Amtrak announced the new special route on Monday, but some social media users are questioning who would be willing to make the entire journey.
“Today we’re proud to announce the launch of the Floridian, a train that combines two iconic lines, the Capitol Limited and Silver Star, and serves traditional meals throughout the entire journey,” Amtrak officials said in a post on X on Monday, which has been viewed 12 million times.
A map of the route shows the train leaving Chicago and heading to Washington, D.C., before continuing south to Miami, Fla. Amtrak said the train will run one trip per day in each direction and will be made up of Amtrak’s “Viewliner” cars.
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The train will “run nonstop between Chicago and Miami, with stops in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa.”
Amtrak said the Florida-bound train will offer “traditional meals” for first-class passengers. (Amtrak)
“The Floridian offers our customers exceptional, sustainable travel to fantastic destinations between Chicago and Miami, along with the amenities and delicious food they can enjoy when traveling with us,” Elliot Hamlisch, Amtrak’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer, said in an Amtrak press release.
Previously, passengers on the Capitol Limited train traveling from Washington, D.C. to Chicago didn’t have a traditional dining car. Instead, the train offered less-restrictive “flexible dining” options for passengers in first-class staterooms, according to Amtrak’s website.
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The Floridian was built as part of the East River Tunnel (ERT) Rehabilitation Project, which Amtrak said will “repair two tunnels damaged by Superstorm Sandy.”
“This work will modernize the tunnel infrastructure, improve safety, reliability and security, and restore the system to good standing,” Amtrak said.
Jim Matthews, president and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based Rail Passengers Association, said the Floridian is “an innovative solution to keep passengers moving during repairs.”
The Floridian will operate daily from Chicago to Miami, “providing nonstop service between Chicago and Miami with stops in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa,” Amtrak said in a statement. (Amtrak)
According to the website Trains.com, Amtrak ran a route from Chicago to Florida from 1971 to 1979. The train was also called the “Floridian.”
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Reviving rail service connecting the Midwest and Florida has long been a dream of rail enthusiasts, Matthews said in an Amtrak statement.
“We are excited that a new generation of American passengers will be able to experience this service for themselves,” Matthews said.
Amtrak operated service between Chicago and Florida in the 1970s. (Amtrak)
X estimated the travel time from Chicago to Miami on a Floridian to be 46 hours and 29 minutes, which some users noted would take almost two days, and the cost would be significantly more expensive than flying between the two cities.
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Amtrak’s website lists a one-way bus ticket from Chicago to Miami for $466 on Nov. 10, when the Floridian begins service. But on Nov. 12, the price will drop to $113 for a one-way ticket.
According to Amtrak’s website, a one-way bus ticket from Chicago to Miami costs $466. (Amtrak)
“Midwesterners will still end up driving 20 hours,” said X account “Midwest vs. Everyone.”
“If you’ve ever flown from Miami to Chicago and thought, ‘I wish it was 10 times longer,’ watch this,” another X user commented, adding, “I love trains too. Shut up.”
“I prefer to take the train from Chicago to Miami because it’s expensive, takes a long time, and it’s hard to get sleep,” said another X user.
“Not flying is fine. I hate airports, planes and turbulence. But one-way for a family of four is embarrassing,” commented another X user, quoting a price of $2,193.
The train journey has several stops and takes approximately 47 hours.
Other X users seem to have reacted positively to the announcement.
“But it sounds more fun than getting on a plane,” one man wrote.
“Sounds like a great little getaway to enjoy over a week,” posted another user.
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The Floridian will make its first run on Sunday, November 10th.
Asked for comment, an Amtrak representative declined to say when service would end.
