I have three boys, and they are all interested in various vehicles, like cars, planes, boats, and trains. Trains hold a special place in their hearts, thought, and my youngest is now getting into model trains. So, my husband and I recently decided we would surprise our boys with a ride on a working passenger train, aka Amtrak.
We already knew Amtrak stopped in Birmingham on its route between Atlanta and New Orleans. From there, we went to the Amtrak website to see if the train made other stops in Alabama. We discovered Amtrak’s train route through Alabama is called the Crescent Route. It stops in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Anniston on its way from New Orleans to New York City.
The Trip
We booked our tickets through the website. It produced a paperless ticket with a scannable barcode similar to GoFan. We chose to ride the train one way from Birmingham to Anniston. We had an afternoon departure from Birmingham with an evening arrival in Anniston. It was about an hour and a half trip.
We only intended to ride the train one-way. So, earlier in the day, we drove two cars to Anniston and left one car at the Amtrak station. While we were in Anniston, we ate lunch and enjoyed the Anniston Natural History Museum at a discounted rate, thanks to the ASTC Passport Program that is included in our McWane membership.
When we got back to Birmingham, we met up with my in-laws who were joining us on the train trip. We all piled in their car to ride to the Birmingham train station. The train station in Birmingham is newly remodeled. It is clean and bright with lots of windows and charging stations, similar to a small airport terminal. The boys enjoyed tracking the train on the Amtrak website.
Once the train was nearing Birmingham, passengers were directed to go up on the train platform where we could watch the train pull into the station. The train’s entrance into the station was impressive, complete with lights, whistles, air brakes, and attendants helping passengers on and off the train. We boarded the train, and, after a short wait for a passing cargo train, were on our way.
Right away my husband, father-in-law, and boys wanted to check out the cafe car. It served sandwiches, chips, and drinks. You could eat at tables in the car or carry your items back to your seat. My mother-in-law and I stayed in our seats to see Birmingham as we left the city. We were able to see Sloss Furnace and the various businesses headed out towards Cahaba Brewery. When everyone returned, we were able to see the drive-in movie screens from the Outlet Shops of Grand River, Leeds Primary and Elementary schools, and downtown Leeds. We were also able to see familiar parts of Moody, Cook Springs, and Pell City. We even saw the Honda plant in Lincoln, and there was a tunnel and some impressive slopes to see around Chula Vista!
When the train arrived in Anniston, we got off the train and got in our car. Then we grabbed a quick dinner in Anniston before driving back to Birmingham to pick up the car we left at the Birmingham train station.
Overall, the trip was very enjoyable. It was a nice ride, and it was fun to see familiar sights from a new vantage point. Being Leeds residents, we wait on passing trains regularly, and it was a lot of fun to be riding the train through the crossings rather than waiting in a car. My father-in-law had recently had surgery and didn’t have his full energy back, yet, but he was able to enjoy the trip without overexerting himself. My middle son and I are both prone to motion sickness, and we did fine. We also opened Life360 so we could see where we were on the route and what landmarks were coming up.
Would We Do It Again?
Definitely! It was a fun ride. If we do it as a day trip, we would try the same format but travel to Tuscaloosa. Perhaps we’ll purchase a round trip ticket from Birmingham to Atlanta. I would space the return trip a couple days out and enjoy Atlanta’s attractions before returning in that case.
Tips for an Enjoyable Experience
- Book early! Ticket prices are discounted when they are purchased farther in advance. When you purchase the tickets less than a week before departure, the price will be higher.
- Use discounts! We took advantage of child and senior discounts. And there are other discounts available on the website, such as military, veteran, military child, and student discounts.
- Bring snacks! Not all train routes have a cafe car, so we brought snacks like crackers, pretzels, and water bottles. Any picnic type snack would be fine and makes the trip more fun, especially for little ones and always hungry teens.
- Dress in layers! It was cool outside when we left, but the train was warm. The ability to shed a layer was really nice.
- Plan for parking and traffic! Parking for the Birmingham station is not at the lot across the street. Also, Birmingham traffic is notorious for delays. Scout out parking ahead of time and leave early so you don’t miss your train.
- Arrange necessary accommodations ahead of time! For example, the parking area is a bit of a walk from the train station, and there are stairs to the train platform. Arrive early enough to get from the parking lot to the station and to let the attendants know you need an elevator to the train platform. Check into purchasing a disabilities ticket so the train attendants know you need to use the wheelchair lift into the train car if someone you’re traveling with has those needs. Read as many articles on the Amtrak website as you can so you know what will be happening and what other accommodations are available. Be sure to communicate with station and train attendants so you get the accommodations you need.
