WASHINGTON -- Amtrak will restore more service to and from New Orleans that was temporarily suspended due to Hurricane Ivan.  New Orleans is served in four directions: the City of New Orleans daily to and from Chicago, the Crescent daily to and from New York City and the three-days-weekly Sunset Limited to and from Los Angeles and Orlando. 

The Crescent will resume service to and from the northeast tomorrow (Sept. 18) from New York City and on Sunday (Sept. 20) from New Orleans.  Full service to and from the north by the City of New Orleans has been returned and plans are in place to restore service to and from the west on the Sunset Limited. 

However, service to and from the east via by the Sunset Limited is not yet available. 

Amtrak is notifying customers of the following:

Crescent, Trains 19 & 20, daily via Washington, Atlanta and Birmingham: 

The southbound Crescent (Train 19) that is scheduled to leave New York City tomorrow (Sept. 18) will operate over its full route to New Orleans.  The northbound Crescent (Train 20) that is scheduled to leave New Orleans on Sunday (Sept. 19) will operate over its full route to New York City.

City of New Orleans, Trains 58 & 59, daily via Memphis, Jackson (Miss.) and Hammond (La.):

Service restored in both directions today (Sept.17).

Sunset Limited, Trains 1 & 2, three-days-weekly via Jacksonville, Houston and San Antonio:   

The westbound Sunset Limited (Train 1) that is scheduled to leave Orlando on Sept. 19, Sept. 23, Sept. 26 and Sept. 28 will originate from New Orleans instead.

The eastbound Sunset Limited (Train 2) that is scheduled to leave Los Angeles Sept. 17, Sept. 19, Sept. 22 and Sept. 24 will operate to New Orleans, where the train will terminate, instead of Orlando.

No alternate transportation will be available.

Amtrak facilities along the route of the Crescent that were closed because of Hurricane Ivan will reopen.  Facilities along the route of the Sunset Limited east of New Orleans remain closed, including staffed and unstaffed stations, until plans are announced to resume services.

The four primary railroads used by Amtrak trains in the area are Canadian National (Illinois Central) Railroad, Norfolk Southern Railway (NS), Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) and CSX Transportation. 

The CSX property east of New Orleans was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ivan.  Amtrak has been notified that a service interruption of two weeks has been estimated while railroad infrastructure repairs are carried out.  

Amtrak passengers are invited to visit the www.amtrak.com website or call 800-USA-RAIL for additional information and further updates.