It may not be the midnight train to Georgia, but singer Gladys Knight is definitely on the train. The legendary singer is helping Amtrak celebrate its fourth annual National Train Day.
Knight is the national spokesperson for the day celebrating train travel on Saturday, May 7th and will host the big event at Washington D.C.’s Union Station. National Train Day will also be recognized at other stations around the country, including Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station, Chicago’s Union Station and Los Angeles’ Union Station.
National Train Day celebrations will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in those four stations with free events, exhibits and other festivities including model trains, tours and private railroad cars.
“This year’s event will kick-off the 40th anniversary of Amtrak and is an opportunity to celebrate the company’s contributions to the history and future of passenger rail in this country,” said Emmett Fremaux, Amtrak’s vice president of marketing and product development. “National Train Day promises to delight the kid in all of us with a day dedicated to celebrating all things rail.”
Knight is actually a train enthusiast. Her 1973 Grammy Award-winning song “Midnight Train to Georgia” was changed from its original title, “Midnight Plane to Houston.” Cissy Houston, who recorded the song a year earlier than the Knight and the Pips, was the first person to record the song with its new title.
