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Thanksgiving brings busier days to Wilmington train station

Delaware Public Media

First State highways aren’t the only place travelers will find very crowded this Thanksgiving holiday.

The Wilmington train station will also be extra busy.  

Amtrak officials say the Thanksgiving holiday is their Super Bowl.  Last year, it saw over 846,000 people ride their trains nationwide between the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and Sunday after.

And Amtrak spokesperson Beth Toll says Wilmington’s train station, usually the 13th busiest in Amtrak’s network, also sees a spike. 

“Of those 846,000, nearly 14,000 were right here at the Wilmington station," said Toll.  "Last year, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, we saw a 38% more customers here at the Wilmington train station alone then we would on a typical day.”    

Wilmington also saw an 18% jump in travelers the Sunday after the holiday a year ago.

Toll says while Amtrak adds extra cars to handle the additional volume, it’s still a good idea to purchase tickets in advance.

“Typically we’ve seen that the afternoon and the evening trains are busier.  So, if you want to book a morning training, you might have better luck there,” said Toll.    

Toll also suggests arriving at least a half-hour before your scheduled departure to make sure your trip goes smoothly.

Tom Byrne has been a fixture covering news in Delaware for three decades. He joined Delaware Public Media in 2010 as our first news director and has guided the news team ever since. When he's not covering the news, he can be found reading history or pursuing his love of all things athletic.