Union Station buzzes with holiday anticipation on biggest travel day of the year before Thanksgiving

Kuryetta Young was ready to fill her plate with cranberry sauce and cornbread and sing karaoke with her family.

But first, she had to sit on an Amtrak train for 12 hours. Traveling from Chicago to Fort Worth, Texas, Young joined thousands of other travelers passing through Union Station Wednesday on the busiest travel day of the year.

"I just want to have a smooth, safe ride," she said.

All together, 11,000 passengers made their way through Union Station on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Martin Sandoval, Amtrak's Midwest government and community affairs manager. The number of travelers was higher than recent years and even surpassed prepandemic levels in 2019, he said. November and December have historically been the months with the highest traffic, thanks to holiday travel.

"It's actually great to see," he said. "You see all walks of life coming into the station. You can literally see it on their faces. There's something magical."

Young looked forward to gathering around the table, eating Thanksgiving classics and grooving to '70s music with her family, like she does every year.

"We're just gonna eat, cook, have a good time," she said. "We always do the same thing: Get together, do karaoke and dancing."

Travelers entered the grandiose station, gazing up at the 50-foot Christmas tree in the center of the Great Hall, aglow with lights and shimmery ornaments that paid homage to every line that has run during the station's 99-year history.

Passengers checked boards for train times as conductors and staff yelled out instructions and reminders. Most trains were running on time, and Amtrak was working extra with railways to ensure safe and efficient trips, Sandoval said.

But to avoid snags, he advised travelers not to procrastinate — booking tickets and getting to the station early are key to a smooth trip, he said. More people are opting for train travel to avoid the headaches of airports and the stress of driving, he said.

"If the train could be the same amount of time as a car, people will choose a train," he said. "Train's here, ready to go, why not?"

Sandoval said travel after the holiday will be just as hectic, if not more so.

The rattle of suitcase wheels on concrete echoed on the underground platform as passengers boarded the afternoon train to Milwaukee. An announcement warned passengers that the train was sold out and told them not to take up more space than their designated seat.

Lauren Terrell waited near the Christmas tree in the Great Hall for her train to St. Louis. Originally from Alabama, Terrell was meeting her family at her grandma's house in downstate O'Fallon, near St. Louis. So far, her travel had gone smoothly, but she kept her fingers crossed for a swift ride and a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.

"I'm happy that I'm still in the age bracket where I don't have to bring anything. I can just eat what everyone else brings," said Terrell, 24. "I'm a mashed potato fiend."

Not everyone at Union Station was heading to a cozy Thanksgiving feast. Kyle Slowka was simply passing through town on a marathon travel day from Ontario to Green Bay, Wisconsin, to watch the Packers take on the Miami Dolphins Thanksgiving night, a birthday gift from his girlfriend. Being Canadian, he thought his travel would be like any other day.

"It didn't quite dawn on us till a couple weeks later that we would be traveling during Thanksgiving," he said while in line to board the Milwaukee train. "So far, so good. A lot of people, but we're navigating it."