While Amtrak marked the launch on Sunday of its new but temporary Floridian service between Chicago and Florida, via Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., the debut of one train meant the end — at least for a similar undefined period — of another. Amtrak’s New York-Miami Silver Star made its final runs on Sunday, part of the passenger operator’s moves to reduce some traffic out of New York Penn Station during the East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project. Photographer Nathan Richters captured both No. 91 — the final New York-Miami train — and No. 92, the final departure from Miami — at Spotsylvania, Va. No. 92, however, did not make the full trip to New York; at Washington, it became the Capitol Limited and is currently en route to Chicago, although running several hours late at this writing.
The Floridian combines the Capitol Limited and part of the Silver Star route [see “Amtrak combines Capitol Limited, Silver Star …,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 23, 2024]. News Wire will have more on the launch of the Floridian later today.
You nailed it Dan. And passengers continuing on the NEC have to claim their checked bags at Washington. I wonder how many folks will get to Philadelphia and other stations looking for their bags ?
Combining two trains that each rarely run on time into one likely to suffer monster delays on a regular basis to eliminate one daily trip each way through the East River tunnels? Seems much more likely a change to free up the Superliner equipment from the Capitol Limited for use elsewhere.
In the popular press – the mass media – this was sold as a new train connecting Chicago to Florida. In truth it’s coporate spin. Trouble is, corporate spin most often is successful.