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The cheap fare finder from National Rail Enquiries shows the fares for all UK train operators on all routes.

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If you are flexible with dates and times for your journey, and can book in advance, you can often achieve huge discounts when buying train tickets. Whether you're travelling for work or leisure, the cheap fare finder is your one-stop shop to finding the best option for your selected point-to-point journey.

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Here are some other tips on ways to save money on train travel.

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Advance fares are single (one-way) tickets, offering great value for money on many journeys. Advance tickets are sold in limited numbers and subject to availability. The earlier you book, the more money you save. Buy train tickets up to three months in advance for the cheapest fares.

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Last updated:

Network updates

Find details of any service disruption on the South Western Railway network and check for changes that might affect your journey.

Live travel updates

What We're Doing about it

After being informed of disruptive passengers on a train between Southampton Airport Parkway and Southampton Central and attendance by the emergency services, the lines have now opened and the train is now on the move. For further information or onward travel advice please speak to a member of staff or use a station help point. We are very sorry for any delay that this may cause to your journey.

Further Information If you would prefer to use local buses to continue your journey please check  Traveline  - South Western Railway tickets are not valid on local buses unless stated above. Have you been delayed? Please see  here   for our compensation policy. If you would like to make a comment about your experience with us today, please call us on 0345 6000 650 or see  our contact us page  for other ways to contact us.

Other disruption that may affect your journey in the future

• Saturday 4 May to Monday 6 May : Eastleigh to Basingstoke
• Sunday 5 May : Eastleigh to Romsey, Eastleigh to Fareham and Eastleigh to Southampton Central

Line closure in the Aldershot area The line between Aldershot and Guildford will be closed for two days, Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 May. Rail replacement bus services will run between Aldershot and Guildford. Line closure in the Salisbury area Lines in the Salisbury area will be closed from late evening on Saturday 4 May until mid-morning on Sunday 5 May. Rail replacement bus services will run between Andover, Salisbury and Gillingham. Line closure in the Reading area The lines between Bracknell and Reading will be closed on Sunday 5 May. Rail replacement buses will run between Bracknell and Reading. Great Western Railway services between Wokingham and Reading will also be affected by this work. Please see their publicity for details.

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Travel updates Latest travel information and updates

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Cambridge closures Network Rail are constructing a brand new station at Cambridge South

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Up-to- the-minute information about current engineering works and any other service disruptions on Thameslink.

Check live departures or arrivals at any station

Train service updates.

We are aware that the ASLEF union has announced that strike action by their members will take place on 7 May, affecting Southern, Gatwick Express, Thameslink and Great Northern. 

There will also be a withdrawal from non-contractual overtime on 6 May and from 8 to 11 May (inclusive).

We will provide more information on our  Industrial Action page  as soon as we have confirmed how this will affect our services.

Last updated: 24/04/2024 03:44

Due to a fire next to the track in the Gravesend area some lines are currently closed. As a result, trains may be cancelled, delayed by up to 30 minutes or revised.

Disruption is expected until the end of service.

Customer Advice:

Southeastern

How does this affect my journey?

Trains are unable to run via Gravesend.

Trains from London Charing Cross to Gravesend will terminate at Dartford.

Trains from Gravesend to London Charing Cross will start at Dartford.

Trains between London St Pancras International and Ramsgate via Gravesend will be cancelled or diverted via Ashford.

What do I need to do?

If you are travelling from London St Pancras International to stations between Rochester and Faversham, please use the London Underground to travel to Victoria for a mainline service.

You can use your ticket at no extra cost on Fastrack buses between Gravesend, Ebbsfleet and Dartford, London Underground between London St Pancras International and London Victoria

A replacement bus service will run from Dartford to Gillingham at 00:46 and 01:16 and will call at:

Please allow extra time to complete your journey this evening as there are likely to be delays of up to 60 minutes, and some trains may be cancelled.

You can use your ticket on the following, at no extra cost:

• Southeastern services between London and Rainham
• London Underground via any reasonable route

Please note that these alternatives will extend your journey by up to an additional 30 minutes, so please ensure you leave extra time to reach your destination.

To help you plan your journey, you can find an alternative route maps here , and if you are travelling by TfL services, you can check your journey in advance on their website here

Please check journey planners and station information boards before you travel, and allow extra time to reach your destination.

Check a live map here to see if your journey has been affected.

Can you tell me more about the incident?

The emergency services are attending a line-side fire just outside Gravesend station. Until this is contain the line going south is closed.

Check before you travel:

You can check your journey using the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner .

​​​​​​​ Compensation:

You may be entitled to compensation if you experience a delay in completing your journey today. Please keep your train ticket and make a note of your journey, as both will be required to support any claim.

Last updated: 12:33 AM

Engineering work for Today

Date: 22 April - 26 April 2024 11:59 PM

Routes affected: Southern / Thameslink services via Salfords / Earlswood

Engineering work is taking place between Three Bridges and Earlswood, closing various lines overnight from Monday evening until Friday morning.

Thameslink:

Between 22:45 and 05:25 each night, trains will not call at Earlswood or Salfords. You can use Southern rail replacement buses to complete your journey.

Between 22:45 and 05:25 each night, trains will not call at Earlswood or Salfords. Rail replacement buses will run between Horley and Redhill, calling at Earlswood and Salfords.

These changes are not currently shown in the National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner, please check back nearer to the time of travel.

Replacement Bus Travel Advice:

For helpful advice if you need to travel on a rail replacement service, including accessibility and bicycle information, please use this page .

You can find the location of your bus replacement by checking station signs or by searching for your station on our station information pages .

Please be advised that, on occasion, replacement vehicles may be busier than usual, and you should allow extra time for your journey.

Routes affected: Thameslink services via Streatham

Engineering work is taking place between Streatham and Sutton, closing some lines overnight from Monday evening until Friday morning.

Between 23:59 and 05:00 each night:

• Thameslink services to / from Sutton will run to / from Herne Hill instead. For travel between Herne Hill and Sutton, you can use Southern services, or London Buses.
• Overnight services between Bedford and Three Bridges / Brighton will be diverted to run non-stop via London Bridge.

You can plan your journey using the National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner

You can plan your journey on London Buses by using the Transport for London Journey Planner

To check for future disruptions visit the planned engineering works page.

Other disruptions

Facilities on the 25/04/24 00:15 Bedford to Three Bridges due 02:38. Will be formed of 8 coaches instead of 12.

The ticket office will be closed from now until the end of the day at Ashwell & Morden station.

The lifts will be out of order between platfrom 3 & 4 and the concourse from now until further notice at Brent Cross West station. Additional Information: This affects train services towards Bedford and Central London Please speak to station staff for further assistance.

Cuffley station will be unstaffed from now until further notice.

The lifts will be out of order between Footbridge and Platform 1 from now until further notice at Elstree & Borehamwood station. Additional Information: This affects Thameslink services towards London St Pancras and Sutton. Please speak to station staff for further assistance.

At Hitchin station, the following issues have been reported: The ticket office will be closed from now until the end of the day. Ticket Vending Machines are working correctly.

The ticket vending machines are out of order at Meldreth station.

The lifts will be out of order between Platform 1 and the footbridge from 10:34 on 21/04/2024 until further notice at West Hampstead Thameslink station. Additional Information: This affects Thameslink services towards Sutton via Wimbledon and Rainham . Please speak to station staff for further assistance.

Information Tools

You tell us that you need to be able to access timely, relevant, and accurate information so you can plan your journey and travel with confidence. This becomes even more important when things don’t go to plan.

To see what information tools are available whether you are planning your journey or already travelling, please view our Customer Information digital leaflet below.

Customer Information digital leaflet (PDF)

Accessible formats will be made available soon, please check back at a later date.

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Taking the train in Ireland – what you need to know

Apr 19, 2024 • 11 min read

A train travels along the Rosslare, Wexford to Dublin line in Ireland © Irish Rail

Traveling by train is one of Ireland ’s great, if under-appreciated, pleasures.

It’s a small island and the rail network is limited, so no journey is especially long – but riding the rails across the country is one of the loveliest ways to enjoy the rolling countryside.

Compared to its European counterparts, Irish trains aren’t especially spectacular, but this is a country that doesn’t need high-speed or sleeper trains: you roll along at a maximum of 160km/h (99mph) and before you know it you’re on the other side of the island.

The particular nature of Irish demographics has shaped train travel in Ireland: with around a quarter of the population clustered in the greater Dublin region, it makes sense that most train journeys begin or end in the capital. In Northern Ireland the same is true of Belfast .

Irish trains might not be especially quick or super luxurious, but they’re an efficient and eco-friendly way of exploring the island – so long as your explorations are focused on the major cities and towns. Here is our essential guide to train travel in Ireland.

The lowdown on rail travel in Ireland

Irish trains are efficient, relatively frequent and usually on time.  Irish Rail/Iarnród Éireann operates the entire network of trains in the Republic, from intercity trains linking the major urban centers to the busy commuter network that services the greater Dublin region.

There are two main lines into the west and three into the south and southwest; spurs off the main lines connect to a host of smaller towns throughout the country. There’s also a line to Belfast, from where  Translink services connect the city with the Antrim Coast and Derry (Londonderry) .

Within the greater Dublin region, a network of commuter services connects the capital with a host of suburbs and dormitory towns in the surrounding counties. Dublin’s coastline between the northside suburbs of Howth and Malahide, and Greystones in County Wicklow is served by DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transport) trains.

There are some notable gaps in the country’s rail network, with no services in counties Donegal , Monaghan and Cavan , and no trains into West Cork . Some towns – like Buttevant in Cork or Annacotty in Limerick – are on the rail line but they’re bypassed as they have no functioning station.

Ireland’s bigger train stations – including Cork , Limerick , Galway , Sligo, Belfast and the two in Dublin – are all pretty well stocked when it comes to picking up supplies and other assorted sundries for your journey. Most other stations will have a small shop.

Train tickets are relatively good value

The good news about traveling by train in Ireland is that it is relatively inexpensive compared to train travel in some places, such as the UK, for example. If you buy it online, a standard one-way fare between Dublin Heuston and Kent Station in Cork costs €30–35, and around €55 in first class.

Online is the best place to buy your tickets for train travel in the Irish Republic. Not only do you get the best fares (with savings of up to 50% compared to buying the ticket at the station), but you can purchase your ticket up to 90 days in advance and reserve a seat when you do.

You have the option of collecting your bought ticket from a machine at the station as you’re boarding, or downloading a QR code at the point of purchase. If you wait to buy your ticket at the station, you’ll pay significantly more and have to get there early to queue up at the ticket kiosk.

For travel in Northern Ireland, you’re better off buying the ticket at the station as only a limited number of tickets are available online. Show up a short time before your intended departure time and just buy your ticket there.

Only a handful of services offer first class, but upgrading is relatively inexpensive. On average, expect to pay around €20–25 more to sit in first. There are three kinds of first class service on Irish trains. CityGold is on direct Dublin to Cork services, and includes an onboard host and a complimentary newspaper on selected early morning services. The Enterprise service between Dublin and Belfast offers the same, plus a fine breakfast. Premier Class is similar, but is only available on direct services between Dublin and Tralee and some Dublin to Cork trains.

Some discounts and offers apply

There are discounted fares for children and young adults aged between 19 and 25, as long as they have a valid discount card. Under fives and those aged 66 and over travel for free.

The commuter network in the Greater Dublin area has a fare cap of €6 for travel between the capital and a host of towns in the surrounding counties.

There are two rail passes aimed at visitors. The Trekker Four Day (€88) offers unlimited travel for adults on all Irish Rail services on four consecutive days from the date of issue. The Explorer (adult/child €128/64) provides five days of travel on all services in a 15-day window.

However, before investing in either, be sure that you plan on making the most out of it. The limited rail network means that connections are limited and traveling between some destinations involves backtracking: Cork and Waterford are both on the south coast, but to get from one to the other means travelling to Limerick, while Sligo and Westport are only 140km (87 miles) apart along the west coast, but to go between them by train you’ll have to travel through Dublin – which is on the other side of the country.

In Northern Ireland, the Sunday Fun Day Tracker ticket gives passengers unlimited train travel on a Sunday for £9 (£4.50 for children). Tickets are available from all ticket offices, the mLink ticketing app and from the conductor on the train.

These are the busiest times to travel by train

Unsurprisingly, peak times for train travel coincide with busy rush hour periods. Early morning services to Dublin from cities including Cork, Galway and Limerick can be busy, especially if the train is due to arrive in Dublin around the start of the working day. Friday evening trains departing Dublin can also be quite busy. However, as online bookings also include the option of booking a seat, you’ll never have to stand.

The commuter network is busiest on weekdays from 7am to 9am and from 4:30pm to 6:30pm as thousands of people travel in and out of work. You can’t prebook seats on these services, so plenty of people do end up standing. Keep an eye out on changing schedules, especially for weekend and holiday travel, as frequencies diminish.

The train network is limited, but it has some benefits over road travel

There are no rail links to any Irish airport, which means you’re relying on taxis, private cars or buses once you arrive in the country. Irish ferry ports are better connected to rail lines, however, and you can catch trains in Rosslare, Dublin and Larne; there is no rail link to Belfast Port.

If you want to reach the more remote corners of the island, then the Irish rail network is quite limited, and a car will give you the flexibility you need. However, rental fees can be very expensive and fuel is another considerable cost, with the price of unleaded and diesel hovering between €1.75 and €2 a liter. Parking is also pricey in all urban centers, especially Dublin.

Traveling by bus is the cheapest way to get around, but it can be a slow business, as most make lots of stops along the way. There are some direct express services, but they are at the mercy of traffic, which can also add considerable time to a journey compared to traveling by train. Plus, buses don’t have bathrooms, with those traveling longer distances relying entirely on rest stops.

On board facilities vary depending on the type of train

There are two kinds of Irish trains: InterCity and commuter. InterCity trains are all the same – relatively modern with comfortable seats in standard class and fancier recliners in first – and they travel at speeds of up to 160km/h (99mph). There’s no journey in Ireland that is longer than 2½ to 3 hours. Commuter trains are slightly older, with less comfortable seats; older trains are used on some small-distance spur lines in rural areas and are very basic (facilities include seats and a toilet).

While Ireland’s flagship service is the one between Dublin and Cork, the fanciest train is the Enterprise service between Dublin Connolly and Belfast Lanyon Place, which is a joint venture between Irish Rail and Translink. This train is on a par with most services you’ll find in mainland Europe and first class is the most luxurious of any in the country.

All InterCity trains have three-pin sockets at every row where you can plug in a charger or a laptop. Most commuter trains in the greater Dublin area also have sockets. All trains have toilets and there is a cross-network wi-fi service operated by Irish Rail, but it is patchy and inconsistent. Translink has its own wi-fi network, which is accessible on all bus and rail services in the north, but, like in the Republic, you’re at the mercy of signal strength and contention levels.

Food options are pretty limited. There is a trolley service on the Dublin to Cork service, while the Enterprise between Dublin and Belfast operates a full service menu in a dedicated dining car; first class passengers also get a pretty good breakfast as part of their ticket.

Some trains on the Dublin to Cork route have a “quiet carriage” (usually Carriage G, marked in purple when booking) where the use of phones is prohibited and passengers are encouraged to keep noise levels down.

You can bring a bike on any Irish Rail train for free, although there are some restrictions during busy periods (such as sporting fixtures and concerts). The Dublin to Cork line is the only one to have a dedicated bike storage area; all other InterCity trains have (very) limited bicycle spaces within the passenger compartment – it’s not unusual for only two bikes to be allowed into the compartment, so be sure to book in advance. Bikes are not allowed on commuter and DART services during peak hours – before 10am and from 3:30pm to 7pm Monday to Friday.

There are many scenic train routes: here are the best

No matter where you are in Ireland you’re going to find a beautiful landscape or two, but some journeys are worth keeping your eyes wide open for.

Dublin to Sligo

Once you’ve gone past the huge suburban sprawl of the greater Dublin area, the landscapes get quite gentle; beyond Mullingar the train skirts alongside the edge of beautiful Lough Owel. For the best views, sit on the left-hand side of the train.

Dublin to Belfast

The Enterprise service is the best in the country, with the most comfortable seats and the best food options – especially in first class. The train skirts alongside the Irish Sea between Malahide and Balbriggan, so be sure to sit on that side as you travel (on the right-hand side if you’re traveling to Belfast).

Derry (Londonderry) to Coleraine

The Translink service between Northern Ireland’s second city and Coleraine is a stunner, a 40-minute journey along the Causeway Coast that comes with beautiful beaches, huge cliffs and unimpeded views out over the North Sea.

Downpatrick to Inch Abbey

It’s only a 10-minute journey, but the trip from Downpatrick in County Down to the monastic ruins of Inch Abbey takes place in a vintage steam train (or a 1960s diesel train) that chugs its way along the line, over the River Quoile and past the drumlin-specked landscape.

Cork to Cobh

One of Ireland’s most scenic trips is the 25-minute trip from Cork City to the seaside town of Cobh , which takes you along the river (sit on the right for the best views), past marshy Harper’s Island and over the bridges on Lough Mahon and the Slatty Water. You can always stop off at Fota and visit the  wildlife park  there.

Book in advance for wheelchair access to trains

All InterCity services are nominally accessible, but if you do need assistance you will need to book it in advance so that suitable arrangements can be made. This usually means that a conductor will have a ramp ready for wheelchair access, but we have also heard plenty of anecdotal evidence of staff simply lifting a wheelchair onto a train, which depending on the individual can either be a help or an annoying hindrance. Whatever you do, make sure to communicate your requirements before you travel as assistance is not guaranteed otherwise.

For passengers with learning difficulties or any issue where there may be a challenge with communication (such as autism) Irish Rail staff are trained to recognize visual cue cards such as the  JAM card , which inform the interlocutor of the holder’s condition. JAM cards are available online or at mainline train stations in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Sligo.

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Train strikes in May 2024: Full list of dates and lines affected

Rail lines are set for disruption in the week following the first May bank holiday as train drivers at 16 rail companies strike on different days.

Wednesday 24 April 2024 16:10, UK

Train drivers will stage a fresh wave of strikes and overtime bans in May, causing disruption to the rail network.

The strikes are part of a long-running dispute over pay.

Members of Aslef union at 16 rail companies will walk out on different days from 7 to 9 May.

Additionally, all members will refuse to work any overtime from 6 May to 11 May.

Here is a full list of the services affected by strikes and when.

Rail strike dates

Tuesday 7 May

Strikes will affect c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern, Gatwick Express and South Western Railway.

Wednesday 8 May

Strikes will affect Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway and West Midlands Trains.

Thursday 9 May

Strikes will affect LNER, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express.

Overtime ban dates

From Monday 6 May to Saturday 11 May union members will not work overtime.

Overtime bans, an action short of a strike, means some services may not be running or may be reduced as drivers refuse to work their rest days.

People are advised to check before they travel, as some areas may have no service.

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

How do strikes and overtime bans affect services?

Strikes tend to mean services on lines where members are participating are extremely affected or cancelled entirely, whereas overtime bans often lead to reduced services.

How can I stay in the loop?

You can use the National Rail's journey planner to see when trains are running.

Be sure to check it close to when you plan to travel, as it will be updated regularly.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Why are the strikes still happening?

Aslef rejected a two-year offer of 4% in 2022 and another 4% this year, saying it is way below inflation, and is linked to changes in terms and conditions.

Aslef said train drivers have not had an increase in salary for five years, since their last pay deals expired in 2019.

The union said after its members voted overwhelmingly in February to continue taking industrial action, it asked the train operating companies to hold talks.

General secretary Mick Whelan said the year-old pay offer of 4% and another 4% was "dead in the water".

Are there strikes on the Tube too?

There have been regular strikes on London Underground too recently, and while there aren't any planned walkouts for drivers, customer service managers are set to walk out on Friday 26 April in a dispute over terms and conditions.

There will also be an overtime ban for the customer service managers on the following days:

Monday 29 April

Tuesday 30 April

Wednesday 1 May

Tuesday 2 May

Wednesday 3 May

Thursday 4 May

Friday 5 May

The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) says the action by its members is likely to cause Tube stations to close at the last minute, including on the Saturday following the strike (27 April), while TfL has said on its website "some stations may need to close at short notice".

Despite the warning, a TfL spokesperson has said they aren't expecting significant disruption.

This action follows strike action taken by the same workers on 10 April, which the TSSA said had a "real impact" with "many stations shut at short notice".

They say they are "extremely concerned" about TfL's 'Stations Changes' proposals.

"We have made it clear that our union will not accept the continued threats to our members' roles, locations, terms, and conditions to stand unchallenged," a TSSA spokesperson said.

"We will continue to take sustained action until London Underground is prepared to negotiate with us in good faith."

Commenting on the impending strikes, a TfL spokesperson said: "We are disappointed that TSSA is continuing with this strike action following a consultation process.

"While we don't expect this action will cause significant disruption, we urge TSSA to continue to work with us to help find a resolution.

"There are no planned job losses as part of these vital changes which will improve the service we provide to customers at our stations."

Related Topics

• London Underground
• Rail strikes

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Railroads & Locomotives History The Lincoln Funeral Train: A somber journey that left behind a historic memory

The Lincoln Funeral Train: A somber journey that left behind a historic memory

| Last updated on April 23, 2024

In 1865, ‘The Lincoln Special’ carried an assassinated president to his final resting place while millions stood trackside to honor him

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The assassination of Abraham Lincoln on April 15, 1865, sent a Civil War-battered country into 20 days of national mourning. At the center of it all was a black-draped train, slowly and sadly carrying the former commander in chief’s body from Washington, D.C. to his hometown of Springfield, Ill.

The U.S. rail network is no stranger to hosting presidential funeral trains before and after — the first for William Henry Harrison in 1841 and the most recent for George H.W. Bush in 2018 . Yet none have ever reached the magnitude of grief that followed the Lincoln Funeral Train, dubbed The Lincoln Special .

Finalizing the final journey home

From its inception, plans for Lincoln’s funeral train route roughly retraced the trip the 16th President took for his 1861 inauguration. It wasn’t to the exact mile as a stop in Chicago was added for the city to host its own funeral. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati were bypassed: The former due to an extra day that would’ve been added to the schedule and the latter raising concerns over sympathizers of the Confederacy. St. Louis even requested a visit from the train for the mourners west of the Mississippi River to pay their respects. The city was passed over as well.

After several days of lying in repose at the White House and lying in state at the U.S. Capitol, Lincoln’s coffin was placed on the train and left Washington on April 21. The journey covered 1,654 miles in 12 days. Due to the large number of mourners, the planned stops in Baltimore, Harrisburg, Pa., Philadelphia, New York City, Albany, N.Y., Buffalo, N.Y., Cleveland, Columbus, Ohio, Indianapolis, and Chicago included a funeral procession and ceremony at each city.

Burying Lincoln in Springfield seemed to be the obvious choice. But an agreement on the exact location of the burial site didn’t occur until the funeral train was already nearing Chicago. Former first lady Mary Todd Lincoln requested her husband be buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery on the outskirts of the state capital. Springfield officials proposed a grand tomb in downtown. The standoff between both parties ended with an ultimatum by the widow: Permanent interment would take place at the rural cemetery, or the body would instead be buried in Chicago. Oak Ridge was eventually chosen, and the train completed its journey to Springfield on May 3 for Lincoln’s final funeral and burial the following day.

A military train

The special operated on over a dozen railroads, which were under the direct control of the U.S. War Department and Brig. Gen. Daniel C. McCallum. The top speed was 20 mph (5 mph through stations), and the train was given highest priority throughout the journey. Security was also exceedingly high with guards stationed at strategic points and switches spiked in place to guarantee a safe passage. Fresh from the Civil War and now a presidential assassination, no chances would be taken for what was a military train.

Nearly 42 steam locomotives and 80 passenger cars were used throughout the journey, with equipment changed between the traversed railroads. A pilot train of a single engine and car ran 10 minutes ahead of the Lincoln Funeral Train. The train itself consisted of one locomotive and nine to 12 cars – a baggage car, a mix of seven to 10 coaches and sleepers, the funeral car United States , and the officers’ car from the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad. Only the funeral and officers’ cars at the tail end made the entire Washington-Springfield trip.

A funeral car built for a living President

The lavish United States carried the coffins for both Lincoln and his 11-year-old son, Willie, who died in 1862. Built in 1865 by the U.S. Military Railroad, the parlor car was originally intended to be the equivalent of today’s Air Force One. A unique feature was the two sets of trucks at each end designed for smooth riding and easy conversion between standard gauge and 5-foot gauge track.

Lincoln had actually planned to visit the United States at the nearby Orange & Alexandria Railroad car shops on April 15, 1865. After his death that day, the car was immediately modified for funeral duty. Platform railings at one end were removed and rollers installed so the coffin could be moved in and out of the doorway with ease. After the funeral train, the car was sold to the Union Pacific Railroad before hopping between multiple owners. By 1911, the United States was destroyed in a Minnesota brush fire and the remains purged by collectors.

Who participated?

The train’s passenger capacity was about 300 people. Those who occupied it were mostly invited military, government, and railroad leaders, who boarded and disembarked at different stations along the route. An embalmer and undertaker accompanied the coffin, along with the honor guard and members of the family. A notable absence from the train was Mrs. Lincoln, who remained at the White House in mourning.

An estimated 1.5 million people viewed Lincoln’s body and over 7 million watched the train’s procession. Local timetables were made public while telegraphs along the route kept track of The Lincoln Special ’s whereabouts. From major cities to the smallest village, night and day, mostly in the rain with little sunshine, people came out in masses to bid farewell to the president.

Leaving behind an historic memory

From books to a ballad, and from supernatural recollections to model and full-size recreations, the history of the Lincoln Funeral Train perseveres through the generations. While other U.S. presidents have been laid to rest with the aid of railroad conveyance, none equal the level of national mourning surrounding Lincoln’s somber procession across the eastern half of the country.

In many ways, it is the ultimate testament to Abraham Lincoln’s relationship with railroads. From a young lawyer representing the Chicago & Rock Island Railroad in the Mississippi River bridge case, to his advocacy for the Transcontinental Railroad, the 16th President’s vision for the growing nation placed railroads at the forefront. Although incredibly sad, to be carried home by rail was a fitting tribute.

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The Evolving Danger of the New Bird Flu

An unusual outbreak of the disease has spread to dairy herds in multiple u.s. states..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Sabrina Tavernise, and this is “The Daily.”

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The outbreak of bird flu that is tearing through the nation’s poultry farms is the worst in US history. But scientists say it’s now starting to spread into places and species it’s never been before.

Today, my colleague, Emily Anthes, explains.

It’s Monday, April 22.

Emily, welcome back to the show.

Thanks for having me. Happy to be here.

So, Emily, we’ve been talking here on “The Daily” about prices of things and how they’ve gotten so high, mostly in the context of inflation episodes. And one of the items that keeps coming up is eggs. Egg prices were through the roof last year, and we learned it was related to this. Avian flu has been surging in the United States. You’ve been covering this. Tell us what’s happening.

Yes, so I have been covering this virus for the last few years. And the bird flu is absolutely tearing through poultry flocks, and that is affecting egg prices. That’s a concern for everyone, for me and for my family. But when it comes to scientists, egg prices are pretty low on their list of concerns. Because they see this bird flu virus behaving differently than previous versions have. And they’re getting nervous, in particular, about the fact that this virus is reaching places and species where it’s never been before.

OK, so bird flu, though, isn’t new. I mean I remember hearing about cases in Asia in the ‘90s. Remind us how it began.

Bird flu refers to a bunch of different viruses that are adapted to spread best in birds. Wild water birds, in particular, are known for carrying these viruses. And flu viruses are famous for also being shapeshifters. So they’re constantly swapping genes around and evolving into new strains. And as you mentioned back in the ‘90s, a new version of bird flu, a virus known as H5N1, emerged in Asia. And it has been spreading on and off around the world since then, causing periodic outbreaks.

And how are these outbreaks caused?

So wild birds are the reservoir for the virus, which means they carry it in their bodies with them around the world as they fly and travel and migrate. And most of the time, these wild birds, like ducks and geese, don’t even get very sick from this virus. But they shed it. So as they’re traveling over a poultry farm maybe, if they happen to go to the bathroom in a pond that the chickens on the farm are using or eat some of the feed that chickens on the farm are eating, they can leave the virus behind.

And the virus can get into chickens. In some cases, it causes mild illness. It’s what’s known as low pathogenic avian influenza. But sometimes the virus mutates and evolves, and it can become extremely contagious and extremely fatal in poultry.

OK, so the virus comes through wild birds, but gets into farms like this, as you’re describing. How have farms traditionally handled outbreaks, when they do happen?

Well, because this threat isn’t new, there is a pretty well-established playbook for containing outbreaks. It’s sometimes known as stamping out. And brutally, what it means is killing the birds. So the virus is so deadly in this highly pathogenic form that it’s sort of destined to kill all the birds on a farm anyway once it gets in. So the response has traditionally been to proactively depopulate or cull all the birds, so it doesn’t have a chance to spread.

So that’s pretty costly for farmers.

It is. Although the US has a program where it will reimburse farmers for their losses. And the way these reimbursements work is they will reimburse farmers only for the birds that are proactively culled, and not for those who die naturally from the virus. And the thinking behind that is it’s a way to incentivize farmers to report outbreaks early.

So, OK, lots of chickens are killed in a way to manage these outbreaks. So we know how to deal with them. But what about now? Tell me about this new strain.

So this new version of the virus, it emerged in 2020.

After the deadly outbreak of the novel coronavirus, authorities have now confirmed an outbreak of the H5N1 strain of influenza, a kind of bird flu.

And pretty quickly it became clear that a couple things set it apart.

A bald eagle found dead at Carvins Cove has tested positive for the highly contagious bird flu.

This virus, for whatever reason, seemed very good at infecting all sorts of wild birds that we don’t normally associate with bird flu.

[BIRD CRYING]

He was kind of stepping, and then falling over, and using its wing to right itself.

Things like eagles and condors and pelicans.

We just lost a parliament of owls in Minneapolis.

Yeah, a couple of high profile nests.

And also in the past, wild birds have not traditionally gotten very sick from this virus. And this version of the virus not only spread widely through the wild bird population, but it proved to be devastating.

The washing up along the East Coast of the country from Scotland down to Suffolk.

We were hearing about mass die-offs of seabirds in Europe by the hundreds and the thousands.

And the bodies of the dead dot the island wherever you look.

Wow. OK. So then as we know, this strain, like previous ones, makes its way from wild animals to farmed animals, namely to chickens. But it’s even more deadly.

Absolutely. And in fact, it has already caused the worst bird flu outbreak in US history. So more than 90 million birds in the US have died as a result of this virus.

90 million birds.

Yes, and I should be clear that represents two things. So some of those birds are birds who naturally got infected and died from the virus. But the vast majority of them are birds that were proactively culled. What it adds up to is, is 90 million farmed birds in the US have died since this virus emerged. And it’s not just a chicken problem. Another thing that has been weird about this virus is it has jumped into other kinds of farms. It is the first time we’ve seen a bird flu virus jump into US livestock.

And it’s now been reported on a number of dairy farms across eight US states. And that’s just something that’s totally unprecedented.

So it’s showing up at Dairy farms now. You’re saying that bird flu has now spread to cows. How did that happen?

So we don’t know exactly how cows were first infected, but most scientists’ best guess is that maybe an infected wild bird that was migrating shed the virus into some cattle feed or a pasture or a pond, and cattle picked it up. The good news is they don’t seem to get nearly as sick as chickens do. They are generally making full recoveries on their own in a couple of weeks.

OK, so no mass culling of cows?

No, that doesn’t seem to be necessary at this point. But the bad news is that it’s starting to look like we’re seeing this virus spread from cow to cow. We don’t know exactly how that’s happening yet. But anytime you see cow-to-cow or mammal-to-mammal transmission, that’s a big concern.

And why is that exactly?

Well, there are a bunch of reasons. First, it could allow the outbreak to get much bigger, much faster, which might increase the risk to the food supply. And we might also expect it to increase the risk to farm workers, people who might be in contact with these sick cows.

Right now, the likelihood that a farmer who gets this virus passes it on is pretty low. But any time you see mammal-to-mammal transmission, it increases the chance that the virus will adapt and possibly, maybe one day get good at spreading between humans. To be clear, that’s not something that there’s any evidence happening in cows right now. But the fact that there’s any cow-to-cow transmission happening at all is enough to have scientists a bit concerned.

And then if we think more expansively beyond what’s happening on farms, there’s another big danger lurking out there. And that’s what happens when this virus gets into wild animals, vast populations that we can’t control.

We’ll be right back.

So, Emily, you said that another threat was the threat of flu in wild animal populations. Clearly, of course, it’s already in wild birds. Where else has it gone?

Well, the reason it’s become such a threat is because of how widespread it’s become in wild birds. So they keep reintroducing it to wild animal populations pretty much anywhere they go. So we’ve seen the virus repeatedly pop up in all sorts of animals that you might figure would eat a wild bird, so foxes, bobcats, bears. We actually saw it in a polar bear, raccoons. So a lot of carnivores and scavengers.

The thinking is that these animals might stumble across a sick or dead bird, eat it, and contract the virus that way. But we’re also seeing it show up in some more surprising places, too. We’ve seen the virus in a bottle-nosed dolphin, of all places.

And most devastatingly, we’ve seen enormous outbreaks in other sorts of marine mammals, especially sea lions and seals.

So elephant seals, in particular in South America, were just devastated by this virus last fall. My colleague Apoorva Mandavilli and I were talking to some scientists in South America who described to us what they called a scene from hell, of walking out onto a beach in Argentina that is normally crowded with chaotic, living, breathing, breeding, elephant seals — and the beach just being covered by carcass, after carcass, after carcass.

Mostly carcasses of young newborn pups. The virus seemed to have a mortality rate of 95 percent in these elephant seal pups, and they estimated that it might have killed more than 17,000 of the pups that were born last year. So almost the entire new generation of this colony. These are scientists that have studied these seals for decades. And they said they’ve never seen anything like it before.

And why is it so far reaching, Emily? I mean, what explains these mass die-offs?

There are probably a few explanations. One is just how much virus is out there in the environment being shed by wild birds into water and onto beaches. These are also places that viruses like this haven’t been before. So it’s reaching elephant seals and sea lions in South America that have no prior immunity.

There’s also the fact that these particular species, these sea lions and seals, tend to breed in these huge colonies all crowded together on beaches. And so what that means is if a virus makes its way into the colony, it’s very conducive conditions for it to spread. And scientists think that that’s actually what’s happening now. That it’s not just that all these seals are picking up the virus from individual birds, but that they’re actually passing it to each other.

So basically, this virus is spreading to places it’s never been before, kind of virgin snow territory, where animals just don’t have the immunity against it. And once it gets into a population packed on a beach, say, of elephant seals, it’s just like a knife through butter.

Absolutely. And an even more extreme example of that is what we’re starting to see happen in Antarctica, where there’s never been a bird flu outbreak before until last fall, for the first time, this virus reached the Antarctic mainland. And we are now seeing the virus move through colonies of not only seabirds and seals, but penguin colonies, which have not been exposed to these viruses before.

And it’s too soon to say what the toll will be. But penguins also, of course, are known for breeding in these large colonies.

Probably. don’t have many immune defenses against this virus, and of course, are facing all these other environmental threats. And so there’s a lot of fear that you add on the stress of a bird flu virus, and it could just be a tipping point for penguins.

Emily, at this point, I’m kind of wondering why more people aren’t talking about this. I mean, I didn’t know any of this before having this conversation with you, and it feels pretty worrying.

Well, a lot of experts and scientists are talking about this with rising alarm and in terms that are quite stark. They’re talking about the virus spreading through wild animal populations so quickly and so ferociously that they’re calling it an ecological disaster.

But that’s a disaster that sometimes seems distant from us, both geographically, we’re talking about things that are happening maybe at the tip of Argentina or in Antarctica. And also from our concerns of our everyday lives, what’s happening in Penguins might not seem like it has a lot to do with the price of a carton of eggs at the grocery store. But I think that we should be paying a lot of attention to how this virus is moving through animal populations, how quickly it’s moving through animal populations, and the opportunities that it is giving the virus to evolve into something that poses a much bigger threat to human health.

So the way it’s spreading in wild animals, even in remote places like Antarctica, that’s important to watch, at least in part because there’s a real danger to people here.

So we know that the virus can infect humans, and that generally it’s not very good at spreading between humans. But the concern all along has been that if this virus has more opportunities to spread between mammals, it will get better at spreading between them. And that seems to be what is happening in seals and sea lions. Scientists are already seeing evidence that the virus is adapting as it passes from marine mammal to marine mammal. And that could turn it into a virus that’s also better at spreading between people.

And if somebody walks out onto a beach and touches a dead sea lion, if their dog starts playing with a sea lion carcass, you could imagine that this virus could make its way out of marine mammals and into the human population. And if it’s this mammalian adapted version of the virus that makes its way out, that could be a bigger threat to human health.

So the sheer number of hosts that this disease has, the more opportunity it has to mutate, and the more chance it has to mutate in a way that would actually be dangerous for people.

Yes, and in particular, the more mammalian hosts. So that gives the virus many more opportunities to become a specialist in mammals instead of a specialist in birds, which is what it is right now.

Right. I like that, a specialist in mammals. So what can we do to contain this virus?

Well, scientists are exploring new options. There’s been a lot of discussion about whether we should start vaccinating chickens in the US. The government, USDA labs, have been testing some poultry vaccines. It’s probably scientifically feasible. There are challenges there, both in terms of logistics — just how would you go about vaccinating billions of chickens every year. There are also trade questions. Traditionally, a lot of countries have not been willing to accept poultry products from countries that vaccinate their poultry.

And there’s concern about whether the virus might spread undetected in flocks that are vaccinated. So as we saw with COVID, the vaccine can sometimes stop you from getting sick, but it doesn’t necessarily stop infection. And so countries are worried they might unknowingly import products that are harboring the virus.

And what about among wild animals? I mean, how do you even begin to get your head around that?

Yeah, I mean, thinking about vaccinating wild animals maybe makes vaccinating all the chickens in the US look easy. There has been some discussion of limited vaccination campaigns, but that’s not feasible on a global scale. So unfortunately, the bottom line is there isn’t a good way to stop spread in wild animals. We can try to protect some vulnerable populations, but we’re not going to stop the circulation of this virus.

So, Emily, we started this conversation with a kind of curiosity that “The Daily” had about the price of eggs. And then you explained the bird flu to us. And then somehow we ended up learning about an ecological disaster that’s unfolding all around us, and potentially the source of the next human pandemic. That is pretty scary.

It is scary, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed by it. And I feel like I should take a step back and say none of this is inevitable. None of this is necessarily happening tomorrow. But this is why scientists are concerned and why they think it’s really important to keep a very close eye on what’s happening both on farms and off farms, as this virus spreads through all sorts of animal populations.

One thing that comes up again and again and again in my interviews with people who have been studying bird flu for decades, is how this virus never stops surprising them. And sometimes those are bad surprises, like these elephant seal die-offs, the incursions into dairy cattle. But there are some encouraging signs that have emerged recently. We’re starting to see some early evidence that some of the bird populations that survived early brushes with this virus might be developing some immunity. So that’s something that maybe could help slow the spread of this virus in animal populations.

We just don’t entirely know how this is going to play out. Flu is a very difficult, wily foe. And so that’s one reason scientists are trying to keep such a close, attentive eye on what’s happening.

Emily, thank you.

Thanks for having me.

Here’s what else you should know today.

On this vote, the yeas are 366 and the nays are 58. The bill is passed.

On Saturday, in four back-to-back votes, the House voted resoundingly to approve a long-stalled package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and other American allies, delivering a major victory to President Biden, who made aid to Ukraine one of his top priorities.

On this vote, the yeas are 385, and the no’s are 34 with one answering present. The bill is passed without objection.

The House passed the component parts of the $95 billion package, which included a bill that could result in a nationwide ban of TikTok.

On this vote, the yeas are 311 and the nays are 112. The bill is passed.

Oh, one voting present. I missed it, but thank you.

In a remarkable breach of custom, Democrats stepped in to supply the crucial votes to push the legislation past hard-line Republican opposition and bring it to the floor.

The House will be in order.

The Senate is expected to pass the legislation as early as Tuesday.

Today’s episode was produced by Rikki Novetsky, Nina Feldman, Eric Krupke, and Alex Stern. It was edited by Lisa Chow and Patricia Willens; contains original music by Marion Lozano, Dan Powell, Rowan Niemisto, and Sophia Lanman; and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Andrew Jacobs.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Sabrina Tavernise. See you tomorrow.

• April 24, 2024   •   32:18 Is $60 Billion Enough to Save Ukraine?
• April 23, 2024   •   30:30 A Salacious Conspiracy or Just 34 Pieces of Paper?
• April 22, 2024   •   24:30 The Evolving Danger of the New Bird Flu
• April 19, 2024   •   30:42 The Supreme Court Takes Up Homelessness
• April 18, 2024   •   30:07 The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial
• April 17, 2024   •   24:52 Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?
• April 16, 2024   •   29:29 A.I.’s Original Sin
• April 15, 2024   •   24:07 Iran’s Unprecedented Attack on Israel
• April 14, 2024   •   46:17 The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’
• April 12, 2024   •   34:23 How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam
• April 11, 2024   •   28:39 The Staggering Success of Trump’s Trial Delay Tactics
• April 10, 2024   •   22:49 Trump’s Abortion Dilemma

Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise

Produced by Rikki Novetsky ,  Nina Feldman ,  Eric Krupke and Alex Stern

Edited by Lisa Chow and Patricia Willens

Original music by Marion Lozano ,  Dan Powell ,  Rowan Niemisto and Sophia Lanman

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

The outbreak of bird flu currently tearing through the nation’s poultry is the worst in U.S. history. Scientists say it is now spreading beyond farms into places and species it has never been before.

Emily Anthes, a science reporter for The Times, explains.

On today’s episode

Emily Anthes , a science reporter for The New York Times.

Background reading

Scientists have faulted the federal response to bird flu outbreaks on dairy farms .

Here’s what to know about the outbreak.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

Special thanks to Andrew Jacobs .

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

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Salt Lake City School District pauses plan to train all students on what restrooms they can use

A presentation planned for students aimed to instruct kids to use the restroom of the gender they were assigned at birth..

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Salt Lake City School District Superintendent Elizabeth Grant speaks during a board meeting at Glendale Middle School, on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023.

The Salt Lake City School District told parents Friday it would scrap its plan to deliver a presentation to all students about Utah’s new transgender public restroom ban, informing children about which restrooms they could use at school.

The presentation was meant to tell students, “If your sex is designated as this, you go to this bathroom, and designated as that, you go to that bathroom,” Superintendent Elizabeth Grant said at a recent school board meeting.

But a copy shared with parents beforehand apparently did not “acknowledge the existence” of transgender and nonbinary children, prompting blowback from student families, said Emerson Elementary parent Kristen Kinjo.

The district initially planned to share the presentation with students while they were in class — during homeroom or a school’s weekly broadcast, for example — by May 1, the day certain enforcement mechanisms of the law, HB257 , will go into effect.

Instead, district officials are now reaching out to impacted families directly to make sure transgender and nonbinary children “have the information they need to create a plan that meets both their student’s needs and the requirements of the law,” according to an email the district sent to parents late Friday afternoon.

If a student is not comfortable in a school restroom that the law requires them to use, the district will help them create a support plan outlined in the district’s G-24 Gender Inclusion policy , Grant said at the board meeting.

“We have students who are going to be placed in very difficult positions by this bathroom bill,” Grant added. “And what our team has done has been sensitive and attentive to the law at the same time.”

‘Lack of clarity’ on how districts should be notifying students

District spokesperson Yándary Chatwin said the district decided to roll back its original plan because of a “lack of clarity” in the law, not parent feedback.

According to the bill’s language , school districts are only required to give notice to students of how the law will work, not necessarily share a presentation like the one the district planned with all children during class.

“We were erring on the side of notifying all students, and some folks were interpreting it differently,” she said. “Our intent has been to follow the laws — to make sure that we’re complying with the requirements of us as a school district.”

Utah State Board of Education spokesperson Ryan Bartlett said in a clarifying statement sent to “education partners” Tuesday that the board “has not provided guidance or direction, nor has USBE been directed by the state Legislature to issue guidance or direction, to [local education agencies, such as school districts] regarding this bill.”

He added that school districts “will determine how best to communicate the requirements listed in the bill to the students and families in their respective communities.”

Bill sponsor Rep. Kera Birkeland, R-Morgan, later reiterated USBE’s message in a statement Thursday.

“Recognizing that each school and school district is unique, with unique students, families, and communities, that requirement is left to the determination of [local education agencies], so as long as it is communicated in a common sense, age-appropriate manner that accounts for the needs of all students,” she wrote.

School ‘should be a safe place’

The Salt Lake City School District’s initial plans also changed Friday after the wave of parent feedback, said Kinjo, whose fourth grader goes to Emerson.

“All the parent chats were blowing up,” she said, noting that the district gave parents the choice to opt their children out of the presentations. “Everyone wanted to keep their kids out of this training.”

In response, Kinjo organized a “15-minute dance party” outside of her child’s school on Friday, protesting the new law as well as the school’s planned presentation to students. There, they passed out transgender pride flags, buttons and stickers.

The school had planned to run the district’s K-5 version of the presentation during its morning announcements that day, but pulled it after Grant told all district schools to do so, according to an email Emerson’s principal sent families 35 minutes before the “dance party” and rally.

A copy of the slideshow, which Kinjo shared with The Tribune, stated: “If you were assigned a girl at birth, you need to use the girl’s bathroom ... if you were assigned a boy at birth, you need to use the boy’s bathroom at school.”

Kinjo said her issue with the district’s planned presentation was that it essentially told students they are either a boy or a girl.

“We see that as threatening an already vulnerable population of children, to tell them that they don’t exist in a space that should be a safe place,” Kinjo said.

Grant told The Tribune that she will be working with her team “about what our next steps are” regarding notifying district students of the new law.

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