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

[BlackDiamond]

Of course there's plenty of meals available in the diner for coach passengers. $45 for dinner is sticker shock. How many will spring for that ?

It shouldn't be sticker shock when you consider what it costs for a steak dinner plus an alcoholic drink plus dessert at any half decent terrestrial restaurant.

 

[dlagrua]

I cannot see this new Floridian attracting many travelers from Chicago to Miami. The original Floridian/ South Wind train was one overnight over two and one half days. The new route would make this two overnights over three days. I don't believe that is a good move. Furthermore, the old route stopped at Nashville, Louisville, Birmingham. Montgomery, Valdosta, Waycross and cities not served by the new route. IMO, a more direct N-S route is needed.

 

[PatchesC]

For those who pine for a direct Chicago-Miami routing, similar to the defunct City of Miami or the original Floridian, check out the FRA LD Study on restoring this route. https://fralongdistancerailstudy.org/meeting-materials/
It made the list of 15 "preferred routes", but the early estimates are that it will cost a cool $3 Billion to get it up and running. I think Chicago/DC/FL will have to do, at least in my lifetime.
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They are also supposed to restore daily Cardinal. Been hearing rumors for I don't know how long about route that would come through Louisville. At this point it seems like we're just throwing money at research with no physical results to achieve these.

 

[Exvalley]

I cannot see this new Floridian attracting many travelers from Chicago to Miami.

Chicago to Florida is also very cheap in terms of airfare prices.

That said, it still can serve the original routes quite well (except for a connection now to get north of DC).

 

[Bonser]

How so? Lots of precedent, including when the Silvers had run-through sleepers from either the Broadway or Capitol Limiteds and briefly the Montrealer.

And just about all of the pre Superliner trains and pre Amtrak ones.

 

[trimetbusfan]

They've been known to top off the Starlight's cafe at EMY or OKJ (forgot which) from the Oakland Coach Yard's commisary. Don't think it is standard practice, but it has happened, particularly southbound. Not other places, no other western LD has a commisary other than at the terminals. Superliner cafes have more storage than Amfleet cafes, though. My guess is they'll at least top off the cafe at WAS.

It’s a very common practice on the starlight. They have dropped off supplies for the cafe (and sometimes the dining car) at Oakland on every trip I have rode in recent years. I usually ride northbound, but have take a few southbound as well

 

[toddinde]

How so? Lots of precedent, including when the Silvers had run-through sleepers from either the Broadway or Capitol Limiteds and briefly the Montrealer.

All pre-Amtrak sleepers were single level and most sleeping cars in the world are single level, so it’s hardly unprecedented.

 

[toddinde]

And just about all of the pre Superliner trains and pre Amtrak ones.

The Canadian as well; three nights.

 

[PVD]

Other than the SSL, what would be the advantage of a Superliner train for multi night overnight travel as far as "on board" goes? I actually think the VL accommodations are preferable.

 

[lstone19]

I cannot see this new Floridian attracting many travelers from Chicago to Miami. The original Floridian/ South Wind train was one overnight over two and one half days. The new route would make this two overnights over three days. I don't believe that is a good move. Furthermore, the old route stopped at Nashville, Louisville, Birmingham. Montgomery, Valdosta, Waycross and cities not served by the new route. IMO, a more direct N-S route is needed.

Why are you assuming that the only market being served is the endpoints? A train, unlike an airline flight, serves many markets. This train will not be just serving Chicago to Miami traffic. It will also serve Pittsburgh to Raleigh and Cumberland to Jacksonville, just to name two other markets served.

Could Amtrak have left the CL unchanged and made the Silver Star a Washington to Florida train? Of course but presumably they saw marketing advantages to combining them during the period that the Silver Star can't go to New York.

 

[OmahaRoad]

To put my two cents in: I know this is a (probably) temporary thing, but I am kinda excited for it! Had been going back and forth about doing an Amtrak odyssey from NC back to MN for Thanksgiving, which I did last year for the first time for Christmas; was also my first-ever Roomette experience (Capitol Limited). Long story short, due to the time and expense I had given up on it this time around, but when the Floridian came out, sleeper prices were actually lower (!) from Raleigh to Chicago than had been advertised from DC to Chicago on the CL, and I think even a tish better than the Cardinal. So now my girlfriend and I (her first sleeper experience, too!) will get to take the Floridian directly from Raleigh to Chicago, and, in more excitement for me, the new Borealis to St. Paul!

Prior to the CL and Star being combined, getting to the Midwest from the Triangle of NC entailed for me an extra overnight on the way to the Midwest! The Star from Raleigh was not a guaranteed connection to the westbound CL out of DC (I mean, one could book separate legs, but not smart, especially given how late the Star often is). Taking the Cardinal requires an early morning Crescent out of Greensboro.* So to get to Chicago and then to MN, that meant taking the Star or Carolinian to D.C. staying overnight, and taking the CL the next day, or taking the Piedmont or Carolinian to Greensboro (or driving) and staying overnight before catching the 7:30 a.m. Crescent north to either Charlottesville or D.C. The Floridian is a real improvement for Midwest destinations for the ~1.5 million residents of the Research Triangle region, and for the other stops in NC!

*I know that instead of taking the train to Greensboro, one could also theoretically rise very early and drive the ~hour-ish to Greensboro from the Durham-Chapel Hill area to arrive in advance of the 7:30 Crescent, but in addition to being very inconvenient and having to park my car for 5+ days far from my home, I don't have the time and $ to take Amtrak both ways, so I would have to get a ride back to Greensboro after returning home, just to get my car!

(Yes, I am also aware that one could theoretically take the Crescent to New Orleans and then take the CONO up to Chicago, but that's obviously going rather backwards by going way far south and also too far west, and then coming all the way back north!)