By Justin Franz
Amtrak announced this week that it was “temporarily” combining the Chicago to Washington D.C., Capitol Limited and the New York City to Miami Silver Star into one train called the Floridian. The “new” train will run from Chicago to Miami via Washington D.C., but will skip New York City. That means there will be one less train running through the East River Tunnel, which is presently being repaired.
The train, which will make its debut on November 10, will run with all single-level equipment, which is another reason why Amtrak is combining the trains: it will free up much-needed Superliner equipment for its western routes currently used by the Capitol.
The Floridian (Trains 40 and 41) will operate on a similar schedule and make the current stops of the Capitol Limited (Trains 29 and 30) between Chicago and Washington, D.C., and the Silver Star (Trains 91 and 92) between Miami and Washington, D.C. The Silver Meteor (Trains 97 and 98) continues to operate daily between New York and Miami.
“The Floridian offers customers an exceptional and sustainable journey to great destinations between Chicago and Miami, providing the amenities and delicious food our guests enjoy when traveling with us,” Amtrak Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Eliot Hamlisch said.
Besides connecting Chicago to Miami with a one-seat ride, the train will also offer traditional dining service.
“Our members have had a long-standing dream of restoring a one-seat ride from the Midwest to Florida, and we’re thrilled that a new generation of American passengers will be able to experience this service for themselves,” said Jim Mathews, President and CEO of the Rail Passengers Association. “This move will free up badly needed equipment while taking pressure off Northeast Corridor infrastructure during the renovation of the ERT Project. Rail Passengers applaud Amtrak for this innovative solution to keeping passengers moving during critical state of good repair work. We believe riders will flock to this new service.”
Amtrak previously used the Floridian name from 1971 until 1979. While the railroad said the combined train would be “temporary” it has not given a timeline for when the Capitol Limited or Silver Star would return.