ORLANDO, Fla. – Floridians will soon be able to ride the rails to the Windy City.
Amtrak is starting a new daily roundtrip route between Miami and Chicago on Sunday, Nov. 10. The Floridian route will include intermediate stops in Orlando, Jacksonville, Washington D.C., Pittsburgh and Cleveland.
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The train combines two current train routes, the Silver Star, which normally travels between Miami and New York, and the Capitol Limited, which travels between Chicago and Washington D.C.
The service will have a coach class and a first class, with roomette or bedroom options, and a complimentary dining car service. There is also a cafe service for all customers with meals, snacks and drinks for sale.
The trains also have free basic wifi service, reclining seats and checked baggage service. People can also bring their pets on the trip: dogs and cats up to 20 lbs. in size are welcome in approved pet carriers.
As of right now, The Floridian route is only temporary. A project to modernize the East River Tunnel in New York means one tunnel tube will be closed at a time. The Rail Passengers Association says the new route takes some pressure off the northeast corridor while giving rail passengers a Midwest to Florida route they’ve been asking for.
“Rail Passengers applauds Amtrak for this innovative solution to keeping passengers moving during a critical state of good repair work. We believe riders will flock to this new service,” said Jim Mathews, the president and CEO of the RPA in a statement released by Amtrak.
Tickets to ride on The Floridian are now available on the Amtrak website.
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