Amtrak (tel: (215) 349 2152 or 1 800 USA RAIL; website: www.amtrak.com) is America's national railway. Amtrak's reputation and levels of service continue to grow with the introduction of new trains and high speed services on the Eastern seaboard. Increasingly, these Eastern services are becoming a viable alternative to the airlines on the shorter routes, such as to Boston and New York. The monumental Amtrak 30th Street station, 30th Street and Market Street, is across the Schuylkill River in the university district. Facilities at the station include rail information, checked baggage service, payphones, snack bars and car hire from National and Budget.

Rail services: Philadelphia is a major hub on the northeast corridor between Boston and Washington, DC, served by the high speed Acela Express route. Journey times from Philadelphia on this service are Boston - 5 hours 10 minutes, New York City - 1 hour 10 minutes, Baltimore - 1 hour, and Washington, DC - 1 hour 40 minutes. Long-distance trains also connect to southern and western destinations in the USA.