Amtrak launches new Chicago-to-Miami route
By CAITRIONA MARIA
Wealth of Geeks
On Nov. 10, Amtrak’s newest long-distance train route made its inaugural departure. In September, the U.S. railroad company announced it would temporarily resurrect the long-retired “Floridian” and its Chicago-to-Miami route.
The “Floridian” runs daily, hauling passengers across 2,076 miles in just under two days.
A now-defunct iteration once traveled from Chicago to Miami in the 1970s, crossing through Kentucky and Tennessee to reach the East Coast. Sunday’s excursion marks the rst time Amtrak offered direct train service between the Midwest and Miami since 1979.
Frequent rail travelers will recognize the new route as a combination of existing Capitol Limited and Silver Star services. The travel itinerary takes passengers from Chicago to Miami via Pittsburgh and Washington, DC, bypassing New York City.
This eases some of the burden on Amtrak’s busiest route, the Northeast Corridor. Meanwhile, the East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project adds signicant upgrades and comprehensive rehabilitation to modernize critical New York sections.
America’s most iconic longdistance train routes
Although the new route is temporary, American train travel is making a comeback. More than 28.6 million passengers rode Amtrak trains last year, 24.6 percent more than in 2022. Last December, the Biden-Harris administration shared its plans to invest $8.2 billion in high-speed rail infrastructure, including upgrading and expanding existing lines.
Amtrak’s ambitious 15-year plan includes the addition of 39 new routes and connections in 160 new communities. The expansion will provide intercity service between the country’s 50 largest metropolitan areas and beyond.
However, travelers need not wait for the fully realized Amtrak expansion to board one of the iconic rail lines already traversing the country. The California Zephyr, Amtrak’s lengthiest long-distance route, runs from Chicago to San Francisco. The 2,438-mile journey takes 52 hours.
The train traverses breathtaking scenery and panoramic views. Riders observe the Great Plains on their way to Colorado, the Rocky Mountains into Utah, and the Sierra Nevada entering California. More than 328,000 passengers rode the California Zephyr in 2023, a 13.1 percent increase over the previous year.
The Southwest Chief is another iconic service that also departs from Chicago. This Los Angeles- bound train travels 2,265 miles across eight states on its journey from Illinois to California. Passengers are treated to 43 hours of stunning landscapes: rolling across plains, mountains, and deserts, crossing over the Mississippi River, and slicing through the Grand Canyon. Over one-quarter million travelers rode the rails of the Southwest Chief last year.
Other emblematic long-distance passenger trains include the Empire Builder (Chicago-Pacic Northwest), Sunset Limited (New Orleans- Los Angeles), the City of New Orleans (Chicago-New Orleans), Coast Starlight (Seattle-Los Angeles), and Texas Eagle (Chicago-San Antonio).
Wealth of Geeks
