Amtrak · New York, NY – Chicago, IL
Cardinal Cell Service & Coverage Map
Modeled coverage on board the Cardinal, New York, NY to Chicago, IL. On the train, AT&T has the most solid coverage at 82% of the route, ahead of Verizon (80%) and T-Mobile (71%). Amber stretches are spotty: signal often works but may drop. AT&T's longest true dead zone runs about 29 miles between Staunton and Clifton Forge.
The whole line at a glance
Chicago, IL on the left, New York, NY on the right. Scroll sideways on a phone. Hover a band for its mileposts. Verizon, on the train.
Carriers compared on the train
| Carrier | Coverage mix | Solid | Spotty | 5G | Dead-zone miles | Longest gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Best on board | 82% | 8% | 65% | 113 | 28.7 mi | |
| Verizon | 80% | 15% | 31% | 56 | 19.5 mi | |
| T-Mobile | 71% | 18% | 66% | 121 | 20.3 mi |
Coverage summary
Verizon · On the train (in-vehicle model)
of the route has solid Verizon service on the train, plus 15% spotty
has modeled 5G; 23% at the faster 35/3 Mbps tier
longest dead zone (no signal in either model), between Thurmond and Montgomery
longest unbroken covered stretch, between Philadelphia and Wilmington
- 5G NR · 35/3 Mbps 23.1%
- 5G NR · 7/1 Mbps 7.6%
- 4G LTE 48.9%
- Spotty (outdoor-strength only) 15.4%
- No modeled coverage 4.9%
- Not yet processed 0.1%
Plan downloads and calls around Thurmond–Montgomery (29.7 mi without coverage), Prince–Thurmond (8.5 mi without coverage), Clifton Forge–White Sulphur Springs (7.3 mi without coverage).
Verizon · Outdoor model
of the route has solid Verizon service outdoors
has modeled 5G; 62% at the faster 35/3 Mbps tier
longest dead zone (no signal in either model), between Thurmond and Montgomery
longest unbroken covered stretch, between Connersville and Indianapolis
- 5G NR · 35/3 Mbps 61.8%
- 5G NR · 7/1 Mbps 7.2%
- 4G LTE 26.0%
- No modeled coverage 4.9%
- Not yet processed 0.1%
Plan downloads and calls around Thurmond–Montgomery (29.7 mi without coverage), Prince–Thurmond (8.5 mi without coverage), Clifton Forge–White Sulphur Springs (7.3 mi without coverage).
AT&T · On the train (in-vehicle model)
of the route has solid AT&T service on the train, plus 8% spotty
has modeled 5G; 53% at the faster 35/3 Mbps tier
longest dead zone (no signal in either model), between Staunton and Clifton Forge
longest unbroken covered stretch, between Trenton and Philadelphia
- 5G NR · 35/3 Mbps 53.2%
- 5G NR · 7/1 Mbps 11.5%
- 4G LTE 17.1%
- Spotty (outdoor-strength only) 8.1%
- No modeled coverage 9.9%
- Not yet processed 0.1%
Plan downloads and calls around Staunton–Clifton Forge (37.4 mi without coverage), Thurmond–Montgomery (18.1 mi without coverage), Hinton–Prince (16.7 mi without coverage).
AT&T · Outdoor model
of the route has solid AT&T service outdoors
has modeled 5G; 68% at the faster 35/3 Mbps tier
longest dead zone (no signal in either model), between Staunton and Clifton Forge
longest unbroken covered stretch, between Crawfordsville and Lafayette
- 5G NR · 35/3 Mbps 67.7%
- 5G NR · 7/1 Mbps 12.4%
- 4G LTE 9.7%
- No modeled coverage 10.1%
- Not yet processed 0.1%
Plan downloads and calls around Staunton–Clifton Forge (37.2 mi without coverage), Thurmond–Montgomery (17.6 mi without coverage), Hinton–Prince (16.5 mi without coverage).
T-Mobile · On the train (in-vehicle model)
of the route has solid T-Mobile service on the train, plus 18% spotty
has modeled 5G; 54% at the faster 35/3 Mbps tier
longest dead zone (no signal in either model), near Thurmond, WV
longest unbroken covered stretch, between Cincinnati and Connersville
- 5G NR · 35/3 Mbps 54.0%
- 5G NR · 7/1 Mbps 11.9%
- 4G LTE 5.5%
- Spotty (outdoor-strength only) 17.9%
- No modeled coverage 10.6%
- Not yet processed 0.1%
Plan downloads and calls around Thurmond–Montgomery (23.4 mi without coverage), Staunton–Clifton Forge (18.3 mi without coverage), Culpeper–Charlottesville (12.7 mi without coverage).
T-Mobile · Outdoor model
of the route has solid T-Mobile service outdoors
has modeled 5G; 81% at the faster 35/3 Mbps tier
longest dead zone (no signal in either model), near Thurmond, WV
longest unbroken covered stretch, between Trenton and Philadelphia
- 5G NR · 35/3 Mbps 80.9%
- 5G NR · 7/1 Mbps 6.1%
- 4G LTE 1.8%
- No modeled coverage 11.0%
- Not yet processed 0.1%
Plan downloads and calls around Thurmond–Montgomery (24.0 mi without coverage), Staunton–Clifton Forge (18.5 mi without coverage), Culpeper–Charlottesville (13.3 mi without coverage).
Station to station
In timetable order from New York, NY. Distances are along the track. Follows the carrier and model selected on the map.
| Segment | Miles | Coverage mix | Solid | 5G | Longest gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York → Newark | 10 | 100% | 87% | — | |
| Newark → Trenton | 48 | 99% | 57% | — | |
| Trenton → Philadelphia | 32 | 100% | 51% | — | |
| Philadelphia → Wilmington | 26 | 100% | 57% | — | |
| Wilmington → Baltimore | 68 | 90% | 43% | — | |
| Baltimore → Washington | 40 | 91% | 29% | — | |
| Washington → Alexandria | 8 | 100% | 49% | — | |
| Alexandria → Manassas | 24 | 81% | 43% | — | |
| Manassas → Culpeper | 35 | 88% | 33% | — | |
| Culpeper → Charlottesville | 48 | 48% | 12% | 0.6 mi | |
| Charlottesville → Staunton | 39 | 91% | 36% | — | |
| Staunton → Clifton Forge | 56 | 35% | 7% | 5.4 mi | |
| Clifton Forge → White Sulphur Springs | 34 | 63% | 18% | 7.3 mi | |
| White Sulphur Springs → Alderson | 23 | 39% | 0% | 1.0 mi | |
| Alderson → Hinton | 21 | 97% | 0% | — | |
| Hinton → Prince | 23 | 30% | 0% | 0.3 mi | |
| Prince → Thurmond | 11 | 0% | 0% | 7.1 mi | |
| Thurmond → Montgomery | 37 | 1% | 1% | 19.5 mi | |
| Montgomery → Charleston | 26 | 95% | 45% | — | |
| Charleston → Huntington | 51 | 96% | 42% | — | |
| Huntington → Ashland | 15 | 100% | 63% | — | |
| Ashland → South Shore | 29 | 94% | 45% | — | |
| South Shore → Maysville | 54 | 77% | 23% | 0.3 mi | |
| Maysville → Cincinnati | 64 | 81% | 22% | — | |
| Cincinnati → Connersville | 65 | 92% | 44% | — | |
| Connersville → Indianapolis | 57 | 89% | 31% | — | |
| Indianapolis → Crawfordsville | 48 | 98% | 37% | — | |
| Crawfordsville → Lafayette | 27 | 100% | 34% | — | |
| Lafayette → Rensselaer | 47 | 77% | 22% | — | |
| Rensselaer → Dyer | 45 | 94% | 15% | — | |
| Dyer → Chicago | 28 | 98% | 50% | — |
| Segment | Miles | Coverage mix | Solid | 5G | Longest gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York → Newark | 10 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Newark → Trenton | 48 | 100% | 90% | — | |
| Trenton → Philadelphia | 32 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Philadelphia → Wilmington | 26 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Wilmington → Baltimore | 68 | 100% | 91% | — | |
| Baltimore → Washington | 40 | 100% | 87% | — | |
| Washington → Alexandria | 8 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Alexandria → Manassas | 24 | 100% | 83% | — | |
| Manassas → Culpeper | 35 | 100% | 74% | — | |
| Culpeper → Charlottesville | 48 | 99% | 25% | 0.6 mi | |
| Charlottesville → Staunton | 39 | 100% | 63% | — | |
| Staunton → Clifton Forge | 56 | 88% | 23% | 5.4 mi | |
| Clifton Forge → White Sulphur Springs | 34 | 79% | 39% | 7.3 mi | |
| White Sulphur Springs → Alderson | 23 | 92% | 0% | 1.0 mi | |
| Alderson → Hinton | 21 | 100% | 0% | — | |
| Hinton → Prince | 23 | 99% | 0% | 0.3 mi | |
| Prince → Thurmond | 11 | 23% | 0% | 7.1 mi | |
| Thurmond → Montgomery | 37 | 19% | 1% | 19.5 mi | |
| Montgomery → Charleston | 26 | 100% | 70% | — | |
| Charleston → Huntington | 51 | 100% | 84% | — | |
| Huntington → Ashland | 15 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Ashland → South Shore | 29 | 100% | 83% | — | |
| South Shore → Maysville | 54 | 99% | 75% | 0.4 mi | |
| Maysville → Cincinnati | 64 | 100% | 76% | — | |
| Cincinnati → Connersville | 65 | 100% | 78% | — | |
| Connersville → Indianapolis | 57 | 100% | 84% | — | |
| Indianapolis → Crawfordsville | 48 | 100% | 99% | — | |
| Crawfordsville → Lafayette | 27 | 100% | 96% | — | |
| Lafayette → Rensselaer | 47 | 100% | 78% | — | |
| Rensselaer → Dyer | 45 | 100% | 80% | — | |
| Dyer → Chicago | 28 | 100% | 100% | — |
| Segment | Miles | Coverage mix | Solid | 5G | Longest gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York → Newark | 10 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Newark → Trenton | 48 | 100% | 93% | — | |
| Trenton → Philadelphia | 32 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Philadelphia → Wilmington | 26 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Wilmington → Baltimore | 68 | 100% | 80% | — | |
| Baltimore → Washington | 40 | 100% | 95% | — | |
| Washington → Alexandria | 8 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Alexandria → Manassas | 24 | 100% | 82% | — | |
| Manassas → Culpeper | 35 | 97% | 89% | — | |
| Culpeper → Charlottesville | 48 | 63% | 44% | 7.9 mi | |
| Charlottesville → Staunton | 39 | 95% | 42% | — | |
| Staunton → Clifton Forge | 56 | 23% | 6% | 28.7 mi | |
| Clifton Forge → White Sulphur Springs | 34 | 61% | 21% | 4.7 mi | |
| White Sulphur Springs → Alderson | 23 | 48% | 23% | 3.6 mi | |
| Alderson → Hinton | 21 | 28% | 17% | 5.0 mi | |
| Hinton → Prince | 23 | 14% | 14% | 11.1 mi | |
| Prince → Thurmond | 11 | 4% | 0% | 3.6 mi | |
| Thurmond → Montgomery | 37 | 27% | 13% | 7.9 mi | |
| Montgomery → Charleston | 26 | 86% | 77% | 0.5 mi | |
| Charleston → Huntington | 51 | 97% | 91% | — | |
| Huntington → Ashland | 15 | 100% | 96% | — | |
| Ashland → South Shore | 29 | 88% | 88% | — | |
| South Shore → Maysville | 54 | 77% | 52% | 2.1 mi | |
| Maysville → Cincinnati | 64 | 97% | 84% | — | |
| Cincinnati → Connersville | 65 | 90% | 67% | 1.0 mi | |
| Connersville → Indianapolis | 57 | 95% | 72% | — | |
| Indianapolis → Crawfordsville | 48 | 99% | 91% | — | |
| Crawfordsville → Lafayette | 27 | 92% | 55% | — | |
| Lafayette → Rensselaer | 47 | 86% | 36% | — | |
| Rensselaer → Dyer | 45 | 94% | 73% | — | |
| Dyer → Chicago | 28 | 100% | 98% | — |
| Segment | Miles | Coverage mix | Solid | 5G | Longest gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York → Newark | 10 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Newark → Trenton | 48 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Trenton → Philadelphia | 32 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Philadelphia → Wilmington | 26 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Wilmington → Baltimore | 68 | 100% | 96% | — | |
| Baltimore → Washington | 40 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Washington → Alexandria | 8 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Alexandria → Manassas | 24 | 100% | 98% | — | |
| Manassas → Culpeper | 35 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Culpeper → Charlottesville | 48 | 80% | 67% | 8.3 mi | |
| Charlottesville → Staunton | 39 | 100% | 56% | — | |
| Staunton → Clifton Forge | 56 | 34% | 16% | 28.4 mi | |
| Clifton Forge → White Sulphur Springs | 34 | 82% | 39% | 4.8 mi | |
| White Sulphur Springs → Alderson | 23 | 78% | 60% | 3.6 mi | |
| Alderson → Hinton | 21 | 52% | 37% | 4.9 mi | |
| Hinton → Prince | 23 | 27% | 19% | 11.1 mi | |
| Prince → Thurmond | 11 | 55% | 20% | 3.6 mi | |
| Thurmond → Montgomery | 37 | 52% | 18% | 7.9 mi | |
| Montgomery → Charleston | 26 | 96% | 88% | 1.1 mi | |
| Charleston → Huntington | 51 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Huntington → Ashland | 15 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Ashland → South Shore | 29 | 100% | 97% | — | |
| South Shore → Maysville | 54 | 91% | 80% | 2.0 mi | |
| Maysville → Cincinnati | 64 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Cincinnati → Connersville | 65 | 97% | 80% | 1.0 mi | |
| Connersville → Indianapolis | 57 | 100% | 99% | — | |
| Indianapolis → Crawfordsville | 48 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Crawfordsville → Lafayette | 27 | 100% | 83% | — | |
| Lafayette → Rensselaer | 47 | 100% | 83% | — | |
| Rensselaer → Dyer | 45 | 100% | 98% | — | |
| Dyer → Chicago | 28 | 100% | 100% | — |
| Segment | Miles | Coverage mix | Solid | 5G | Longest gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York → Newark | 10 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Newark → Trenton | 48 | 88% | 79% | — | |
| Trenton → Philadelphia | 32 | 97% | 93% | — | |
| Philadelphia → Wilmington | 26 | 98% | 98% | — | |
| Wilmington → Baltimore | 68 | 97% | 87% | — | |
| Baltimore → Washington | 40 | 94% | 89% | — | |
| Washington → Alexandria | 8 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Alexandria → Manassas | 24 | 89% | 81% | — | |
| Manassas → Culpeper | 35 | 92% | 85% | — | |
| Culpeper → Charlottesville | 48 | 37% | 36% | 9.1 mi | |
| Charlottesville → Staunton | 39 | 71% | 63% | — | |
| Staunton → Clifton Forge | 56 | 40% | 38% | 15.2 mi | |
| Clifton Forge → White Sulphur Springs | 34 | 59% | 55% | 8.1 mi | |
| White Sulphur Springs → Alderson | 23 | 32% | 27% | 4.2 mi | |
| Alderson → Hinton | 21 | 88% | 77% | — | |
| Hinton → Prince | 23 | 30% | 26% | 6.8 mi | |
| Prince → Thurmond | 11 | 0% | 0% | 6.9 mi | |
| Thurmond → Montgomery | 37 | 24% | 23% | 17.2 mi | |
| Montgomery → Charleston | 26 | 99% | 97% | — | |
| Charleston → Huntington | 51 | 93% | 93% | — | |
| Huntington → Ashland | 15 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Ashland → South Shore | 29 | 97% | 92% | — | |
| South Shore → Maysville | 54 | 55% | 46% | 3.1 mi | |
| Maysville → Cincinnati | 64 | 55% | 48% | 0.9 mi | |
| Cincinnati → Connersville | 65 | 79% | 77% | 7.3 mi | |
| Connersville → Indianapolis | 57 | 58% | 51% | 4.7 mi | |
| Indianapolis → Crawfordsville | 48 | 87% | 78% | — | |
| Crawfordsville → Lafayette | 27 | 86% | 77% | — | |
| Lafayette → Rensselaer | 47 | 29% | 22% | 1.6 mi | |
| Rensselaer → Dyer | 45 | 86% | 76% | — | |
| Dyer → Chicago | 28 | 100% | 93% | — |
| Segment | Miles | Coverage mix | Solid | 5G | Longest gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York → Newark | 10 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Newark → Trenton | 48 | 100% | 99% | — | |
| Trenton → Philadelphia | 32 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Philadelphia → Wilmington | 26 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Wilmington → Baltimore | 68 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Baltimore → Washington | 40 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Washington → Alexandria | 8 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Alexandria → Manassas | 24 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Manassas → Culpeper | 35 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Culpeper → Charlottesville | 48 | 72% | 72% | 9.5 mi | |
| Charlottesville → Staunton | 39 | 99% | 94% | 0.3 mi | |
| Staunton → Clifton Forge | 56 | 67% | 66% | 15.3 mi | |
| Clifton Forge → White Sulphur Springs | 34 | 69% | 69% | 10.1 mi | |
| White Sulphur Springs → Alderson | 23 | 65% | 64% | 8.2 mi | |
| Alderson → Hinton | 21 | 100% | 97% | — | |
| Hinton → Prince | 23 | 45% | 43% | 6.8 mi | |
| Prince → Thurmond | 11 | 7% | 0% | 7.1 mi | |
| Thurmond → Montgomery | 37 | 34% | 31% | 19.1 mi | |
| Montgomery → Charleston | 26 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Charleston → Huntington | 51 | 100% | 99% | — | |
| Huntington → Ashland | 15 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Ashland → South Shore | 29 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| South Shore → Maysville | 54 | 88% | 86% | 3.1 mi | |
| Maysville → Cincinnati | 64 | 96% | 89% | 1.2 mi | |
| Cincinnati → Connersville | 65 | 89% | 87% | 7.1 mi | |
| Connersville → Indianapolis | 57 | 86% | 81% | 4.8 mi | |
| Indianapolis → Crawfordsville | 48 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Crawfordsville → Lafayette | 27 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Lafayette → Rensselaer | 47 | 92% | 84% | 1.8 mi | |
| Rensselaer → Dyer | 45 | 100% | 100% | — | |
| Dyer → Chicago | 28 | 100% | 100% | — |
Cardinal cell service FAQ
Does the Cardinal have cell service?
For most of the trip, yes. Inside the train, solid coverage (the FCC's in-vehicle model) reaches 82% for AT&T, 80% for Verizon, 71% for T-Mobile of the 1,141-mile route from New York, NY to Chicago, IL. Much of the rest is spotty rather than dead: AT&T has some signal on 90%, Verizon has some signal on 95%, T-Mobile has some signal on 89%.
Which carrier is best on the Cardinal?
AT&T has the most modeled on-train coverage (82%), with 5G on 65% of the route. Verizon covers 80% and T-Mobile covers 71%.
Where is the longest dead zone on the Cardinal?
AT&T: about 29 miles between Staunton and Clifton Forge. Verizon: about 20 miles between Thurmond and Montgomery. T-Mobile: about 20 miles near Thurmond, WV.
Does Amtrak Wi-Fi work on the Cardinal?
Amtrak Wi-Fi relies on cellular networks, so it generally weakens or drops in the same places your phone does. Expect it to be unreliable through the dead zones shown on this map.
How accurate is this coverage map?
It reflects carrier-reported modeled coverage published by the FCC (data as of Dec 31, 2025). It is not an onboard measurement. BarTrakr shows the FCC's in-vehicle model by default; the outdoor model is available with the Outdoor switch.
Can I use BarTrakr on the train without signal?
Yes. Tap “Save for offline” before you board. The route, coverage data and map background up to zoom 10 are stored on your device, and live tracking uses your phone's GPS, which works without cell service.
About this data
- Coverage: FCC Broadband Data Collection mobile coverage for Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, release D25 (as of Dec 31, 2025, published Oct 13, 2026).
- Route: U.S. DOT / BTS National Transportation Atlas Database, Amtrak Routes. Stations and stop order: Amtrak GTFS.
- On the train: colored where the FCC in-vehicle model shows coverage; amber (spotty) where only the outdoor model does; red where neither does.
- Stretches shorter than a quarter mile are merged into their neighbors; at train speed they last only seconds.