Obama embarks on train journey to Washington for inauguration

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U.S. President-elect Barack Obama (2nd R), his wife  Michelle (R), Vice President-elect Joe Biden (L) and his  wife Jill board their train at a station in Wilmington, Delaware, January 17, 2009.REUTERS/Jim Young (UNITED STATES)

Obama and his family started the train journey from Philadelphia earlier on Saturday. Before boarding, Obama addressed several hundred guests gathered inside a hall at Philadelphia's historic 30th Street train station. He said the country is facing severe challenges and the spiritual legacy of America's Founding Fathers is now needed more than ever.

Obama said, "Let's make sure this election is not the end of what we do to change America, but just the beginning. Join me in this effort. Join one another in this effort, and together, mindful of our proud history and hopeful for the future, let's seek a better world in our time."

Obama's private charter train is also expected to stop in Baltimore, Maryland, before winding up in Washington on Tuesday. By taking the train trip, Obama is following in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln, who undertook a similar journey to the nation's capital for his 1861 inauguration.