Pennsylvanian With Kids: Horseshoe Curve, Every Stop and Kids Fares
Yes, the Pennsylvanian is a great day train for kids who love mountains, and children 2 to 12 ride coach for half the adult fare. It runs 444 miles from New York to Pittsburgh in about 9 hours 15 minutes, and the payoff comes west of Altoona, where the train swings around the Horseshoe Curve and climbs to the Gallitzin Tunnels. Right now there's one train each way a day, and Amtrak adds a second on November 18, 2026. Below you'll find all 17 stops, the best side to sit on, and a short ride that crosses the curve twice.
The short version
- Coach tickets for ages 2 to 12 are half price, but kids pay full price for the Business Class add-on.
- Westbound, sit on the left from Altoona for the Horseshoe Curve; eastbound, sit on the right.
- The Horseshoe Curve bends 220 degrees about 5 miles west of Altoona, and then the train passes the Gallitzin Tunnels near the summit.
- A second daily round trip starts November 18, 2026, and the morning train from New York moves to 5:51 a.m.
- There's a cafe car, a Business Class car, and on some trains a baggage car for checked bags and bikes.
- Johnstown to Altoona is about an hour and crosses the curve, a great short ride.
Pennsylvanian at a glance
- Runs between
- New York and Pittsburgh, through Philadelphia and Harrisburg
- States
- New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania
- Distance
- about 444 miles
- End to end
- about 9 hours 15 minutes
- Trains
- one round trip a day; a second round trip starts November 18, 2026
- Train cars
- Amfleet coaches, a cafe car and a Business Class car; electric engine to Philadelphia, diesel beyond
- Upstairs seating
- None, single-level cars
- Food
- Cafe car with light food
- Checked bags
- Yes on trains with a baggage car (bags and bikes); after November 18, only trains 42 and 45 carry one
- Sleeper rooms
- None, it is a day train
- State partner
- PennDOT, which has sponsored the train since 2012
Look inside the book
Climbing the Alleghenies? Rally knows tunnels.
At about five minutes, Rally Takes the Train is a quick read you can finish before the Pennsylvanian rounds the Horseshoe Curve out of Altoona.
Rally Takes the Train
Eight pages from the book
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That's 8 of 25 pages
See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $13.99 on Amazon.
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Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
Do kids need a ticket on the Pennsylvanian?
The Pennsylvanian uses Amtrak's standard child fare: kids 2 to 12 pay 50 percent of the adult coach price when traveling with someone 18 or older on their reservation, and one lap baby under 2 rides free per paying adult. Your child's age on the first day of the trip sets the fare.
The Business Class car is where some families get caught out. Amtrak's child discount doesn't apply to non-Acela Business Class charges, so the upgrade part of a child's Business Class ticket is full price. On a 9-hour day, our advice is to stay in coach and spend the savings in the cafe car.
- New schedule from November 18, 2026: westbound Train 43 will leave New York at 5:51 a.m. and reach Pittsburgh at 3:16 p.m. New Train 45 will leave New York at 12:25 p.m. and arrive at 9:54 p.m. Eastbound, Train 42 leaves Pittsburgh at 7:10 a.m. and new Train 44 leaves at 1:00 p.m.
- Going on to Chicago: no train runs through west of Pittsburgh. Right now, westbound riders wait from the 8:05 p.m. arrival until the Floridian leaves at 11:59 p.m., a long night with tired kids. The new 12:25 p.m. train will shorten that wait, and remember that sleeper room charges on the Floridian are never discounted for kids.
- Quirky stops: westbound, Newark is boarding only and Exton is skipped. Eastbound, Newark is for getting off only.
Car seats, strollers and ID rules for every route are in our Amtrak with kids guide.
Free for train families
Print these before you board the Pennsylvanian
Ten pages of quiet, screen-free fun from the book: a maze, a word search, a ticket to fill in, a window to draw in and coloring pages. Print them the night before.
Get the free coloring pages and activity packEvery Pennsylvanian stop, from New York to Pittsburgh
The Pennsylvanian makes 17 stops on its current schedule. Two quirks to know: Newark is boarding only heading west and drop-off only heading east, and only the eastbound train stops at Exton.
New York- New York, Moynihan Train Hall (Penn Station)
- Newark Penn Station (boarding only westbound, drop-off only eastbound)
- Trenton Transit Center
- Philadelphia (30th Street Station)Look for: The train waits here about 25 minutes, so watch for the swap: electric engines pull it on the Northeast Corridor, and west of Philadelphia a diesel engine takes over.
- Paoli
- Exton (eastbound only)
- Lancaster
- Elizabethtown
- Harrisburg Transportation CenterLook for: About 2 miles north of the station, get everyone watching for the river. The train crosses the Susquehanna on Rockville Bridge: 48 stone arches, 3,820 feet long, finished in 1902.
- LewistownLook for: Past Lewistown the land turns to mountains and the train slows for sharp curves. That's your cue to tell kids the climb has started.
- Huntingdon
- Tyrone
- Altoona Transportation CenterLook for: Coming into town, look for the big dome of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. The Railroaders Memorial Museum is right across the tracks from the station.
- Johnstown (1913 Pennsylvania Railroad station)Look for: Tell them this town has the Johnstown Inclined Plane, which holds a Guinness record as the steepest vehicle incline in the world. Its cars can carry a whole automobile up a 72 percent grade.
- Latrobe
- Greensburg
- PittsburghLook for: As you pull in, look for the Golden Triangle, where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet to make the Ohio River, with the skyline behind it.
What kids can see from the Pennsylvanian
The first half of the Pennsylvanian is cities and Lancaster County farms. The second half, from Harrisburg west, is why train-loving families ride it: river valleys, the Allegheny Mountains and one of the most famous curves in railroad history.
Which side to sit on
- Westbound to Pittsburgh: riders on Amtrak fan forums suggest the right side from Harrisburg to Altoona for the river valleys, then the left side from Altoona for the climb and the Horseshoe Curve. A travel guide from Islands gives the same tip: switch sides near Altoona.
- Eastbound to New York: flip it. The right side is best at the Horseshoe Curve, and the left side has the better views for most of the rest of the trip.
The Horseshoe Curve
About 5 miles west of Altoona, the tracks bend through 220 degrees, so the train nearly turns back on itself. Halfway around, ask your kids which way they think you're heading. The curve opened in 1854, is about 2,375 feet long, and wraps around a reservoir.
Westbound trains climb a steady grade for 12 miles from Altoona to Gallitzin. A trackside park has sat inside the curve since 1879, and if you ever visit by car, you reach it by a 194-step stairway or a small funicular whose two cars are painted like old Pennsylvania Railroad passenger cars.
Tunnels and rivers
Just past the Gallitzin Tunnels, the train crosses the top of the Allegheny Mountains and starts down toward Johnstown. Along the way the line follows the Juniata and Conemaugh rivers, two fun names for kids to try out loud.
Where to sit with kids on the Pennsylvanian
The Pennsylvanian is a single-level Amfleet train with coach cars, a cafe car and one Business Class car. No upstairs and no sleeper, so it comes down to coach or Business Class.
- Coach seats come in pairs on each side of the aisle. Islands notes there's no assigned seating, so board together and claim two pairs on the window side you want for the mountains.
- Business Class is one car with more room. Just remember the kids discount doesn't cover the Business Class add-on.
- Quiet Car: we couldn't confirm one on the Pennsylvanian, so bring headphones for every tablet in the family.
- After November 18, 2026, Trains 43 and 44 switch to Amfleet II coaches, and Trains 42 and 45 use Amfleet I coaches plus a baggage car. Amtrak is short on equipment, which is why the mix is changing.
Nine hours is a long time to share one window. Plan a seat swap halfway so every kid gets a turn, especially between Altoona and Johnstown.
If the Pennsylvanian is full and you can’t sit together
Nine hours apart from your toddler isn’t a plan. Book every family member on the same reservation; in coach that guarantees each person a seat, though not a specific one. Get to New York or Philadelphia early, since busy stations often board parents of small children first, and go straight to a coach car.
Boarding at Harrisburg or Altoona and the first car is full? Walk back a coach and look for pairs where luggage, not a person, is in the seat. Bags don’t get their own seat. Grab two seats in one row and two in the next for now, then hunt again after the next stop. Never let a young child ride alone away from you, not even for the hour to Altoona.
Hoping a stranger will trade? Ask in the first few minutes: “We have a 2-year-old with us. Could we trade so we’re together?” Offer a seat at least as good. Curve-side windows matter here, so never ask anyone to give up a mountain view for an aisle, and smile at a no. Find the conductor when they come through for tickets: they can point toward empty seats and get bags shifted, but won’t unseat anyone.
The best first Pennsylvanian ride with kids
You don't need all 9 hours to see the best part. These rides use the current timetable, which runs until the new schedule starts on November 18, 2026.
- Johnstown to Altoona and back, about 1 hour each way. Eastbound Train 42 leaves Johnstown at 9:05 a.m. and reaches Altoona at 10:03 a.m. Spend the day at the Railroaders Memorial Museum across the tracks, then catch westbound Train 43 at 5:16 p.m. back to Johnstown at 6:14 p.m. You go around the Horseshoe Curve both ways.
- Harrisburg to Lewistown, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Westbound Train 43 leaves Harrisburg at 2:36 p.m., crosses Rockville Bridge and reaches Lewistown at 3:47 p.m. Plan to get home by car, since the eastbound train passes Lewistown in the morning.
Once the new schedule starts, check amtrak.com for the new times at these stops; both westbound trains will pass Altoona at different hours than they do today.
Food, bathrooms and naps on the Pennsylvanian
The Pennsylvanian's cafe car has light food and big windows, a good place to share a snack while the mountains go by. When the second train starts on November 18, 2026, Amtrak says the menu adds Pennsylvania treats like Hershey's chocolate and Utz potato chips.
- Bring real meals. The cafe is snack-sized and the day is long. Islands recommends packing your own food, and with kids that means lunch plus backup snacks for the hungry hour after.
- Paper for the long afternoon: print our free printable Rally puzzles and coloring sheets and hand out one page every hour or so.
- Bathrooms: every car is one level, so the restroom shares your floor. Changing tables on the Pennsylvanian are unconfirmed, so a portable pad comes along.
- Naps: there are no sleeper rooms. Aim naps for the flat Lancaster County stretch in the morning or the long run after Johnstown, so nobody sleeps through the Horseshoe Curve.
A train book for the ride
One of the best pages in Rally Takes the Train is the tunnel: the train goes dark, then pops back out into bright light. On the Pennsylvanian, kids get the real thing at the Gallitzin Tunnels, right after the climb around the Horseshoe Curve. Read the tunnel page as the train climbs out of Altoona, then get ready for the dark together.
A 9-hour train day needs a stack of activities too. Print the free Rally activity pages and hold a sheet or two back for the ride home.
Pack Rally for the PennsylvanianRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, hand-painted in watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.
Buy on Amazon
More for train families
- Every Amtrak route with kids: find another train by city or station
- The complete guide to Amtrak with kids: tickets, car seats, changing tables, family tables and what to pack by age
- Free Rally activity pack and coloring pages to print before your trip
- Keystone Service with kids
- Floridian with kids
- Northeast Regional with kids
Sources
- Amtrak: Pennsylvanian timetable (via Juckins archive, Aug. 2026)
- Railway Age: Pennsylvanian doubles November 18 (Oct. 2026)
- Mass Transit: Amtrak adds second Pittsburgh to New York train (Aug. 2026)
- Amtrak: Discounts for children
- Amtrak: Child passenger type
- Wikipedia: Pennsylvanian (train)
- Wikipedia: Horseshoe Curve
- Wikipedia: Rockville Bridge
- Islands: The Pennsylvanian through Dutch Country
- Amtrak Unlimited forum: Scenery on the Pennsylvanian
- Great American Stations: Altoona, PA
- Wikipedia: Johnstown Inclined Plane
Checked against Amtrak and partner railroad pages in October 2026. Schedules and policies change, so confirm on amtrak.com before you ride.
Pennsylvanian with kids: questions parents ask
Do kids ride half price on the Pennsylvanian?
Yes, in coach. A child 2 to 12 costs half an adult ticket when booked alongside someone 18 or older, and an under-2 riding on a paying adult's lap is free, one per adult. The discount doesn't cover the extra charge for Business Class, so a child's Business Class seat costs more than half of yours.
Do babies ride free on the Pennsylvanian?
Yes. Under 2 rides free on a lap, one baby per adult paying the adult fare. Bring two babies with one grown-up, or book the baby a Pennsylvanian seat, and that seat is charged the child fare. Over a 9-hour day the seat may be worth it, because otherwise an open seat is yours to borrow only until a paying rider claims it. Age on your first travel day sets the fare.
Can I use a car seat on the Pennsylvanian?
Not buckled in. No Amtrak seat can secure a car seat, so on the Pennsylvanian it only gets an open seat that no ticket holder is using, and your baby may end up in your arms while the seat sits in storage. Pack one only if you're driving at the other end. On trains with a baggage car, you can check it free in place of a regular bag.
Are there changing tables on the Pennsylvanian?
Nobody we found confirms Pennsylvanian changing tables either way. Amtrak doesn't have a formal diaper-changing rule, and what you'll find varies by car, so carry a fold-up pad and pick the bigger accessible restroom for elbow room. A federal bill, the Baby Changing on Board Act, passed the Senate in May 2026 but still needs a final House vote, so for now the pad is your plan.
Where are the bathrooms on the Pennsylvanian?
Every Pennsylvanian car has a restroom, at least one, and a small light lets you know if it's taken. All the Amfleet cars are one level, so no stairs between seat and potty. Stick with young kids in there and tell them the flush will be loud. On a 9-hour ride, a potty stop before the Horseshoe Curve means nobody has to leave the window at the best part.
Can I bring a stroller or check bags on the Pennsylvanian?
Yes to the stroller: folded, it rides free as one of your bags up to 50 pounds, and with a child under 2, Amtrak lets one infant item (a stroller, say) skip the carry-on count. Amtrak may require checking for the jumbo jogging and double models, which works only on trains with a baggage car. After November 18, 2026, that means Trains 42 and 45, not 43 or 44.
Can I breastfeed or prepare bottles on the Pennsylvanian?
Nurse wherever you're comfortable, in coach or Business Class; every state protects breastfeeding in public. Amtrak's bottle help comes through dining car staff, and the Pennsylvanian has a cafe car, not a dining car, so bring what you need for the whole day. Across 9 hours that's more bottles or formula than you might guess, plus water to mix it.
Is there food on the Pennsylvanian?
Yes, a cafe car sells light food, snacks and drinks, and its big windows are great for watching the scenery. The trip is about 9 hours, though, so pack real meals for kids. From November 18, 2026, the cafe adds Pennsylvania snacks like Hershey's chocolate and Utz potato chips.
How do I keep kids busy for 9 hours on the Pennsylvanian?
Break the day into chunks. First come Lancaster County farms, then Rockville Bridge's 48 stone arches past Harrisburg, then the Juniata and Conemaugh rivers, two fun names to say out loud. Visit the cafe car's big windows for a snack, read Rally Takes the Train before the Gallitzin Tunnels, and save a few sheets of our free Rally activity pack for the ride home.
Can we sit together on the Pennsylvanian?
Yes, if you board together. Coach seats are paired up on both sides of the aisle, and seats aren't assigned, so a family of four should claim two pairs right away, ideally on the side you want for the mountains. Business Class is one car with more room, but kids pay full price for that add-on. There's no upstairs and no sleeper on this train.
What if we can't find seats together on the Pennsylvanian?
Check every coach car before you settle, and look for seats where a bag is riding instead of a person; each ticket covers just one seat. If nothing opens, take two seats in one row and two in the row behind, close enough to pass snacks, and look again after Philadelphia or Harrisburg, where riders get off. Over a 9-hour day it's worth the effort, and a toddler should always sit beside a parent.
How do I ask someone to switch seats on the Pennsylvanian so we can sit together?
Ask right after boarding, before people unpack. Say it plainly, something like 'We're with a 3-year-old, could we swap so we're together?', and offer a seat that's no step down. Window views of the Horseshoe Curve matter on this train, so trade window for window and never ask anyone to give up their mountain side for an aisle. If they decline, thank them. A conductor can point out open seats, but won't move a seated rider.
Is there a Quiet Car on the Pennsylvanian?
We couldn't confirm whether the Pennsylvanian carries a Quiet Car. If your train has one, people there talk softly, take no calls and keep devices silent. Bring headphones either way, because devices with sound need them anywhere on Amtrak, and a 9-hour day means a lot of shows. When kids want to chatter about the view, the cafe car is a better spot.
What should I pack for kids on the Pennsylvanian?
Pack for a full day. The trip is about 9 hours 15 minutes, and today's Train 43 leaves New York at 10:52 a.m. and reaches Pittsburgh at 8:05 p.m. Bring real meals plus backup snacks, since the cafe is snack-sized, then spare clothes, diapers and wipes, a changing pad, headphones, and a few new activities, like our printable train puzzles, saved for the afternoon. Check times again after November 18, 2026.
When should kids nap on the Pennsylvanian?
Plan naps around the scenery. There are no sleeper rooms, so it's a seat nap or nothing. Aim for the flat Lancaster County stretch or the long run after Johnstown, so nobody sleeps through the Horseshoe Curve. Once the 5:51 a.m. departure from New York starts on November 18, 2026, an early nap on board may come on its own.
What's a good first ride on the Pennsylvanian?
Johnstown to Altoona and back, about an hour each way, and you go around the Horseshoe Curve both times. On the current timetable, Train 42 leaves Johnstown at 9:05 a.m. and reaches Altoona at 10:03 a.m., and Train 43 heads back at 5:16 p.m. In between, the Railroaders Memorial Museum sits right across the tracks. Times change after November 18, 2026.
Can my teen ride the Pennsylvanian alone?
Kids 12 and under can never ride Amtrak alone. Between 13 and 15, a teen can go solo under the unaccompanied minor rules: booking by phone at 1-800-USA-RAIL (not online), daylight travel, staffed stations at each end, no change of trains and an adult fare. That rules out going on to Chicago, which needs a change to the Floridian in Pittsburgh. Teens 16 and 17 can travel alone.
How early should we get to the station for the Pennsylvanian?
Give yourself about 30 minutes. At busy stations like New York and Philadelphia, staff often board families with little kids early, which helps since seats aren't assigned. Westbound, Newark is boarding only. From November 18, 2026, Train 43 leaves New York at 5:51 a.m., a very early wake-up. If you board in New York, the train also waits about 25 minutes at Philadelphia.
What if my child is scared of the tunnels on the Pennsylvanian?
Tell them before it happens. Right after the Horseshoe Curve, the train passes the Gallitzin Tunnels near the top of the Alleghenies, and the windows go dark for a bit. Read Rally's tunnel page as you climb out of Altoona, then count together in the dark until the light comes back. Hold hands, and give them a warning about the horn, too.
Is the Pennsylvanian safe for kids to walk around?
Kids can walk the train with a grown-up, and a few habits keep it safe. On the platform, hold hands and wait back from the edge line until the Pennsylvanian stops. Past Lewistown the train slows for sharp curves, and the Horseshoe Curve bends 220 degrees, so kids should sit or hold a seatback whenever it's moving. Walk them between cars to the cafe, and keep shoes on all day.
What if the Pennsylvanian is late?
Set out only after a look at Amtrak's travel advisories, and keep the Pennsylvanian on the app's live map all day. If you're connecting in Pittsburgh to the Floridian toward Chicago, today's westbound train arrives at 8:05 p.m. and the Floridian leaves at 11:59 p.m., a long buffer but a late night. Pack extra snacks, diapers, pajamas and some printable Rally coloring pages in case the day runs long.
Which side should we sit on for the Horseshoe Curve?
Heading west from New York toward Pittsburgh, sit on the left side from Altoona to see the Horseshoe Curve. Heading east, sit on the right. Seats aren't assigned, so if the train isn't full, many riders switch sides near Altoona to keep the best view for the rest of the trip.