‘There’s a chance of doing the famous Route 66 by train’

Although the United States offers some of the most dramatic scenery in the world through which you can travel by train, it has never quite been able to offer the sort of luxe services provided within its northern neighbour, Canada – particularly those run by Rocky Mountaineer (rockymountaineer.com) and VIA Rail Canada (viarail.ca).

But change is in the air. Next month marks the 50th anniversary of the creation of Amtrak, the nationwide rail operator, and it is being marked with new logos, extended routings and, crucially, with a man in the White House who is himself a keen rider of the railroads, a welcome and muchneeded increase in state funding.

Among the epic journeys train travellers can enjoy in the US are the California Zephyr between Chicago and Emeryville (for San Francisco), which crosses Nebraska and the salt pans of Utah, and ventures through the Rocky and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges.

Other popular routes include the Coast Starlight (Seattle-Los Angeles), the Empire Builder (Chicago-Seattle/ Portland), the Silver Meteor (New YorkMiami) and the Coastal Classic (Anchorage-Seward).

“With people still a little anxious about travelling abroad, more Americans are looking at new ways of exploring the country – and its national parks – by train,” said Frank Marini of the Yankee Leisure Group, which operates Amtrak Vacations (amtrakvacations. co.uk) and the UK-based Railbookers (railbookers.co.uk). “For those that want it, there’s even a possibility of doing the famous Route 66 by train.”

Travellers to the US nevertheless wanting the full Rocky Mountaineer experience this summer will not be disappointed. The Canadian operator is launching its first full route in its southern neighbour. Entitled Rockies to the Red Rocks, it offers a two-day trip that will travel between Denver in Colorado and Moab in Utah, crossing the Continental Divide along the way. Sights will include Ruby Canyon, the Colorado River and Mount Lincoln, with an overnight stay in Glenwood Springs.

i Underneath the arches: you can now travel from Denver to Moab, Utah, by luxury train