Halloway is putting private railcars onto Amtrak, with chef-driven luxury and high design. Welcome to the new era of great American rail vacations.
The Return Of Slow Travel, With A Very American Twist
For decades, Americans have treated trains like a nostalgia act or a necessary evil. You rode rail for leaf peeping, for the novelty, or because air traffic control has failed and you needed a backup plan that did not involve a rental car counter.
Meanwhile, overseas, the narrative stayed romantic. Sleeper cabins, white tablecloths, scenery that actually matters, and a sense that the journey is the point. That gap is exactly what Halloway is trying to close by attaching restored private railcars to existing Amtrak routes and selling the whole thing as an exclusive, all-in, small-group luxury experience. All of that romance, of course, ignores the majority of rail journeys in Europe which are functional and anything but a vacation.
Finally, An American Take On Classic Rail Experiences
Halloway’s initial play is straightforward: take iconic western routes, add a pair of vintage railcars, then run them as “exclusive use” trips for up to six guests. The two headline routes are:
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Coast Starlight between Los Angeles and Oakland starting at $10,000 for exclusive use
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California Zephyr from Northern California to Denver starting at $18,500
The proposition is “hotel suite meets private dining car,” with inclusions that are clearly designed to make the sticker shock feel less shocking. All meals are prepared by a private chef, laundry and nightly turndown service completes the service.
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The key detail is that these cars are added to regularly scheduled Amtrak services, so you are not buying a brand-new rail network, you are buying a premium layer on top of the one we already have. That is smart. It’s also the part that will matter most when things go sideways, because you’re ultimately living inside Amtrak’s operational reality, not floating above it.
Eventually, it may be an incredible way to see the national parks of the western United States rolling by the Grand Canyon, the Grand Tetons, or Zion National Park.
Orient Express, Belmond, And The Luxury Rail Renaissance
If you feel like luxury trains are suddenly everywhere, it’s because they kind of are.
The revived Orient Express La Dolce Vita is a perfect example of the “new-old” model: heritage styling, modern luxury expectations, and itineraries designed to sell the fantasy of a place, not just transport through it. Publicly cited starting prices for a one-night itinerary sit around €3,500 per person (with higher tiers for suites) with three-night journeys significantly more.
Then there’s Belmond, which has long owned the “this is not just a train, it’s an event” space. Belmond’s Britannic Explorer is positioned as a luxury sleeper experience in the UK, with reporting pegging early pricing around £6,300 per person for a three-night journey, and a launch window in July 2025. My agency booked a client on Belmond’s Peruvian Andean Explorer and raved about it (though I haven’t experienced it personally.)
What’s behind the resurgence is not complicated. Luxury travelers are tired of friction, airports are the epitome of struggle, and “slow travel” has become the socially acceptable way to say, “I want something that feels luxurious and intentional.” High-end rail also allows operators to bundle lodging, dining, and curated experiences into one product, which is exactly what premium travel has been doing everywhere else.
The US Opening: Domestic Luxury That Does Not Feel Like A Compromise
The US has no shortage of scenery. What it’s lacked is an easy, repeatable way to experience that scenery comfortably without turning the trip into an endurance sport. That’s why Halloway’s approach is interesting. It’s not trying to convince Americans to abandon flights for trains on time-sensitive trips. It’s targeting a different traveler entirely: someone who would normally book a high-end lodge stay, a multi-day road trip, or a milestone celebration, and wants the travel days to feel like part of the vacation rather than a tax.
There’s also a local-rival-to-global angle here that should not be underestimated. Plenty of Americans will happily spend for a once-in-a-lifetime rail trip abroad, but would also love a version that does not require a transatlantic flight, currency conversion, and a week of planning just to get to the starting line. Halloway is trying to sell that same emotional payoff with a US backdrop.
Rocky Mountaineer has offered Canadian and US rail services for sightseeing, longer trips featuring glass dome observation coaches but it doesn’t achieve the same level of design, though a reliable, quality travel provider for decades.
Why It Works, Or Why It Doesn’t
This concept has real upside, but it’s not bulletproof.
Reasons it may work: the group size is limited, which fits premium celebrations and “travel with friends” dynamics. The routes are proven crowd-pleasers. And the price, while eye-watering, starts to look more rational when you frame it as six people buying a moving private suite with chef service attached.
Reasons it may fail: reliability. The moment you are tied to Amtrak operations, you inherit the risk. Delays are not a quirky anecdote when you’ve sold a tightly choreographed luxury product. Another risk is that US luxury travelers may love the idea of the train more than the reality of being on one for an extended stretch, especially if the service misses even slightly on food, sleep comfort, or pacing.
And then there’s the biggest challenge: scale. The minute demand rises, the experience has to stay rare enough to feel special while becoming common enough to run profitably. That is a difficult line to walk in any luxury category, and even more so on rails you don’t own.
Conclusion
Halloway is tapping into something real: a hunger for travel that feels slower, more private, and more memorable than another airport lounge and a tight connection. The pricing tells you exactly who this is for, and the product design suggests the company understands that luxury is less about gold trim and more about control, calm, and consistency. If Halloway can deliver a truly high-touch experience while navigating the operational reality of Amtrak, it has a shot at building an American counterpart to the legendary rail journeys overseas. If it can’t, it risks becoming a great idea that looks better on paper, and on Instagram, than it feels at hour twelve on the tracks.
What do you think?
I think making it a “book the whole cabin experience” is interesting. Versus just having individual suites that anyone can book.
I’m looking at the Indian pacific train in Australia (from Perth to Sydney). It’s largely booked out months in advance and costs 3-4kusd for one suite.
Comparing it to flying in first class internationally it’s actually a good deal if you’re merely paying for the travel experience. 4-5 days in a private suite with a double bed and you’re own shower etc.
Having reliable WiFi and cell on the entire route is also critical for that market. Not sure that is yet the case. Starlink maybe?
A difficult dream to achieve, indeed… Yet, good luck to Halloway anyway!
I’d choo-choo-choose that!
The Amtrak Empire Builder ( Seattle to Chicago ) has often pulled private cars. I enjoy rail travel when possible. Traveling in the last double decker sleeper, I could look down and into the single private behind me. Amtrak employee said it was bill Cosby although I never saw him.
I am all for this if folks are ready to experience something different.
Saw him at the Philadelphia lounge in the 2010s. Was sprawled out trying to rest in a Temple sweatshirt. Then a guest came over asking for pictures. When he did…he went into his old act…”HERE…come HERE”.
Best rail vacation I ever took was Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Canadian Rockies. I ponied up the extra $$$ to travel in “Gold Leaf” class and also upgraded our Fairmont rooms in Jasper, Lake Louise, Banff to club level. IT WAS A FLAWLESS EXPERIENCE! The scenery, onboard food, onboard service, and the total experience was worth every last penny IMHO. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
This doesn’t seem too dissimilar to the Ghan or Indian Pacific rail journeys in Australia, or the Blue Train in South Africa. I could see the appeal of something like that here (I’d probably sign up for one of these myself), but I see two possible flaws. One, it appears from the website that they’re only selling the rail trip in a fancy car, and not offering any kind of excursions on top of that. I’d think they’d have more success offering this cruise line-style with either a pre-or-post trip add-on, or a way to break the journey in the middle with a side excursion (like what you can currently do on the Empire Builder if you want to stop at Glacier National Park). Two, the way this is set up seems like a really inefficient use of space. The two railcars used on the California Zephyr have seating for 38 and sleeping space for 10 – but the entire space can only be booked by 6. At the very least, with all that extra space, why not allow people to pay more to add more passengers, especially if someone has a larger family? With all that in mind, I have to question how economically viable this is.
Yeah maybe copy ghan or Indian pacific and have 2-4 cars one of which is for dining.
Reliability. Until US rail can be priority for passenger trains over cargo trains, this won’t sell. I have only taken Amtrak a couple times, and while it was fine, I expected delays because I knew–passenger trains are second in the US (except maybe if you are on a DC/NY line). Brightline has the brightest idea by privatizing the rail itself so it can control it. This is not Europe and until our regulators and legislators get a transportation mindset that acts like we care, we will remain the secondary priority.
And I wish that were not the case.
Do they load an extra day’s worth of food for when your two-day journey takes three? Helicopter rescues for when Amtrak is delayed more than 24 hours?
Oh no andy experienced passengers ( self) usually bring enough to get by for a several days. And are willing to share! ; )