Panama Limited

*Panama Limited*
	Postcard depiction of the train, c. 1917.
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	discontinued
Locale	Central United States
First service	February 4, 1911 (IC); November 14, 1971 (Amtrak)
Last service	April 30, 1971 (IC); February 1, 1981 (Amtrak)
Successor	City of New Orleans
Former operator(s)	Illinois Central Railroad (1911–1971); Amtrak (1971–1981)
Route
Termini	Chicago, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; New Orleans, Louisiana;
Stops	19 (Chicago - New Orleans); 20 (New Orleans - Chicago); 17 (St. Louis - New Orleans);
Average journey time	16 hours 30 minutes (Chicago - New Orleans); 14 hours 15 minutes (St. Louis - New Orleans);
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	5 (Chicago - New Orleans); 6 (New Orleans - Chicago); 105-5 (St. Louis - New Orleans); 6-16 (New Orleans - St. Louis);
On-board services
Seating arrangements	No coaches
Sleeping arrangements	Sections, roomettes, double bedrooms, drawing room, compartment
Catering facilities	Dining car
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Operating speed	55.8 mph (Chicago - New Orleans); 49.8 mph (St. Louis - New Orleans); 48.1 mph (New Orleans - St. Louis);
Track owner(s)	Illinois Central Railroad

The Panama Limited was a passenger train operated from 1911 to 1971 between Chicago, Illinois, and New Orleans, Louisiana. The flagship train of the Illinois Central Railroad, it took its name from the Panama Canal, which in 1911 was three years from completion. For most of its career, the train was "all-Pullman", carrying sleeping cars only. The Panama Limited was one of many trains discontinued when Amtrak began operations in 1971, though Amtrak revived the name later that year and continued it until 1981.

Since 1981, overnight service between Chicago and New Orleans is provided by Amtrak's City of New Orleans, another former Illinois Central train that before Amtrak was the daytime counterpart of the Panama Limited.