Train to Nashville?
 

My mother has just been told by her cardiologist that she may not fly on an airplane. She longs to visit her grandson who is a graduate student at Vanderbilt University. Any chance there is a train that goes from the Philadelphia or New York area to the Nashville area? Driving is not an option for her.

Amtrack does not run through Nashville. Closest is Memphis.

If she wants to take the train, instead of busing all the way, she should take the Cresent. It departs New York at 2:15pm, stops at Philly at 4:00pm and gets to Atlanta the next morning at 8:13am. There's a bus that leaves Atlanta at 1:15pm and arrives Nashville 5:25pm. Total time is about 21:25 from Philly. [You can also ride till Birmingham, AL and then bus up, arriving at 5:15pm.]

If going by bus, fastest is about 20 hours from Philly to Nashville (1:30pm - 9am, or 8:30pm - 3:30pm); a little longer from NYC. With a stop at Columbus, OH.

The train will be more comfortable if she buys a roomette. But on this train, it requires two people, and the price is pretty outrageous. $115 each way for just the seat, and then add $177 for 2 persons. So, two people's train fare one-way will be over $400, not including the connecting bus fare.

Bus fare from Philly to Nashville is $108.5 each way.

Train via Memphis will takes even longer and cost more.

Just want to add that it'd be much easier for the grandson to fly to see her instead.

Have your Mom double check with the cardiologist. Most Americans are completely out of touch with public transportation. Does he think it's better for her to take the stress of delays and amount of time to travel on a bus/train to get somewhere? Doubtful.

More likely the cardiologist thought flying was stressful and wouldn't recommend train travel either but never considered that someone might actually do it.

Thanks for all the replies.

It doesn't seem to be worth all the hassle to go by train. Sad.

M mother has mild pulmonary hypertension/weak heart. The cardiologist doesn't want her on a plane on the off-chance of a loss of cabin pressure which whould necessitate oxygen masks, as the lower oxygen situation could precipitate a fatal event. Frankly, I think he is being overly cautious, but there you go. Odds are, in the event of a loss of cabin pressure, she'd have a fatal heart attack from fear before the oxygen loss would get her.

And her grandson does visit her several times a year, she just had her heart set on visiting his home.

Amtrak does not go to Nashville. Take the bus.