Southwest Chief With Kids: All 32 Stops, Raton Pass and Kids Tickets

Amtrak With KidsTrains and Travel
Written By Kelsey Cecil

13 min read

The Southwest Chief is a good pick with kids if you want old depots, mountain passes and desert in one ride. It runs once a day each way between Chicago and Los Angeles, about 44 hours westbound, with one long daylight day across Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. Here are all 32 stops, what kids can look for at each one, and how child fares, sleepers and the Grand Canyon and Santa Fe bus links work. Times are from Amtrak's current westbound timetable for Train 3.

The short version

  • One train a day each way, about 2,265 miles; westbound leaves Chicago at 1:30 p.m. and pulls into Los Angeles at 7:27 a.m. two days later.
  • Half-price rail fares for ages 2 to 12, with no kid discount on the sleeper room itself.
  • The day to be awake is day two, from La Junta at 6:50 a.m. through Albuquerque at 3:14 p.m.
  • Near the top of Raton Pass the train goes through a tunnel, a few feet from the Colorado line.
  • Amtrak buses link the train to the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams and, from Lamy, to Santa Fe.
  • Two-level Superliner cars, so expect stairs, plus a Sightseer Lounge and Family Bedrooms in the sleepers.
Watercolor page: Rally the corgi waits with Mom and Dad at the train station before boarding.
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

Southwest Chief at a glance

Runs between
Chicago Union Station and Los Angeles Union Station
States
Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, California
Distance
about 2,265 miles
End to end
about 44 hours westbound
Trains
one daily train each way (Trains 3 and 4)
Train cars
Superliner double-decker cars
Four-seat tables
Not in coach; tables in the Sightseer Lounge and dining car
Upstairs seating
Yes, coach seats on upper and lower levels
Quiet Car
None listed for this train
Food
Dining car (meals included with sleepers) and Cafe
Sleeper rooms
Roomette, Bedroom, Bedroom Suite, Family Bedroom, Accessible Bedroom
Checked bags
Yes, between stations that offer it

Look inside the book

Grand depots, small depots: Rally waits on the platform too.

Rally Takes the Train takes about five minutes to read, about as long as the Albuquerque platform stop. Open the sample pages below.

Page 1 of 8

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

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 Southwest Chief?

Watercolor of a conductor in a blue suit shaking Rally's paw while Rally sits on a red seat holding his ticket in his mouth. Text: Hello Mr. Conductor, are you a new friend? Rally hoped this ride wouldn't end.
Booking the Chief? Put the Grand Canyon bus or Lamy shuttle on the same ticket, and each child 2 to 12 rides at half fare.

Kids 2 to 12 travel at half the adult fare with an adult 18 or older on the same booking, and each paying adult can hold one child under 2 on their lap for free. That half-price rule covers the seat, not the room, so a Roomette or Family Bedroom costs the same for every age.

Before you book this train, know these:

  • Where will everyone sleep? Amtrak lists the Family Bedroom on the Southwest Chief. It sleeps two adults and two children aged 2 to 12 in two lower and two upper beds, with a shared restroom and shower down the hall and meals included.
  • Grand Canyon by bus. Amtrak sells an Amtrak Connection bus from the train to the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, Arizona. Book it with the train so the times line up and you aren’t guessing on the platform.
  • Santa Fe by shuttle. The train stops at Lamy, about 18 miles from Santa Fe, and a Thruway shuttle carries passengers into town. Add it to the same booking.
  • Station rules for solo teens. Amtrak lets 13 to 15 year olds ride alone only on daytime trips between staffed stations. Albuquerque is listed as allowing it, while Las Vegas, New Mexico, is listed as not allowing it, so check both ends first.

Free for train families

Free Southwest Chief activity book

A stop tracker for all 32 stops, a word search full of Southwest Chief stops, window bingo, a maze, a ticket to fill in and a page to draw the view. It fits in a folder with a few crayons and weighs nothing in the diaper bag.

Get the free Southwest Chief activity book

Every Southwest Chief stop, from Chicago to Los Angeles

The Southwest Chief stops at 32 stations from Chicago to Los Angeles, and all of them are served every day. Williams Junction in Arizona shows up in the timetable with no scheduled stop; Grand Canyon families use the bus link instead.

Illinois
  1. Chicago Union Station
  2. Naperville
  3. Mendota
  4. Princeton
  5. GalesburgLook for: The Galesburg Railroad Museum sits right next to the station property. Ask kids to find the old Pullman sleeping car on display and compare it with your train.
Iowa
  1. Fort MadisonLook for: Here the train crosses the Mississippi on a double-decker swing bridge from 1927, trains on the bottom and cars on top. Its 525-foot middle section swings open to let boats through.
Missouri
  1. La Plata
  2. Kansas City Union StationLook for: Heads back, everyone: the 1914 Grand Hall has a 95-foot ceiling and a clock with a face 6 feet across. Science City, a hands-on science center, is inside the same building.
Kansas
  1. Lawrence
  2. Topeka
  3. Newton
  4. Hutchinson
  5. Dodge CityLook for: The 1898 Santa Fe depot once held the El Vaquero Harvey House hotel, and the platform is 780 feet long. Grandparents may know the town as the setting of the TV western Gunsmoke.
  6. Garden City
Colorado
  1. Lamar
  2. La JuntaLook for: William and Charles Bent built Bent’s Fort near here in 1833. For about forty years it was a key stop for travelers, trappers and explorers on the Santa Fe Trail.
  3. TrinidadLook for: The town sits at the foot of Raton Pass, between Simpson’s Rest and Fishers Peak. Tell kids the town was a stop on the Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail.
New Mexico
  1. RatonLook for: Just before Raton, the train goes through a tunnel at the top of Raton Pass, 7,588 feet up. The north end of the tunnel is a few feet from the Colorado line.
  2. Las VegasLook for: Look for the 1899 depot and, right next to it, La Castañeda, an old Harvey House hotel that reopened in 2019 after a big restoration.
  3. LamyLook for: A one-story Santa Fe Railway depot from 1909. Santa Fe itself is 18 miles north, and the Amtrak Thruway shuttle takes you there.
  4. Albuquerque (Alvarado Transportation Center)Look for: The Mission-style station copies the look of the Alvarado, a 1902 Harvey House hotel torn down in 1970. The train stays a while here for cleaning and fuel, so riders can step off and stretch.
  5. GallupLook for: The 1918 depot is now the Gallup Cultural Center, with exhibits on weaving, sandpainting, silversmithing, trains and Route 66.
Arizona
  1. WinslowLook for: La Posada, a Harvey House hotel designed by Mary Colter, sits by the 1929 to 1930 depot. Downtown is Standin’ on the Corner Park, named for a line in an Eagles song, which parents may know better than the kids.
  2. FlagstaffLook for: Pluto was discovered at Lowell Observatory here in 1930, and Flagstaff was named the first International Dark-Sky City. The westbound train arrives after dark, so have them look up.
  3. KingmanLook for: The Mission-style depot houses a model railroad museum. Downtown, Santa Fe steam engine No. 3759 sits in Locomotive Park.
California
  1. Needles
  2. Barstow (Harvey House Railroad Depot)Look for: The 1911 Casa del Desierto was a Harvey House hotel and station. Today it holds the Western America Railroad Museum and the Route 66 Mother Road Museum.
  3. Victorville
  4. San Bernardino
  5. Riverside
  6. Fullerton
  7. Los Angeles Union StationLook for: Last stop. The 1939 station has garden patios planted with orange trees and fan palms, and Olvera Street, the site of the first Los Angeles settlement, is right next door.

What kids can see from the Southwest Chief

Watercolor of Rally the corgi stretched out on a wooden floor beside his blue dog bed and a packed suitcase. Text: It was quite early to be out of bed, but Rally the Corgi had a big journey ahead.
Westbound, the view is the alarm clock: La Junta at 6:50 a.m. kicks off the big daylight day across Colorado and New Mexico.

Day two is the big one

Westbound, the first evening and night cover Iowa, Missouri and Kansas, so that’s your sleep. You wake up in Colorado: La Junta at 6:50 a.m., Trinidad at 8:10 a.m., then the climb over Raton Pass into New Mexico.

The train stays in daylight past Las Vegas, Lamy and Albuquerque, and reaches Gallup at 5:54 p.m. and Winslow at 6:43 p.m. Arizona after Flagstaff and the California desert go by at night. If you protect one night of sleep, make it the first one, so kids are fresh for this day.

Two mountain passes

Raton Pass, on the Colorado and New Mexico line, tops out at 7,834 feet, and the railroad goes through a tunnel near the summit. After Las Vegas the train climbs Glorieta Pass, about 7,500 feet up, where the old Santa Fe Trail ran and where an 1862 Civil War battle was fought. Amtrak describes stretches of canyon only a few feet wider than the train, which is a fun thing to have kids watch for.

The big river crossing

The Mississippi crossing at Fort Madison comes about 3 hours 40 minutes after Chicago, on a mile-long double-decker swing bridge. Kids on either side get water views. Then tell them to look down: the train runs on the bottom deck, so cars are driving right over your heads.

Which side to sit on

On a route this long, the best seats change by the hour, so the upstairs Sightseer Lounge is your friend on day two. In spring and summer, National Park Service Trails and Rails volunteers ride between La Junta and Albuquerque and between Chicago and La Plata, and talk about what’s outside.

Where to sit with kids on the Southwest Chief

All the cars are Superliners, with two levels and stairs between them. Coach has seats upstairs and down, two across on each side of the aisle and no middle seat. Amtrak calls them wide recliners with plenty of legroom, which is what you want on a night in coach with a sleepy kid leaning on you.

Coach on the Chief has no four-person tables. For a table, head to the Sightseer Lounge or eat in the dining car, where meals are served at shared booth tables. Our advice for two adults: one stays with the bags while the other takes the kids to the lounge, then you trade.

In a sleeper, the Family Bedroom stretches across the whole car, so there’s a big window on each side for the New Mexico morning. The Chief sells coach and sleepers only, with no Business Class.

Seats apart on the Southwest Chief? Try this

The fix starts when you book: one reservation for everybody. Amtrak keeps a single booking in neighboring seats where it assigns them, space permitting, yet a Chief coach ticket only guarantees each person a seat, not a certain one. In Chicago, families with little kids are often called to board ahead of the line, so wait close by. At the coach door, give the attendant the quick version: “Two adults, a toddler and a 6-year-old.”

Climbing on partway, like Trinidad at 8:10 a.m., means riders from Chicago have had a night to spread out. Walk upstairs and down, then the neighboring coach, for empty pairs or a seat with nothing on it but a jacket; each ticket gets one seat, and the attendant can ask for belongings to come off. Use the two-adult trick: one parent parks with the kids while the other searches.

Want a stranger to swap? Ask before they’ve kicked off their shoes, and offer an equal or better seat facing the same direction. Asking someone to give up a window for less isn’t fair, so don’t, and accept a no graciously. The crew won’t order a seated passenger to move. Whatever happens, no young child rides in a seat out of your reach.

The best first Southwest Chief ride with kids

Watercolor of a red train car on a cliffside track heading into a dark tunnel, with Rally peeking out a window. Text: But then he saw some darkness ahead. Suddenly he wished he was back in his bed!
The tunnel near the top of Raton Pass comes between Trinidad and Raton, so tell kids about the dark part before you board.

Want to test the waters before two nights? Three westbound pieces work for a first ride:

  1. Chicago to Galesburg, about 2 hours 40 minutes. Leave Chicago at 1:30 p.m., reach Galesburg at 4:09 p.m., and walk to the railroad museum next to the station. Check museum hours first.
  2. Trinidad to Raton, about 1 hour. Board at 8:10 a.m., ride over Raton Pass and through the summit tunnel, and get off at 9:12 a.m. No other ride on the route gets you real mountains this fast, and it’s over before anyone needs a nap.
  3. Las Vegas, New Mexico, to Albuquerque, about 4 hours 15 minutes. Leave at 10:57 a.m., climb Glorieta Pass, stop at Lamy and arrive in Albuquerque at 3:14 p.m.

Eastbound Train 4 keeps its own schedule, so look up your direction in the Amtrak app.

Food, bathrooms and naps on the Southwest Chief

Watercolor of Rally's big ears as he dreams about a toy turtle, a green bone and a ball. Text: A suitcase must mean they are going away! So he packed his favorite things to make sure they could play.
Pack a fleece for every kid on the Chief: day two crosses two mountain passes above 7,000 feet, and sleepy kids get cold.

What about meals for two days? The Southwest Chief carries a dining car and a Cafe. Sleeping car meals are included, and the dining car has a kids’ menu. Westbound, Amtrak lists dinner, breakfast, lunch, dinner and breakfast in the dining car.

The Cafe is open to every rider for meals, snacks and drinks. Coach families should still pack plenty, especially breakfast for that first morning in Colorado, when you want kids fed and at the window, not waiting in line.

At Albuquerque the train is cleaned and fueled, and riders can step onto the platform to stretch. It’s the best wiggle break of the trip, but ask your car attendant how long you have. Back in your seat, a few free train activity sheets bring the energy back down.

Every coach has restrooms. We couldn’t confirm a changing table on the Chief, so carry a pad and use the accessible restroom for diaper changes. The Family Bedroom has no private bathroom and uses the shared restroom and shower in the car. Pack a fleece for each child: the train crosses two passes above 7,000 feet on day two, and a sleepy kid gets cold fast.

A train book for the ride

Rally Takes the Train has a page where Rally waits at the station with his family before the train comes. The Southwest Chief stops at some of the grandest stations in the country, like Kansas City Union Station, and at small Santa Fe depots like Lamy. Read the station page on the platform and let your kids compare it with the real one.

Print the free Rally activity pack for the long Kansas night and the desert day.

Watercolor of Rally standing on a red train seat, looking out an arched window at the ocean and a white bird. Text: Choo choo! The train starting could be heard. Hello cute white bird!
No ocean on this route, but day two fills the window with Raton Pass, Glorieta Pass and old depots across northern New Mexico.
Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A station story for the Southwest ChiefRally waits on the platform, then rides to the last stop. Read Rally Takes the Train before your Chief trip: watercolor and rhyme for ages 0 to 8, $13.99 on Amazon.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Watercolor view from inside a dark tunnel looking out at a sunny beach, cliffs and the train track. Text: And with his big ears, Rally heard the sound of happy cheers. Goodbye tunnel! You caused us no trouble.
Two nights is a lot, but you wake up to Colorado, stretch your legs in Albuquerque and roll into Los Angeles at breakfast time.

More for train families

Sources

Checked against Amtrak and partner railroad pages in October 2026. Schedules and policies change, so confirm on amtrak.com before you ride.

Southwest Chief with kids: questions parents ask

Do kids need a ticket on the Southwest Chief?

Yes, anyone age 2 or older. Riders from 2 through 12 get the Chief’s rail fare cut in half, provided a traveler 18 or older is booked alongside them, and age on the first travel day decides it. Only the seat price drops. A Roomette or Family Bedroom on the Chief stays full price no matter how small your passenger is.

Do babies ride free on the Southwest Chief?

Yes, one per adult. Every full-fare grown-up may carry one baby under 2 at no charge. Bring two babies for one adult, or book a baby their own Chief seat, and that child pays the child price. From Chicago to Los Angeles is about 44 hours, and an empty seat beside you is only yours to borrow if no paying passenger needs it.

Should I bring a car seat on the Southwest Chief?

Only if you’ll ride in a car once you get off, like a rental for exploring from Albuquerque or Flagstaff. Amtrak seats can’t hold a car seat securely, and it can only borrow an unsold seat if no ticket holder needs it. It counts as one of your bags, with no fee up to 50 lbs, whether you carry it on or check it where checked bags are offered.

Are there changing tables on the Southwest Chief?

We couldn’t confirm changing tables on the Southwest Chief. Amtrak doesn’t set an official diaper-changing rule, and it differs train to train. A fold-up pad works anywhere, and the accessible restroom is the roomiest spot to use it. At Albuquerque the train stays a while to be cleaned and fueled, which makes a good moment for a fresh diaper and a short walk on the platform.

What are the bathrooms like on the Southwest Chief?

Each coach car on the Chief has restrooms, and a lit sign means somebody’s in there. Walk small kids there yourself, since every Superliner car has a staircase inside and toddlers need a hand on a moving train. The flush is loud, so give them a heads-up. Families in a room use the car’s shared restroom and shower; the Family Bedroom has no private bathroom.

Can we bring a stroller on the Southwest Chief?

Yes. A family with a child under 2 gets an extra stroller or diaper bag beyond the normal limit of 2 carry-on bags plus a personal item. A folding stroller can ride along at your seat or be checked free at Chief stations that handle baggage. Big all-terrain models may have to go checked. Fold it at the foot of the stairs, and keep it handy for the Albuquerque platform.

Can I breastfeed on the Southwest Chief?

Yes. Every state on the Chief’s route, from Illinois to California, protects breastfeeding in public, as all 50 states do. For bottles, Amtrak tells families to ask the dining car team to help get one ready, and the Chief carries a full dining car. Even so, bring formula and clean bottles for about 44 hours, plus a few extra, so you aren’t waiting on mealtimes.

What food is on the Southwest Chief for kids?

The Chief has a dining car with a kids’ menu, and sleeping car meals are included: westbound, that’s dinner, breakfast, lunch, dinner and breakfast. Anyone, coach or sleeper, can shop the Cafe for snacks and drinks. Coach families should still pack plenty, especially breakfast for the first morning in Colorado, so kids are fed and at the window by La Junta at 6:50 a.m.

How do I keep kids entertained on the Southwest Chief?

Save your energy for day two. Westbound, the first night covers Missouri and Kansas, then you wake in Colorado, cross Raton Pass around 9 a.m. and ride New Mexico in daylight through Albuquerque at 3:14 p.m. Grab seats in the Sightseer Lounge, bring a stack of the free Rally activity pack, and have kids watch for canyon walls only a few feet wider than the train.

Can we sit together on the Southwest Chief?

Coach seats sit two by two on each side of the aisle, on both levels, so a family of four takes two pairs, ideally one right behind the other. Coach has no four-person tables. Our tip for two adults: one watches the bags while the other takes the kids to the Sightseer Lounge, then you switch. The Chief sells no Business Class.

What should we do if we’re split up on the Southwest Chief?

Stay apart for a few minutes, never far. Take any two seats within sight of each other, then let one adult search both levels and the next coach while the other stays with the kids and bags. Look for open pairs and for seats holding only a coat, since each ticket gets one seat. Boarding mid-route, like Lamy or Albuquerque, can mean more hunting, so start right away.

Can the Southwest Chief crew help a family find seats together?

They’ll help, within limits. Mention your group to the car attendant as you step aboard, or to the conductor at the ticket check, with the kids’ ages, and ask if another coach has room. They can steer you to it and have bags moved off seats. They won’t order anybody out of a seat they’re in, and a lap baby spread onto an extra seat may have to give it up if a paying passenger needs it.

Does the Southwest Chief have a Quiet Car?

Amtrak doesn’t list one for this train. That doesn’t mean anything goes: two nights in coach puts you a seat away from strangers trying to sleep, so use headphones for shows and keep voices soft once the lights go down over Kansas. If your toddler wakes up chatty, booking a Roomette or Family Bedroom means your own door to close.

What should I pack for a toddler on the Southwest Chief?

A fleece for each child, because day two crosses two passes above 7,000 feet and a sleepy kid gets cold fast. Add pajamas, a small shower bag if you have a room, a blanket for the coach seat, diapers and wipes for 44 hours, and breakfast for the Colorado morning. Keep a water bottle and snack in reach for the Albuquerque platform stop, and a few printable coloring sheets for Kansas.

Where will we sleep on the Southwest Chief?

Coach families sleep in wide recliners with plenty of legroom. With a sleeper, the Family Bedroom holds up to two grown-ups and two children ages 2 to 12, with two beds low and two high, big windows on either side and meals included. Restrooms and a shower are shared in the car. Another option: get off at Kansas City at 9:37 p.m. and sleep in a hotel.

What is the best first ride on the Southwest Chief?

Trinidad to Raton, about 1 hour. Board at 8:10 a.m., ride over Raton Pass and through the summit tunnel, and step off at 9:12 a.m., long before nap time. From Chicago, try Galesburg instead: leave at 1:30 p.m., arrive at 4:09 p.m., and walk to the railroad museum next to the station after you check its hours.

Can my 14-year-old ride the Southwest Chief alone?

Only on a short daytime trip, and never at 12 or under. Amtrak lets 13 to 15 year olds go solo only on a same-day trip between staffed stations that starts no earlier than 5:30 a.m. and ends by 9:30 p.m., booked by phone, with no transfers. Station rules matter too: Albuquerque is listed as allowing unaccompanied children, and Las Vegas, New Mexico, is listed as not allowing them.

How early should we get to the station for the Southwest Chief?

About 30 minutes ahead, which in Chicago means around 1:00 p.m. for the 1:30 p.m. train. At a busy station like Chicago, families with little kids are often called to board early, so stay near the boarding area. Small stops are different: the Lamy depot is tiny, so arrive with snacks, water and a bathroom trip already done. Check your train’s status in the Amtrak app before leaving.

What if my child is scared on the Southwest Chief?

Warn them about the horn, which is loud, and about the tunnel near the top of Raton Pass, just before Raton. Tell them the light always comes back, and use Rally’s tunnel page in the book as a way to practice the dark-then-light feeling. At Fort Madison, the mile-long Mississippi bridge has cars driving right over the train, so turn it into a game: look at the water, then look up.

Is the Southwest Chief safe for kids?

Yes, with a few family rules. Hands get held on every platform and toes stay behind the line, especially at Albuquerque, where riders can step off while the train is cleaned and fueled. Check with your car attendant on how many minutes you get. Inside, shoes stay on, kids sit down or hang on while rolling, and an adult goes along for the stairs and the walk between cars.

What if the Southwest Chief is running late?

Find the Chief on the Amtrak app’s live map, then read any travel advisories before you head out. Extra snacks, diapers and one backup activity, like the draw-in-the-window page, make a long wait easier. If you’re adding the Grand Canyon bus at Williams or the Santa Fe shuttle at Lamy, book it with the train so the whole trip sits on one itinerary instead of separate tickets.

Can we get to the Grand Canyon or Santa Fe on the Southwest Chief?

Yes, both by bus. An Amtrak Connection bus links the train to the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, Arizona, and westbound you reach northern Arizona in the evening, so plan a hotel night first. For Santa Fe, get off at Lamy at 12:53 p.m. and take the Thruway shuttle about 18 miles north. Add either one when you book the train.

Kelsey Cecil
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