Obama begins historic rail trip

Barack Obama begins historic rail trip

US President-elect Barack Obama is retracing the steps of Abraham Lincoln as he travels from Philadelphia to Washington to assume the presidency.

On Saturday, Mr Obama and his family boarded the train to Washington shortly before 1100 (1600 GMT).

The train is passing slowly through towns so Mr Obama can greet crowds.

Along the way, people gathered in Baltimore, Maryland to hear him speak and he called on them to show resilience in tough times.

The trip mirrors the journey Mr Lincoln made as he travelled to Washington in 1861.

Mr Obama will be sworn into office on 20 January - an event expected to draw record crowds.

Obama called on everyone to work to "perfect" the US

In Baltimore, he recalled the troops at Maryland's Fort McHenry, who had defeated the British during the War of 1812. He said it was "time to take up the cause for which they gave so much".

He added:"The trials we face are very different now, but severe in their own right."

Delaware pick-up

The journey began at Philadelphia's 30th Street station, where Mr Obama, a security detail and a media pack boarded the 80-year-old train.

OBAMA'S WHISTLE STOP TOUR 17 JANUARY 2009 1005 (1505 GMT) Philadelphia 1300 (1900 GMT) Wilmington 1615 (2115 GMT) Baltimore Diary: Railroad to the White House Woods set to speak at Obama event

Speaking just before he boarded the train for the 137-mile (220 km) journey, Mr Obama said he would be carrying the hopes of ordinary Americans with him on his journey to Washington.

"Let's make sure this election is not the end of what we do to change America, but just the beginning," he said. "Let's seek a better world in our time."

It crawled though Claymont, Delaware, so the president-elect can greet well-wishers, and then made a stop in Wilmington to pick up Vice-President-elect Joe Biden and his family.

Late on Saturday it will roll into Washington's Union Station - only a short walk from the platform where Mr Obama will take the oath of office on Tuesday.

Before that a number of events are planned to kick off the celebrations.

On Sunday Mr Obama will join several celebrities at an official welcome concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

The following day, Monday, is Martin Luther King Day. Mr Obama, Mr Biden and their families will take part in activities in Washington aimed at encouraging others to help their communities.

An unprecedented security operation is under way in Washington ahead of the inauguration, with as many as two million people expected to attend on the day itself.

You can watch Tuesday's inauguration live on the BBC News website, as well as on BBC World News and BBC One.


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