amtrak reported 39,492 passengers at Birmingham in FY 2025. Tuscaloosa station opened in 1911, is served only by the Crescent, and counted 10,726 passengers in FY 2025.[4]

FAQs

When did Amtrak begin operating the Crescent? On February 1, 1979.

How long does the Crescent take from New York to New Orleans? About 30 to 33 hours depending on direction.

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Crescent (train)
2. Wikipedia: Tuscaloosa station
3. Wikipedia: Birmingham station (Alabama)
4. Wikipedia: Tuscaloosa station

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue