James Whitcomb Riley (train)

James Whitcomb Riley

The James Whitcomb Riley at Charlottesville, Virginia in 1974.
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Discontinued
Locale	Midwestern United States
First service	1941
Last service	1977
Successor	Cardinal
Former operator(s)	New York Central (1941–1968) Penn Central (1968–1971) Amtrak (1971–1977)
Route
Termini	Chicago Cincinnati, Ohio (1941–1971) Newport News, Virginia (1971–1976) Washington, D.C. (1971–1977)
Distance travelled	884 mi (1,422.66 km)
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	50, 51
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

The James Whitcomb Riley was a passenger train that operated between Chicago, Illinois, and Cincinnati, Ohio, via Indianapolis, Indiana. Originally operated by the New York Central Railroad, it was taken over by Amtrak in 1971. Under Amtrak, it merged with the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway's George Washington to become a Chicago-Washington/Newport News train. In 1977, it was renamed the Cardinal, which remains in operation.