[1] While the series was heavily advertised during the 1978-1979 season, it received poor reviews and low ratings, with 16.24 million viewers watching its premiere.

He compared the futuristic train to his traditional ideas of a Pullman locomotive and describes the environment as "bigger, gaudier, and noisier, including the passengers.

Mackenzie found fault with the show's reliance on the extravagant train to wow the audience and the lack of character depth or entertaining plot.

The article begins, "NBC's highly-promoted new Supertrain series features a slick new train of tomorrow, with a script from yesterday...it seeks to overwhelm, but underwhelms instead.

The choices of the producer, Dan Curtis, were harshly criticized, saying he was "neglecting characterizations for the sake of camera angles, and his contribution is a sorrowful one.

"[2] Mike Post (Steve Lawrence), a passenger with a large gambling debt, finds himself the target of an unknown assassin on the train.

In the opening credits, Winfield Root, the chairman of the fictitious company Trans Allied Corporation, mentions they will create an "atom-powered steam turbine machine capable of crossing this country in 36 hours."

The maiden voyage left Grand Central Terminal in New York City 22 months later en route to Los Angeles.

Main Cast: Edward Andrews as Harry Flood, Patrick Collins as Dave Noonan, Harrison Page as George Boone, Robert Alda as Dr. Dan Lewis, Nita Talbot as Rose Casey, Aarika Wells as Gilda, Bill Nuckols as Wally (credited as William Nuckols), Michael DeLano as Lou Atkins (credited as Michael Delano), and Charlie Brill as Robert.

Other Guests: John Karlen as Quinn, Frank Christi as Tony Packoe (credited as Frank R. Christi), H.M. Wynant as Fairmont, Anthony Palmer as T. C. Baker, Howard Honig as Sam Howard, Allen Williams as Riley, Parley Baer as Heaton, Sid Conrad as Whittington, Robert Karnes as Martin, Cameron Young as Fenner, Sylvester Words as Porter, Orin Cannon as Stationmaster, Chuck Mitchell as Big Ed, and Bert Conway as Workman.

A man (Larry Linville) frantically tries to catch Supertrain, where a professed hitman (Dick Van Dyke) is targeting his soon-to-be late wife (Barbara Rhoades).

Guest Stars: Paul Sand as Barney Sweet, Mary Louise Weller as Ali (Alexandra Peters, future Queen of Montenegro), Michael V. Gazzo as Menkton, Nehemiah Persoff as Max (Ali's uncle), Steve Franken as Fleck (credited as Steven Franken), Fred Sadoff as unknown, and Kenneth Mars as Turley.