New train (40-41 Floridian) between Miami and Chicago via Washington DC

[Qapla]

While the proposed train would go from CHI-MIA, it should also be noted that, by using the Star, it also connects TPA-CHI as a one-seat ride, a connection that presently requires 3 segments, including a bus connection from TPA.

Likewise, it connects Virginia and the Education Triangle (Home to Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill, and NC State, as well as numerous other universities and colleges) with Chicago with a single seat ride.

One downside is that TPA will no longer be a single seat ride to NYP

 

[Amtrak25]

You are assuming it will be marketed as one train. It may not be.

 

[jis]

You are assuming it will be marketed as one train. It may not be.

Current info as far as we know is it will be marked as one train with number 40/41. There will be no 91/92 and 29/30 anymore.

The Northbound Star will depart Miami 35 minute earlier and run 35 minute earlier to provide a bit more recovery time around WAS.

 

[Amtrak25]

Now if only they would give Tampa to the Meteor to save some time and reroute it via Philly.

 

[jis]

Now if only they would give Tampa to the Meteor to save some time and reroute it via Philly.

They will not be doing anything of the sort. This is going to be a minimal change thing, pretty much not touching any other trains beyond the two involved.

 

[cocojacoby]

Just for fun I tested the Amtrak site to see what would come up on a Chicago to Miami reservation in December and January. This is what I got:

Trip Details

• Services
• Route

Segment 1 of 2 | 17h 25m
30 Capitol Limited

• Family Room
• Bedroom
• Roomette
• Lower Level Coach Seat

Add-Ons

---

• Bicycle
• Pet

Amenities

---

• Checked Baggage
• Cafe
• Wheelchair Ramp
• Flexible Dining

Transfer Washington, DC | 1h 59m
Segment 2 of 2 | 27h 31m
91 Silver Star

• Bedroom
• Roomette
• Coach Seat

Add-Ons

---

• Bicycle
• Pet

Amenities

---

• Checked Baggage
• Traditional Dining
• Cafe
• Free WiFi

So maybe not going to happen??
Star still shows up as "SOLD OUT" from NYP however.

 

[zephyr17]

The new train has not been loaded/activated in ARROW yet. I would not expect it to be until the changes are publicly announced. I would not expect public announcement until all operational details are completely ironed out. Plus, even when it is worked out, I don't expect it to made public until much closer to the implementation date.

In short, that is exactly what I would expect to see on the website/in ARROW as of now. It is in no way indicative that the change will or will not happen, since, assuming that it will, it is still under wraps.

Again assuming the change is a go, reservations on the Star and Cap will be transferred to the new train once the implementation is made public and the associated ARROW changes are implemented.

In short, the fact that the Star and Cap are still in ARROW means little as a predictor.

PS, ARROW right now has sleeper inventory indicating Viewliners rather than Superliners on the Capitol effective November 10th, one day after the first Miami departure of the Star that is "sold out" north of WAS. The two together appear to be strong evidence that a change involving the Cap and the Star is still on the books. To me, that looks like an interim step ensuring they do not offer something they are planning not to have while stopping short of activating a new train in the system.

 

[Steve4031]

If I understand correctly information needs to be entered carefully into arrow to ensure all possible city pairs in the Amtrak system can be booked through the website, app, or by a reservation agent. This will take sometime to program.

 

[Cal]

I wonder if the new train will be fully equipped with traditional dining. That sure would be a great benefit to combining the trains.

 

[railiner]

I wonder if the new train will be fully equipped with traditional dining. That sure would be a great benefit to combining the trains.

It certainly should be, if it will be marketed as a single thru train. I can’t see them changing from full to flex halfway. Someone riding the full length of that train should get full service meals the entire distance, as they would on a transcon…

 

[zephyr17]

It certainly should be, if it will be marketed as a single thru train. I can’t see them changing from full to flex halfway. Someone riding the full length of that train should get full service meals the entire distance, as they would on a transcon…

 

[Cal]

It certainly should be, if it will be marketed as a single thru train. I can’t see them changing from full to flex halfway. Someone riding the full length of that train should get full service meals the entire distance, as they would on a transcon…

I agree, and I think it makes more sense to do full traditional. But I don't want to overestimate Amtrak

 

[McIntyre2K7]

While the proposed train would go from CHI-MIA, it should also be noted that, by using the Star, it also connects TPA-CHI as a one-seat ride, a connection that presently requires 3 segments, including a bus connection from TPA.
.
One downside is that TPA will no longer be a single seat ride to NYP

In a perfect world that would be resolved with the following:

Split the Meteor in Jacksonville. One segment is Jacksonville - Orlando - Tampa and the other section is Jacksonville to Miami via FEC. This would ensure that people travelling from Tampa would have a 1 seat trip to either Chicago or New York. Busses 6907 and 6098 that are used to transport passengers from Tampa to Orlando would be reallocated to serve Winter Haven, Sebring and Okeechobee from the Lakeland stop. Then once the state services are started the Miami - Orlando route would be timed perfectly so that people travelling to/from those three cities would just transfer trains in Orlando to get to New York or Chicago.

 

[zephyr17]

Split the Meteor in Jacksonville. One segment is Jacksonville - Orlando - Tampa and the other section is Jacksonville to Miami via FEC.

Note that Amtrak has no statutory access rights to the FEC because it was not running passenger service by 1970 and never joined Amtrak.

FEC and Amtrak could certainly come to contractual agreement for FEC to host Amtrak, but FEC would be within it rights to tell Amtrak to go fly a kite so as not to have the headache of having to deal with mixing Amtrak into its operations. That is something most host railroads, in their heart of hearts, probably wish they had. They could also charge whatever they wished to provide those rights because they likewise are under no obligation to provide access on an avoidable cost basis that railroads which joined Amtrak are required to.

You said in a "perfect world", but in the real one that's a much heavier lift than the current rumored change. At the end of the day, that change is just Amtrak juggling their own equipment to improve utilization.

 

[blueman271]

In a perfect world that would be resolved with the following:

Split the Meteor in Jacksonville. One segment is Jacksonville - Orlando - Tampa and the other section is Jacksonville to Miami via FEC. This would ensure that people travelling from Tampa would have a 1 seat trip to either Chicago or New York. Busses 6907 and 6098 that are used to transport passengers from Tampa to Orlando would be reallocated to serve Winter Haven, Sebring and Okeechobee from the Lakeland stop. Then once the state services are started the Miami - Orlando route would be timed perfectly so that people travelling to/from those three cities would just transfer trains in Orlando to get to New York or

I highly doubt Amtrak is going to split trains in Jacksonville or Auburndale or anywhere else in Florida ever again. Tampa is served the way it is today because Amtrak got rid of the split and inaugurated the Silver Palm. After losing its sleepers and diners the Silver Palm became the Palmetto which was eventually shortened to a Savannah-NYP day train. This led to the Star making the dogleg to Tampa that we all know and love today.

 

[MDRailfan]

1. Only the Silver Star appears to be being cut back to WAS in November, the Meteor appears to be running through to New York on all dates. It isn't a wholesale 'Silver Service" change.
2. Same day sleeper accommodations entitles you to Metropolitan Lounge access, even if the sleeper is not from that station. For example, a Regional NYP to WAS then a sleeper on the Capitol from WAS grants access to the Metropolitan Lounge at NYP even though a Regional ticket by itself wouldn't. I've done that.
3. Business Class alone does not get you access to NYP's Metropolitan Lounge. Only Acela First or Sleeper does that (or a lounge pass or Select Plus/Executive status).

What happens if you already booked on Star from BAL, to TPA would I have to change or would Amtrak notify and automatically change to conventional train BAL TO WAS

 

[PatchesC]

The Meteor is the fast train; the Star is the local.

Being stuck with IND or CIN as home station, the Star isn't even a given option.

 

[John Santos]

What happens if you already booked on Star from BAL, to TPA would I have to change or would Amtrak notify and automatically change to conventional train BAL TO WAS

They would either issue you a new pair of connecting tickets (BAL->WAS, WAS->TPA) or notify you to call an agent to do it. There would be no increase in fare, and there might even be a small refund if the fare from WAS->TPA plus the coach fare from BAL->WAS is less than the original fare from BAL->TPA.

Something similar happened to me on the LSL when they were rebuilding the platforms in Albany. I had a roomette from CHI->BOS and the train from ALB->BOS was a physically separate train with no through cars. They issued me new tickets (CHI->ALB, ALB->BOS) and since I was in a sleeper, they put me in business class for the ALB-BOS segment. No refund or voucher, though. (The next time I did a round trip to CHI, the construction was still going on, but they issued the original ticket as business class in 449/448 and a roomette in 49/48.)

So they might put you in a NER business class of an Acela, at no increase in fare and a possible slight reduction. If there is a reduction, I'm sure it would be in the form of a voucher rather than as a refund.

 

[cocojacoby]

Someone actually uploaded a video to YouTube about this:

 

[Cal]

Someone actually uploaded a video to YouTube about this:

As did Trains Are Awesome.

 

[pennyk]

I have heard from a reliable source that the new "combined" train will be called the Floridian (trains 40/41), with service effective November 11, 2024. The new schedule will be loaded into Arrow Monday 9/23/24.

Update: I just heard that 40/41 was loaded to Arrow last night and it is live now.

 

[Amtrak25]

I heard that too.

Some day, it could be rerouted via Philly, which I think is fine. I don't think 40/41 numbering is an accident and mostly solves the Pittsburgh transfer situation, some of the NEC transfers, leaving behind the B&O route segment with little intermediate ridership and is very slow.

However, I think they should have paired it off with the Silver Meteor instead since reliability and OTP will be awful.

 

[JWM]

I have heard from a reliable source that the new "combined" train will be called the Floridian (trains 40/41), with service effective November 11, 2024. The new schedule will be loaded into Arrow Monday 9/23/24.

Amtrak had a train with this name in the 1970's and it was a total dud due to track conditions in Indiana. Can't believe they couldn't come up with something else. Also, I predict this new one won't last long, but who knows.

 

[acelafan]

A test booking for Wed Nov 27th out of Miami has interesting results on the #40 Floridian.
You can go to Washington DC for $134 or all the way to Chicago for $113.
I thought it would have been more expensive to travel a longer distance.

 

[PatchesC]

A test booking for Wed Nov 27th out of Miami has interesting results on the #40 Floridian.
You can go to Washington DC for $134 or all the way to Chicago for $113.
I thought it would have been more expensive to travel a longer distance.

Apparently less expensive. I noticed that cost/mile decreases