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Yes 41 is Southbound and 40 Northbound.Maybe they consider this a southbound train with odd for south, like 97/91.
Yes 41 is Southbound and 40 Northbound.Maybe they consider this a southbound train with odd for south, like 97/91.
It wasn’t a dud. It was a great train once it got a reliable route. It only died because of the misguided Carter cuts. This new one is a brilliant and efficient use of equipment freeing up needed superliners for western service. I think it lasts until there is a new Floridian on the FRA Long Distance Study route. There is a big Midwest-Carolina market, and this new service serves that brilliantly.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.
You are not going through ATL anytime soon. Not if CSX and NS have a say
This fourth generation Hoosier remembers the train using he Monon and lurching through Southern Indiana at low speeds at night. Once it to Louisville everything speeded up.It wasn’t a dud. It was a great train once it got a reliable route. It only died because of the misguided Carter cuts. This new one is a brilliant and efficient use of equipment freeing up needed superliners for western service. I think it lasts until there is a new Floridian on the FRA Long Distance Study route. There is a big Midwest-Carolina market, and this new service serves that brilliantly.
Not with the equipment available. There will be no additional train until more equipment is acquired.But
What if the Floridian through service becomes really successful and popular? Time will tell but maybe the Star comes back as a separate train? We will see I guess.
The page for the Floridian is live on Amtrak’s website. They say that it is indeed a temporary combo of the Cap and Star in order to facilitate work on the East River Tunnels.
I agree with you, I think this move will be successful. More capacity.But
What if the Floridian through service becomes really successful and popular? Time will tell but maybe the Star comes back as a separate train? We will see I guess.
Because the same said Amtrak management emphatically says so. Of course that has never stopped us from dreaming up stuff since we are dreamers and that is what keep our spirits upWhy do people think this move is temporary? The idea is scary, because its a management decision that makes operational sense.
Always figured they were accounting for the chance of someone boarding at the same location. Less distance, maybe means less chance they will get additional revenue?I mean, how does this make any sense? Some glitch? I’ve seen instances where getting off earlier costs more (Newark Airport, for example), but something this egregious?
Thank you.From Amtrak:
Two iconic routes combine to create a new travel experience
WASHINGTON – Amtrak customers can now purchase tickets on the Floridian, a new temporary route offering a direct round-trip between Chicago and Miami with intermediate stops in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa that will take customers to these cities in comfort and style. This train combines the routes of the Capitol Limited and Silver Star for a limited time and makes its inaugural trip on Sunday, Nov. 10.
“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.
Customers traveling in Coach Class enjoy wide, reclining seats with ample legroom, no middle seat, and windows to enjoy the scenery. For extra comfort and additional privacy, customers can upgrade to a First Class private room. For an additional fee, a limited number of dining car meals are also available for Coach Class customers.
First Class private room options include a Roomette—featuring two reclining seats that transform into upper and lower beds by night and shower access—or a Bedroom offering twice the space of a Roomette and an in-room restroom and shower. The private rooms have large bi-level windows, a sink and a dedicated attendant who provides turndown service, assists with meals, helps with luggage and shares great stories of life on the rails.
All customers in private rooms receive complimentary lounge access at major stations and priority boarding.
The Floridian will offer Traditional Dining service in the Dining Car, a complimentary amenity for customers traveling in First Class private rooms. This popular service, experienced in a dining car with bi-level windows, will feature several enhancements, including chef-prepared meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner; table service with glassware, cutlery and linen tablecloths; vegetarian and vegan menu options; selections for children and a complimentary alcoholic drink with dinner. The menu offers several customer favorites, including:
Café service, also featuring a newly updated menu, will be available onboard for all customers, offering a variety of meals, snacks and beverages for sale.
- Amtrak Signature Railroad French Toast, Three Egg Omelet for breakfast;
- Artisan Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Natural Angus Burger, Vegan Chili Bowl for lunch;
- Amtrak Signature Flat Iron Steak, Atlantic Salmon, Rigatoni Bolognese for dinner.
Amtrak is temporarily combining the Capitol Limited and Silver Star trains to create the Floridian due to the upcoming East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project in New York. During this project, one tunnel tube will be closed at a time, minimizing service impacts, maximizing construction access and modernizing the tunnel infrastructure to serve customers for another 100 years.
“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 & 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 applauds 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.”
The Floridian (Trains 40 & 41) will operate on a similar schedule and make the current stops of the Capitol Limited (Trains 29 & 30) between Chicago and Washington, D.C., and the Silver Star (Trains 91 & 92) between Miami and Washington, D.C. The Silver Meteor (Trains 97 & 98) continues to operate daily between New York and Miami.
You're saying that they would be refueled in Pittsburgh? I am am not an operations expert by any stretch, but is there enough dwell time there to do that? Also, I'm not sure where they would logistically do that given the available platforms and access.No loco change, though at present I believe the Star operates with two while the Cap with one. I suspect the locos will just run through. No need to change them. They can be fueled at RVR and be able to run through to PGH before needing refueling.
Normally I think they are refueled at Toledo, not Pittsburgh.You're saying that they would be refueled in Pittsburgh? I am am not an operations expert by any stretch, but is there enough dwell time there to do that? Also, I'm not sure where they would logistically do that given the available platforms and access.
That is correct.Normally I think they are refueled at Toledo, not Pittsburgh.
Let's not forget Chicago - Pittsburgh is NS. Over 25 years, they have had multiple dispatching Indiana meltdowns lasting for months. While currently acceptable there now, we never know what the future brings, they are getting sued for Amtrak operations across Alabama, and with the last executive firing, will be a total Wall Street, Hedge Fund, PSR operation.I've noticed that people seem to already be dooming about how a combined train is going to "destroy OTP" for both routes, but honestly I'm not so sure. CSX has consistently been these days the only Class I that I've seen actually try and keep Amtrak generally on time, and I think that has a lot to do with Joe Hinrichs being at the helm of CSX. He's gone all in on improving company morale and public perception, and I think a big part of that "public perception" part is keeping Amtrak passengers on time. Conducting a "survey" over the past few weeks on transitdocs has lead me to notice that most the time the Silvers have been within one hour of the timetable, and the same goes with the Cap. Of course it's all speculation, but I think that this "bootleg" Floridian is overall a good idea, even if it is temporary
But they didn’t mention the fancy plastic plates😊dining car with bi-level windows, will feature several enhancements, including chef-prepared meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner; table service with glassware, cutlery and linen tablecloths
I get fleet utilization efficiencies being a tangible reason for this change, but does this really make that big of an impact with regard to the East River Tunnel Project? Is it worth the incredible work required to make this change only temporary?I suspect Amtrak didn’t want the hassle of trying to deal with a schedule change to add time for just a few months. Perhaps we will be pleasantly surprised by OT performance as @Seaboarder3023 suggests.
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