Washington ? Amtrak is preparing for Thanksgiving, the rail service’s busiest travel period of the year, with extra trains and rail cars added to routes through Chicago, the Midwest and other regions.

The two busiest travel days are expected to be the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 23, and the Sunday after, Nov. 27.

Amtrak saw record ridership last year with more than 700,000 passengers during Thanksgiving week.

Amtrak advises customers to purchase tickets early to avoid the rush and arrive at the station early on the day of travel.

There’s a limit of two carry-on bags per person on Amtrak trains. Passengers should make sure luggage is tagged with a name and address. And passengers should carry a valid photo ID at all times; it may be requested aboard trains.