Atlantic Coast (Silver/Palmetto/Carolinian) Service discussion Q4 2023 - 2024 H1

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Having experience with this route even before Amtrak, I'm 74, what makes sense to me is to run Gulf Coast sections of both the "Star" and "Meteor" splitting them off at Jacksonville with the East Coast sections going down the FEC.
That's how Amtrak did it in their early years...split at Jacksonville, with the Miami section not on the FEC, but on the former SAL. The Tampa section used the former ACL, IIRC.
 
If Amtrak and Brightline Florida teamed up that would be an interstate compact.
Would STB then become involved. If Brightline Florida teams up with any cruise line do nt know if STB becomes involved/
 
If Amtrak and Brightline Florida teamed up that would be an interstate compact.
Would STB then become involved. If Brightline Florida teams up with any cruise line do nt know if STB becomes involved/
I don't know the STB ramifications if Brightline partnered with cruise lines, but since all the large cruise ships serving Florida are not US registered, and are precluded from domestic US interstate or local traffic by the Passenger Vessel Services Act, they would only be in international compact...not sure then if that is applicable... 🤔
 
Not sure whether I should post this in this thread or the dining thread. Does 92 usually serve dinner (7:25pm departure) for Orlando passengers?
I’m sure jis or pennyk could probably provide an absolute definitive response but I believe it most certainly does. Dinner hours in the diner go to 9 PM and Orlando is one of the major Florida stops - so I can’t imagine they would not. 98 hits Savannah a bit later than that and dinner is offered to passengers boarding there (that is the last stop for 98 for dinner.)
 
Not sure whether I should post this in this thread or the dining thread. Does 92 usually serve dinner (7:25pm departure) for Orlando passengers?
Yes. You will get dinner, even if it departs Orlando a little behind schedule.
 
Not sure whether I should post this in this thread or the dining thread. Does 92 usually serve dinner (7:25pm departure) for Orlando passengers?
Yes, the only times I did not get dinner on 92 boarding in Orlando is when the train is really late. In fact, the last time I was on 92, I boarded around midnight and there was no dinner.
 
Friday, March 15, 1:15pm. Today’s 90 Palmetto from Savannah to New York got within a train length of the Selma station on time, but stopped for nearly 30 minutes, while I was (am ) watching on a rail cam. Then it pulled forward a few car lengths and stopped again, still not at the platform. Odd, to say the least. All the while it had a green over red signal NB from the platform.

I’d be curious to hear from anyone who was onboard if the crew made any announcements about what the issue was.

Finally at the platform at 1:48+- pm. Musta driven anyone on board bound for Selma nuts! They coulda walked home by now in the time it dwelled just out of the platform!
 
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Does anyone know when the Silvers are going to get their 4th coach and (in the case of the Meteor) 3rd sleeper back? Surely restoring them to their pre-Covid consists would boost ridership.
 
Does anyone know when the Silvers are going to get their 4th coach and (in the case of the Meteor) 3rd sleeper back? Surely restoring them to their pre-Covid consists would boost ridership.
Rumor has it that this is supposed to happen late May, and last through the Summer season at least.
 
Rumor has it that this is supposed to happen late May, and last through the Summer season at least.
Do you know if there are still plans to add a permanent fourth sleeper and permanent third sleeper to the Meteor and Star respectively in the future? Obviously with ~15 VL1's out of service they wouldn't do that for a while, but I heard that was the original plan with the VL2 order.
 
Do you know if there are still plans to add a permanent fourth sleeper and permanent third sleeper to the Meteor and Star respectively in the future? Obviously with ~15 VL1's out of service they wouldn't do that for a while, but I heard that was the original plan with the VL2 order.
The previous rumor has not been overruled by anyone. But it is more than a year out at the earliest, if it happens. That is, not this year.
 
The previous rumor has not been overruled by anyone. But it is more than a year out at the earliest, if it happens. That is, not this year.
Why are so many V1’s out of service?

When they add the fourth coach are they going to switch the consist so the sleepers are in the front? I’m riding the Meteor mid-June and was hoping the sleepers would still be on the rear.
 
Why are so many V1’s out of service?

When they add the fourth coach are they going to switch the consist so the sleepers are in the front? I’m riding the Meteor mid-June and was hoping the sleepers would still be on the rear.
I don’t believe there will be any change in the position of Sleepers and Coaches in the consist. The fourth Coach is only for Summer AFAICT so far.
 
Why are so many V1’s out of service?

Several Viewliner 1s were mothballed during the pandemic to save capital expenses on overhauls and prop up the operating side. Pretty much the whole advocacy community opposed the approach - but it is what it is and Congress also declined funding that could have prevented that from taking affect so we are where we are. Most of them are queued for overhaul now. So hopefully in FY25 well see some better Viewliner utilization.
 
I don’t believe there will be any change in the position of Sleepers and Coaches in the consist. The fourth Coach is only for Summer AFAICT so far.

Several Viewliner 1s were mothballed during the pandemic to save capital expenses on overhauls and prop up the operating side. Pretty much the whole advocacy community opposed the approach - but it is what it is and Congress also declined funding that could have prevented that from taking affect so we are where we are. Most of them are queued for overhaul now. So hopefully in FY25 well see some better Viewliner utilization.
Thank you.
 
Is the information here still the same regarding Viewliner 2s which would be the 11 and 12 cars? I am doing a Miami to NYC route on the Meteor 9812 (9712 Return) and was curious.

Also is the scenery any better on the Star enough to change return trains?

Curiously I am in room 1 which I thought usually goes to the attendant. Room 2 for the 2nd leg though.
 
Is the information here still the same regarding Viewliner 2s which would be the 11 and 12 cars? I am doing a Miami to NYC route on the Meteor 9812 (9712 Return) and was curious.

Also is the scenery any better on the Star enough to change return trains?

Curiously I am in room 1 which I thought usually goes to the attendant. Room 2 for the 2nd leg though.
Room 1 for attendant is only on the bilevel superliner cars. The Silvers are single level
 
Is the information here still the same regarding Viewliner 2s which would be the 11 and 12 cars? I am doing a Miami to NYC route on the Meteor 9812 (9712 Return) and was curious.

Also is the scenery any better on the Star enough to change return trains?

Curiously I am in room 1 which I thought usually goes to the attendant. Room 2 for the 2nd leg though.
As of now, both the Silver Star and Silver Meteor are running with only 2 sleepers. The third sleeper is supposed to be added to the Meteor within the next couple of months. I think it will be difficult to predict which cars will be V2s, but one can guess based on previous consists. Also, the consists may change at the last minute. I personally like traveling on the Meteor one way (usually northbound) and the Star the other way (usually southbound).
 
Do either of the Silvers roomettes have the toilets still in them from NYP to Miami?
 
Do either of the Silvers roomettes have the toilets still in them from NYP to Miami?
Right now it is typical for each train to have one sleeper with toilets in the room and one without. There are some days when this isn’t true but this is the typical consist.
 
Do either of the Silvers roomettes have the toilets still in them from NYP to Miami?
Usually the car number ending in "10". If the Meteor gets a 3rd sleeper for the summer, it may be different at that point. In the past, it has been the car number ending in "11" when there were 3 sleepers, but it could be different this time.
 
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