Amtrak Bicycle Access

This is an unofficial resource

For more answers to frequently asked questions, visit the official Amtrak Bike FAQs page.

Sometimes, Amtrak must temporarily suspend bike access to certain stations or routes due to construction access or equipment shortages. Verify the station you want has bicycle access by selecting a fare, adding it to your cart, and continuing to the add-on services page.

A note on short-distance routes in the Northeast

Riders carrying bikes on short distance routes in the Northeast (ex: Northeast Regional, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone...) must remove the front wheel of their bicycles due to the size of the rack in the passenger cars. You may otherwise be denied boarding.

Why don't all routes allow bikes at all stations?

There are two different ways to take your bike on a train: you can carry it on, or you can check it as baggage in the baggage car. Carry on service requires bike racks to be installed in the passenger cars, which not all trainsets are set up to accomdate.

Staffed stations generally offer checked baggage service for bicycles, though there are exceptions in both directions. Some stations, like Prince, West Virginia and West Glacier, Montana do not have station staff but have been approved by Amtrak for train staff to access baggage from the baggage car without station staff.

How much does it cost to take a bike on Amtrak?

Bicycle reservations cost between $0 and $20, depending on the route and in some cases the length of trip. The Capitol Corridor and Gold Runner allow bicycles on without reservations for free.

If I box my bike, can I take it on at more stations?

Boxed bicycles are accepted between Spokane and Portland on the Empire Builder (trains 27 and 28). In addition, boxed bicycles aren't subject to the bike rack space limitations of unboxed bicycles.

What size limits are there for bikes on board?

Amtrak's official guidance limits bicycles to "standard size bicycles" (50 lbs. or less, 70" x 41" x 8.5") with tire width of 2" or less. The Gold Runner and Capitol Corridor accept up to 2.5" tires, while the Pacific Surfliner accepts oversize bikes like tandems and tires up to 4".

How many spots are available on each train?

The number of spots available on each train varies depending on the route and the equipment available. On most routes that offer bicycle access, there are up to 6 spots per train; some services, like the Capitol Corridor, offer over 20 spots per train.

What are some good bicycle touring routes to go with this?

There are lots of long-distance bike routes across the country. For a map of long-distance bike routes from the American Cycling Association, US Bike Route System, and others, check out the League of American Bicyclist's Bicycle-Friendly Trains report interactive map.