David KrisoCan anyone believe it, that October is nearly over? Halloween is just two weeks away. From trick or treating, to donning colorful costumes, to attending costume parties, to bobbing for apples (if anyone still does that), the ‘spirit’ of Halloween is at its peak. Soon enough, everyone will be making their Thanksgiving dinner plans. Yes, Christmas shopping will begin, too. As the line goes, “Time flies while having fun!”. Not only will holiday plans be on everyone’s mind, railroad travelers will have a new long-distance route dancing through their heads. Amtrak has announced a brand new long-distance route, a route which took a great sense of creativity to make possible. The new long-distance route is called the Floridian, from Chicago to Miami.
For avid Amtrak travelers, it easy to say that Amtrak never had a long-distance route connecting the Midwest to the Southeast. From Amtrak’s bustling Chicago hub, Amtrak has never run a long-distance train to the Atlantic Coast. Amtrak travelers no longer have to wait. The wait is over. Amtrak’s new Floridian makes that dream journey possible. The route didn’t come without a bit of ‘give and take’. To make the Floridian possible, Amtrak combined two routes into one. Amtrak took the Silver Star (New York City-Miami via Tampa) and the Capitol Limited (Chicago-Washington, DC via Pittsburgh) and merged them into a one new route. In the minds of avid Amtrak travelers, the new route makes a ton of sense. What are the highlights of the new long-distance route? Will the Silver Star and Capitol Limited be missed? No one knows. Whether they will be or not will depend on how the new Floridian turns out. With the new Floridian, the future of long-distance train travel can’t be any brighter. The great news for all Chicago area Amtrak travelers is that they’re no longer disconnected from the Atlantic coast.
Amtrak’s new Floridian begins revenue service on November 10th. The journey begins at Amtrak’s bustling Chicago Union Station. Once given the hi-ball, the Floridian will depart from Chicago Union Station at 6:40 pm CT. The train will make station stops in Elkhart, Toledo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Washington, DC’s Union Station. After a layover in Washington, DC, the train will cross the Potomac River and continue down the Atlantic Seaboard. Just like the Silver Star, the Floridian will make station stops in Richmond, Raleigh, Savannah, Jacksonville, and Orlando. Same as the Silver Star, the Floridian will traverse the switchback to stop at Tampa Union Station. From there, the train will continue on to the cities of West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood, and final station stop-Miami at 6:09 PM ET. Additional timetable information can be found by clicking on the following link: https://railpassengers.org/site/assets/files/20928/floridian.pdf. How much is the Floridian fare? A one-way Coach Class ticket from Chicago (CHI) and Miami (MIA) will cost $113.00 per person. Further details are available by clicking on the following link: https://www.amtrak.com/home.html.
Aside from the station stops, what will the Floridian’s train consist be like? As did the Silver Star, the Floridian will consist of Amtrak’s streamlined Amfleet coaches and Viewliner style sleeping and dining cars. The Superliner cars used on the Capitol Limited will be utilized on Amtrak’s major western routes and the Auto Train. What type of food selections be features on the dining car menu? Passengers can visit the following link for dining car menu information; https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/menus/routes/Floridian-Dining-Car-Menu.pdf.
Not only will the Floridian make stops in Savannah, Jacksonville, and Orlando, but the train will also make a station stop in Kissimmee, FL. Kissimmee Station is just twenty (20) minutes from the Walt Disney World Resort. Orlando area destinations such as Universal Orland Resort and Sea World are minutes away. If Disney, Universal, Sea World, or cruising from Port Canaveral are among passengers’ vacation plans, the Floridian is their ticket to the action.
As a classic Amtrak commercial once said “There’s something about a train that’s magic”. Amtrak has once again performed its ‘magic’. Amtrak has turned two routes into one route. It’s not just any route. It is a long-distance route which has enormous potential. Before, the Midwest had no connection to the Atlantic Coast. Magically, it now does. Just as the airlines know how to add new destinations around the country and around the world, Amtrak has proven it can, too. Amtrak’s Floridian goes into revenue service on November 10th. No longer do passengers have to feel couped up in the frigid Midwest. Amtrak now offers the escape of a lifetime, operating daily between Chicago and Miami. No longer do Chicagoans have to worry about the hustle and bustle of flying from Midway and O’Hare International Airport to Miami. Trading the bitter cold for the theme parks of Orlando and the beaches of South Florida can’t be any easier. All it takes now is a pair of rails, a comfortable coach class seat, a warm sleeper car cabin, friendly onboard service, and a round-trip ticket to make this long-awaited journey the experience of a lifetime.
