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Silver Meteor

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The Silver Meteor is a long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between New York City and Miami, Florida. Introduced in 1939 as the first diesel-powered streamliner between New York and Florida, it was the flagship train of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) and one of the flagship trains of its successor, the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL). The train was transferred to Amtrak when it took over intercity passenger rail service in 1971.

Silver Meteor
The Silver Meteor arriving in Palatka, Florida in 2023
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
LocaleEast Coast of the United States
First serviceFebruary 2, 1939 (1939-02-02)
Current operator(s)Amtrak (1971–present)
Former operator(s)
Annual ridership283,932 (FY23) Increase 258.5%[a][1]
Route
TerminiNew York City
Miami
Stops33
Distance travelled1,389 miles (2,235 km)
Average journey time27h 44m
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)97, 98
On-board services
Class(es)Coach Class
Sleeper Service
Disabled accessAll train cars, all stations
Sleeping arrangements
  • Roomette (2 beds)
  • Bedroom (2 beds)
  • Bedroom Suite (4 beds)
  • Accessible Bedroom (2 beds)
Catering facilitiesDining car, Café
Baggage facilitiesOverhead racks, checked baggage available at selected stations
Technical
Rolling stockAmfleet, Viewliner
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speedUp to 125 miles per hour (201 km/h) (Northeast Corridor)
Track owner(s)Amtrak, CSXT, CFRC, SFRTA

The train is part of Amtrak's Silver Service brand, along with its sister train, the Silver Star, SAL's other former flagship streamliner. The two trains are the remnants of the numerous long-distance trains that operated between New York and Florida for most of the 20th century.

During fiscal year 2023, the Silver Meteor carried 283,932 passengers, an increase of 258.5% from FY2022. [2] In November 2023, the train had a total revenue of $7.3 million.[3]

History

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Silver Meteor 1961 SAL timetable
 
SAL's shrouded 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive #865 with the Silver Meteor's St. Petersburg section, in the 1940s

The Silver Meteor was inaugurated by the SAL on February 2, 1939. The name was selected via contest, with 30 people among 76,000 entrants proposing the winning name. Utilizing EMC E4 diesel locomotives originally purchased for SAL's flagship all-Pullman train, the Orange Blossom Special, it became the first diesel-powered streamliner to Florida. Its introduction later prompted SAL's competitor, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL), to introduce its own New York-Florida streamliner, the Champion, on December 1, 1939. The SAL emphasized the train's modernity, referring to it as the "Train of Tomorrow" and having its first trip to Florida begin not from New York Penn Station, but from the Long Island Rail Road station at the 1939 New York World's Fair. The original schedule took 25 hours.[4][5]

The train used seven new cars manufactured by the Budd Company: a baggage-dormitory-coach, a diner straddled by two coaches on either side, and a coach-lounge-observation. The train was originally tri-weekly, alternating service between Miami and St. Petersburg every other day. However, the train proved so popular that after delivering new equipment, SAL upgraded the train to daily operation on both coasts in December 1939.[6] Heavyweight sleeping cars would be added to the train in 1941, and would be upgraded to lightweight sleeping cars in 1947. Also in 1947, the Silver Meteor upgraded its end-of-train lounge car to a Budd-built tavern-lounge-observation car. In 1956, SAL introduced the Sun Lounge to the train. These cars included five double-bedrooms on one end and a lounge with glass panels on the roof. This was because full dome cars could not fit through the tunnels on the Northeast Corridor between New York and Washington D.C.[7]

The Pennsylvania Railroad carried the train from New York to Washington along its mainline—now the Northeast Corridor—under a haulage agreement. Between Washington and Richmond, Virginia, it used the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, jointly owned by the SAL and five other railroads. South of Richmond, the train used SAL's own mainline via Raleigh, North Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, Savannah, Georgia, Jacksonville, Florida, and Ocala, Florida, and operated as train 57 southbound and train 58 northbound. At Wildwood, Florida, the train was split roughly in half into east and west coast sections. The east coast section continued to Miami and retained the tavern-observation car, and after 1956, the train's Sun Lounge. The west coast section continued to Tampa and eventually St. Petersburg, operating as trains 157 southbound and 158 northbound. At Tampa, the train would be split again, with a small section containing a coach and a sleeper continuing to Venice via Sarasota as train 257 southbound and 258 northbound. This section's small consist is primarily because from the mid-50s through June 1967, the Venice section was usually handled by SAL Motorcar 2028.

The Seaboard Air Line Railroad merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1967, and in 1968 the new railroad reshuffled the Florida streamliners. The Silver Meteor lost its west coast section and began serving Miami only.[8] The Pennsylvania Railroad merged with the New York Central Railroad to form Penn Central Transportation in 1968, which inherited the longstanding haulage agreement for the Silver Meteor. Amtrak retained the train when it took over most intercity passenger trains on May 1, 1971.

Amtrak era

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The Silver Meteor passing through Odenton, Maryland in 2014.

From December 17, 1971, to April 15, 1972, and September 10, 1972, to April 27, 1973, the Silver Meteor bypassed Jacksonville, running over the Gross Cutoff between Gross near the Georgia state line and Baldwin. Between November 14, 1971, and January 16, 1972, the Silver Meteor made a major shift in its route, shifting from its traditional path on the old SAL mainline via Raleigh and Columbia to the old ACL mainline through Florence and Charleston, South Carolina.[9][10] Between June 11 and September 10, 1972, the Silver Meteor was extended to Boston and called the Meteor. Service to St. Petersburg returned with the train splitting at Auburndale, Florida.

On several occasions during the 1970s, the Silver Meteor was combined with the Champion, the main rival of the Silver Meteor until the SCL merger. In the summer of 1972, Amtrak split the trains in Savannah, with the Champion continuing to St. Petersburg and the Meteor continuing to Miami. They were combined again for the summers of 1975, 1976, and 1977, splitting in Jacksonville. Finally, in 1979, the Champion was permanently consolidated into the Silver Meteor as its St. Petersburg section. Although the Champion name was preserved for a time,[11] it disappeared with the October 1, 1979, timetable.

On September 30, 1979, the Silver Meteor was rerouted between Savannah and Jacksonville over the former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad route due to the abandonment of the old SAL route. On January 31, 1984, the Silver Meteor's Florida west coast terminus was cut back from St. Petersburg to Tampa, ending almost 100 years of rail passenger service to St. Petersburg. By October 26, 1986, the Silver Meteor had shifted to the old ACL route north of Savannah, as the abandonment of the SAL route north of Raleigh affected only the Silver Star. On June 11, 1988, the tracks between Coleman and Auburndale, Florida were abandoned, then removed to create the General James A. Van Fleet State Trail, shifting the Miami section west to Lakeland.

By the end of 1988, the Silver Meteor's Miami section had train numbers 97 and 98, while the Tampa section had train numbers 87 and 88. The Tampa section (87 and 88) was discontinued in 1994, and the Miami section (97 and 98) was rerouted through Orlando, and are still used today.[12]

The best timing for Amtrak's Silver Meteor between Miami and New York City was 27 hours in 2008; SAL's first edition took 25 hours in 1939. Late trains often add more hours to today's schedules, most often caused by freight delays.

In the January 2011 issue of Trains Magazine, this route was listed as one of five routes to be looked at by Amtrak in FY 2011, as the previous five routes (Sunset, Eagle, Zephyr, Capitol, and Cardinal) were examined in FY 2010.[13]

In October 2019, the Silver Meteor's dining car discontinued serving freshly cooked meals in a traditional, restaurant-style setting, otherwise known as "traditional dining." Amtrak introduced the "flexible dining" system to the Silver Meteor, which includes pre-prepared meals heated in either a convection oven or a microwave oven at the time of purchase.[14] In a Rail Passengers Association webinar that took place on November 16, 2022, Amtrak's vice president of long-distance service revealed that traditional dining service was planned to be reintroduced on the Silver Meteor and the Silver Star in early 2023.[15] Following this announcement, beginning on northbound train 92 on March 15, 2023, traditional dining was reintroduced to the Silver Star in the form of a 3-month pilot program gauged to test the success of the service.[16] Southbound train 91 received the pilot on March 17. On June 24, 2023, traditional dining service was formally launched on the Silver Meteor on northbound train 98, and the pilot program on the Silver Star was replaced by a permanent service.[17][18] Southbound train 97 received traditional dining on June 26. However, coach passengers were not allowed access to the dining car on either the Silver Meteor or Silver Star, unlike on Amtrak's western long-distance trains. Shortly after the formal rollout in another interview with the Rail Passengers Association, Amtrak's vice president of long-distance service stated that Coach Class access to the dining car was planned to be allowed by the end of 2023,[19] however by January 2024 coach passengers still did not have access. On March 4, 2024, dining car access was finally expanded to coach passengers, mirroring service on Amtrak's western long-distance trains.[20]

Since 2012, issues have prevented Amtrak from moving from their current station to the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC), primarily regarding the length of the platforms and lease agreements. Amtrak argued that the platforms were insufficient in length, as extra cars are normally added to the Silver Meteor and Silver Star during the winter season to accommodate increased demand.[21] Tri-Rail began serving the MIC on April 5, 2015,[22] and Greyhound began using the station on June 24, 2015.[23] Amtrak had been expected to move to the MIC by the Fall of 2016, but in 2018 Amtrak rejected the terms of a lease agreement with FDOT and said it had no plans to move to the MIC.[24] In 2021, Amtrak reached out to FDOT to begin negotiations again for utilization of the MIC, and in February 2022, negotiations officially restarted.[25] Later in March 2022, a test train operated into and out of the station and proved that the platforms are sufficient in length to hold a standard 10 car train.[26] However, the platforms are not long enough to accommodate an 11 to 12 car train, which could be possible in the winter months. In September 2022, Amtrak management announced that it had restarted lease negotiations with FDOT regarding the use and maintenance of the terminal. However, one issue is the deadheading move that will need to occur between the MIC and Hialeah. Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner stated, "The company is evaluating technical and operational aspects of the move."[27] In an Amtrak Public Board Meeting Q&A on December 1, 2022, it was revealed that Amtrak was in the final stages of its preparations for relocating from their current Miami station, and had planned to relocate to the MIC in 2023.[28] However, additional track area would need to be constructed for the Amtrak trains to turn back north,[29] and as of 2024, Amtrak has no date indicated for when service will start at the MIC.[30]

COVID-19 pandemic

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On July 6, 2020, Amtrak reduced the frequency of this train to four times per week as opposed to daily due to the impact of ridership from the worldwide COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic.[31] Southbound Silver Meteor trains departed New York Monday through Thursday, while Silver Star trains departed Friday through Sunday. Similarly, northbound Silver Meteor trains departed Miami Sunday through Wednesday, while Silver Star trains departed Miami on Thursday through Saturday.[32] Both trains resumed daily services on June 7, 2021, after additional Amtrak funding was included in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.[33]

From January 24 to October 14, 2022, the Silver Meteor was suspended due to the Omicron variant surge of the coronavirus pandemic and its effect on staffing and equipment availability. During this period, the Silver Meteor's sister train, the Silver Star, continued to operate. Additional coach and sleeping car capacity was added to the Silver Star, creating a train that carried as many as six coaches and five sleepers. During this period, the Silver Star provided once-daily service to stations normally served by trains between New York and Rocky Mount, NC, and Savannah and Miami. Furthermore, a stop was temporarily added at Jesup, Georgia, usually only served by the Silver Meteor. Once-daily service remained available to Silver Meteor stations between Rocky Mount, North Carolina and Savannah via the daily daytime Palmetto, which operates between New York and Savannah.[34] The Silver Meteor's resumption date was pushed back a total of six times. Originally scheduled to return on March 27, it was pushed back to May 23, September 11, and finally, October 3. However, Hurricane Ian caused extensive damage to the Central Florida Rail Corridor in late September, which Amtrak uses to get to central and southern Florida. In response, Amtrak pushed the suspension back to October 6, then to October 11, and finally to October 14 after the full extent of the damage became apparent.[35]

Ridership

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Ridership by Fiscal Year (October–September)
Ridership Change over previous year Notes
2010[36] 352,286 - -
2011[36] 373,576  06.04% -
2012[37] 375,164  00.42% -
2013[37] 373,162  00.53% -
2014[38] 348,581  06.59% -
2015[38] 346,097  00.71% -
2016[39] 339,407  01.93% -
2017[40] 341,406  00.59% -
2018[41] 337,023  01.28% -
2019[41] 343,531  01.93% -
2020[42] 200,136  041.74% -
2021[43] 187,013  06.56% Tri-weekly October 2020 - June 2021
2022[44] 79,196  057.65% Suspended January - October 2022
2023[45] 283,932  0258.5% -

Equipment

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Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) glass-roofed "Sun Lounge" Hollywood Beach, a 5-double-bedroom-bar-lounge Pullman car introduced in 1956. Regular dome cars were too high for the tunnel clearances on the Northeast Corridor used by SAL trains north of Washington.
 
Interior of the "Sun Lounge"

The original Silver Meteor used lightweight cars built by the Budd Company. Three consists were needed for a daily train between New York and Miami; each had a baggage-dormitory-coach (22 seats), three 60-seat coaches, a tavern-lounge-coach (30 seats), a dining car, and a coach-observation-lounge (48 seats). The Pennsylvania Railroad owned some of the coaches. Budd delivered more cars in November–December 1940, allowing daily service to St. Petersburg: three baggage-dormitory-coaches (18 seats), seven 56-seat coaches, two dining cars, and three coach-buffet-observation cars (30 seats).[46]

By the early 1960s, the SAL's Silver Meteor typically had 17 cars or more, consisting of nine Pullman sleeping cars, including its highly touted glass-topped Sun Lounge introduced in 1956, several coaches, two dining cars, and an observation car with a tavern and lounge.[47] The train began using rebuilt Heritage Fleet equipment in 1981.[48]: 78 

The Silver Meteor now uses Amtrak's standard long-distance single-level equipment: Viewliner baggage cars, Viewliner sleeping cars, Viewliner dining cars, Amfleet café-lounges and Amfleet coaches. An ACS-64 electric locomotive is used between New York City and Washington, D.C., while two diesel-electric locomotives, either GE P42DC or Siemens ALC-42 locomotives, are used for power south of Washington, D.C. Amtrak began replacing the older P42DC locomotives with ALC-42 locomotives in 2023.[49]

A typical Silver Meteor consist as of September 2024 is made up of:[50]

  • ACS-64 locomotive (New York–Washington)
  • P42DC or ALC-42 locomotive (Washington–Miami)
  • P42DC or ALC-42 locomotive (Washington–Miami)
  • Amfleet II Coach
  • Amfleet II Coach
  • Amfleet II Coach
  • Amfleet II Café/Lounge Car
  • Viewliner II Dining Car
  • Viewliner I/II Sleeping Car
  • Viewliner I/II Sleeping Car
  • Viewliner I/II Sleeping Car
  • Viewliner II Baggage Car

Route details

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Amtrak Silver Service route map

The Silver Meteor operates over a combination of Amtrak and CSX Transportation trackage:[citation needed]

The Silver Meteor uses the same route as the Silver Star – the other train in the Silver Service brand – excluding two segments: Selma, North Carolina – Savannah, Georgia, and Kissimmee, Florida – Winter Haven, Florida.[51] Between Selma and Savannah, the Silver Star travels inland over the CSX S-Line to serve the Carolinas' state capitals of Raleigh and Columbia, while the Silver Meteor travels closer to the coast on the CSX A-Line and serves Fayetteville, North Carolina and Charleston, South Carolina. Between Kissimmee and Winter Haven, the Silver Meteor turns south to go directly to Miami at Auburndale, Florida, while the Silver Star continues west to Lakeland, Florida and Tampa before coming back to Auburndale and turning south to Miami. In addition to these diversions, between Sebring, Florida and West Palm Beach, Florida, the Silver Meteor makes no intermediate stops, while the Silver Star makes an additional stop at Okeechobee, Florida. Inversely, between Savannah and Jacksonville, Florida, the Silver Meteor makes an additional stop at Jesup, Georgia, while the Silver Star makes no intermediate stops.[51] The daytime Palmetto operates from New York to Savannah over the same route as the Silver Meteor, allowing cities in the Carolinas and Virginia on the Silver Meteor's route to have service during the day.[52]

In its present form, the southbound Silver Meteor leaves New York in mid-afternoon, arriving in Washington at dinner time and traveling overnight through Virginia and the Carolinas for arrival at breakfast time the following morning in Savannah, rush hour in Jacksonville, lunchtime in Orlando, and early evening in Miami. Northbound trains leave Miami just before rush hour, arriving in central Florida at lunchtime and Jacksonville in the late afternoon and dinner time in Savannah, then passing through the Carolinas and Virginia overnight for arrival at breakfast-time in Washington, mid-morning in Philadelphia and lunchtime in New York.

Like other long-distance trains operating on the Northeast Corridor, local travel between NEC stations is prohibited on the Silver Meteor. Northbound trains only stop to discharge passengers from Alexandria, Virginia northward, and southbound trains only stop to receive passengers from Newark, New Jersey to Washington. This policy is in place to keep seats available for passengers making more extended trips. Passengers wanting to travel locally must use the more frequent Northeast Regional or Acela trains. Additionally, the Silver Meteor, like the Silver Star, does not allow local travel between West Palm Beach and Miami. Southbound trains only discharge passengers, while northbound trains only stop to receive passengers bound for points beyond West Palm Beach. This is due to the availability of Tri-Rail, South Florida's commuter rail system.

Station stops

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State Town/City Station Connections
NY New York City Penn Station   Amtrak (long-distance): Cardinal, Crescent, Lake Shore Limited, Palmetto
  Amtrak (intercity): Acela, Adirondack, Berkshire Flyer, Carolinian, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Maple Leaf, Northeast Regional, Pennsylvanian, Vermonter
  LIRR: ■ Main Line, ■ Port Washington Branch
  NJ Transit: ■ North Jersey Coast Line, ■ Northeast Corridor Line, ■ Gladstone Branch, ■ Montclair-Boonton Line, ■ Morristown Line
  NYC Subway:  ​ ​  ​ ​ 
  PATH: HOB-33 JSQ-33 JSQ-33 (via HOB)
  MTA Bus
  Intercity bus: FlixBus
NJ Newark Newark Penn Station   Amtrak: Acela, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Keystone Service, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Vermonter
  NJ Transit: ■ North Jersey Coast Line, ■ Northeast Corridor Line, ■ Raritan Valley Line
  PATH: NWK-WTC
  Newark Light Rail
  NJ Transit Bus
  Intercity bus:   Greyhound, FlixBus
Trenton Trenton   Amtrak: Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Keystone Service, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Vermonter
  NJ Transit: ■ Northeast Corridor Line, ■ River Line
  SEPTA Regional Rail: ■ Trenton Line
  NJ Transit Bus, SEPTA Suburban Bus
PA Philadelphia 30th Street Station   Amtrak: Acela, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Keystone Service, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Vermonter
  SEPTA Regional Rail: all routes
  NJ Transit: ■ Atlantic City Line
  SEPTA Metro:   Market–Frankford Line,   Subway–Surface Trolleys
  SEPTA City Bus, SEPTA Suburban Bus, NJ Transit Bus
  Intercity bus: Martz Trailways, Peter Pan
DE Wilmington Wilmington   Amtrak: Acela, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Vermonter
  SEPTA Regional Rail: ■ Wilmington/​Newark Line
  DART First State: 2, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 18, 20, 28, 31, 33, 35, 37, 40, 47, 52, 301, 305
  Intercity bus:   Greyhound Lines
MD Baltimore Penn Station   Amtrak: Acela, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Vermonter
  MARC: ■ Penn Line
  Light RailLink
  MTA Maryland, Charm City Circulator
DC Washington Washington Union Station   Amtrak: Acela, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Floridian, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Vermonter Amtrak Thruway to Charlottesville, Virginia
  MARC: ■ Brunswick Line, ■ Camden Line, ■ Penn Line
  VRE: ■ Manassas Line, ■ Fredericksburg Line
  Metro:   Red Line
  DC Streetcar: H Street/Benning Road Line
  Metrobus, DC Circulator, MTA Maryland, Loudoun County Transit, OmniRide
  Intercity bus:   Greyhound, BestBus, FlixBus, Peter Pan, OurBus
VA Alexandria Alexandria   Amtrak: Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Floridian, Northeast Regional, Palmetto
  VRE: ■ Fredericksburg Line, ■ Manassas Line
  Metro:   Blue Line,   Yellow Line
  Metrobus, DASH
Fredericksburg Fredericksburg   Amtrak: Carolinian, Northeast Regional
  VRE: ■ Fredericksburg Line
  Fredericksburg Regional Transit
Richmond Richmond Staples Mill Road   Amtrak: Carolinian, Floridian, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Amtrak Thruway to Charlottesville, Virginia
  Greater Richmond Transit Company
Ettrick Petersburg   Amtrak: Carolinian, Floridian, Northeast Regional, Palmetto
NC Rocky Mount Rocky Mount   Amtrak: Carolinian, Floridian, Palmetto
  Tar River Transit
  Intercity bus:   Greyhound Lines
Fayetteville Fayetteville   Amtrak: Palmetto
SC Florence Florence   Amtrak: Palmetto
Kingstree Kingstree   Amtrak: Palmetto
North Charleston North Charleston   Amtrak: Palmetto
  Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority, Southeastern Stages
Yemassee Yemassee   Amtrak: Palmetto
GA Savannah Savannah   Amtrak: Floridian, Palmetto
Jesup Jesup
FL Jacksonville Jacksonville   Amtrak: Floridian, Amtrak Thruway to Waldo, Ocala, Gainesville, The Villages, Wildwood, Dade City, Lakeland
  JTA Bus
Palatka Palatka   Amtrak: Floridian
  The Ride Solution
DeLand DeLand   Amtrak: Floridian, Amtrak Thruway to Daytona Beach
  SunRail
  Votran
Winter Park Winter Park   Amtrak: Floridian
  SunRail
  LYNX Bus
Orlando Orlando   Amtrak: Floridian, Amtrak Thruway to Lakeland, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Bradenton, Sarasota, Port Charlotte, Fort Myers
  SunRail
  LYNX Bus
Kissimmee Kissimmee   Amtrak: Floridian
  SunRail
  LYNX Bus
  Intercity bus:   Greyhound Lines
Winter Haven Winter Haven   Amtrak: Floridian
Sebring Sebring   Amtrak: Floridian
West Palm Beach West Palm Beach   Amtrak: Floridian
  Tri-Rail
  Brightline (at West Palm Beach)
  Palm Tran, Tri-Rail Commuter Connector, West Palm Beach Downtown Trolley
  Intercity bus:   Greyhound Lines
Delray Beach Delray Beach   Amtrak: Floridian
  Tri-Rail
  Palm Tran, Downtown Connector
Deerfield Beach Deerfield Beach   Amtrak: Floridian
  Tri-Rail
  Broward County Transit, Tri-Rail Commuter Connector
Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale   Amtrak: Floridian
  Tri-Rail
  Broward County Transit, Metrobus, Sun Trolley, Tri-Rail Commuter Connector
Hollywood Hollywood   Amtrak: Floridian
  Tri-Rail
  Broward County Transit, Hallandale Beach Community Bus
Miami Miami   Amtrak: Floridian
  Metrobus

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Amtrak Fiscal Year 2023 Ridership" (PDF). Amtrak. November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  2. ^ "Amtrak FY23 Ridership" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 1, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  3. ^ "November 2023 Monthly Performance Report" (PDF).
  4. ^ Wegman, Mark (2008). American Passenger Trains and Locomotives Illustrated. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Voyageur Press. p. 90-91. ISBN 978-0-7603-3475-1.
  5. ^ "Seaboard's Silver Meteor Dedicated at World's Fair". Palm Beach Daily News. January 22, 1939.
  6. ^ "The Silver Meteor". streamlinermemories.com. March 27, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  7. ^ "Sun Lounge Sleeping Cars and Center-Lounge Coaches for your Seaboard Trip to Florida and the South!". Sunday Herald. November 13, 1955. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  8. ^ "St. Petersburg Made West Coast Rail Hub". St. Petersburg Times. April 13, 1968.
  9. ^ Amtrak nationwide schedules, November 14, 1971, page 59
  10. ^ Amtrak nationwide schedules, January 16, 1972, page 59.
  11. ^ "Amtrak cuts Florida service". St. Petersburg Times. August 30, 1979. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  12. ^ Amtrak Timetable effective October 30, 1994, p. 13 http://timetables.org/full.php?group=19961110n&item=0029
  13. ^ "Amtrak's Improvement Wish List", Trains, January 2011, 20-21.
  14. ^ "Amtrak Flexible Dining".
  15. ^ Weinberg, Harrison. "Amtrak long-distance capacity to remain tight through 2023". trains.com. Bob Johnston. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  16. ^ Weinberg, Harrison (April 25, 2023). "Amtrak launches Silver Star traditional dining 'pilot'". trains.com. Bob Johnston. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  17. ^ Johnston, Bob (June 28, 2023). "Amtrak returns 'traditional dining' to Silver Meteor". trains.com. Bob Johnston. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  18. ^ "Amtrak Launches Traditional Dining on Silver Meteor and Silver Star". Amtrak. June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  19. ^ Mathews, Jim. "SILVER SERVICES LATEST TO GET TRADITIONAL DINING". railpassengers.org. Rail Passengers Association. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  20. ^ Johnston, Bob. "Coach passengers now can buy meals in Silver Star and Silver Meteor dining cars". trains.com. Trains Magazine. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  21. ^ Chardy, Alfonso; Viglucci, Andres (October 31, 2013). "Long trains, short platforms at new Miami airport train station won't force permanent street closure". Miami Herald. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  22. ^ "New Tri-Rail Miami International Airport station to open on April 5" (Press release). South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. March 25, 2015. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015.
  23. ^ "Timeline". Miami Intermodal Center. Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  24. ^ Entin, Brian; Francois, Tania (November 5, 2018). "Off the Rails: Amtrak station built near MIA with taxpayer dollars goes unused". WSVN. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  25. ^ "Amtrak Begins Active Preparations To Launch Service To Miami Intermodal Center". The Next Miami. Retrieved March 13, 2022.[permanent dead link‍]
  26. ^ "Video Shows Amtrak Train Fitting Into The Miami Intermodal Center In First Test Run". The Next Miami. Retrieved September 29, 2022.[permanent dead link‍]
  27. ^ "Amtrak switch to Miami airport station again moving forward". Trains.com. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  28. ^ "Amtrak Public Board Meeting Public QA, December 1, 2022" (PDF). amtrak.com. Amtrak. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  29. ^ "More hurdles in long drive to get Amtrak to the airport". Miami Today. October 3, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  30. ^ Johnston, Bob (January 8, 2024). "Amtrak's move to Miami airport station still in limbo". Trains. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  31. ^ Tate, Curtis. "Amtrak to reduce New York-Florida trains starting July 6, with more cuts coming Oct. 1". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  32. ^ "Silver Star and Silver Meteor Schedule Changes effective July 6, 2020". Amtrak. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  33. ^ "With Increased Demand and Congressional Funding, Amtrak Restores 12 Long Distance Routes to Daily Service". Amtrak. March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  34. ^ "Amtrak to Decrease Service on Most Routes January 24 to March 27". January 25, 2022.
  35. ^ "Amtrak to restore four long-distance trains to daily service in late May". Trains. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2022."Silver Meteor Train 97, which is scheduled to depart New York (NYP) on 10/3 is now canceled in its entirety due to residual problems from Hurricane Ian. For further assistance please call 1-800-USA-RAIL". Twitter. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2022."Modified Service in the State of Florida". Twitter. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2022."Modified Service in State of Florida Effective October 13". Twitter. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  36. ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 8, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  37. ^ a b "AMTRAK SETS RIDERSHIP RECORD AND MOVES THE NATION'S ECONOMY FORWARD" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 24, 2020.
  38. ^ a b "Amtrak FY15 Ridership & Revenue" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 30, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  39. ^ "Amtrak FY16 Ridership & Revenue" (PDF). Amtrak. April 17, 2017.
  40. ^ "Amtrak FY17 Ridership" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 19, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  41. ^ a b "Amtrak FY19 Ridership" (PDF).
  42. ^ Luczak, Marybeth (November 23, 2020). "Amtrak Releases FY 2020 Data". Railway Age. New York: Simmons-Boardman Publishing Inc. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  43. ^ "Amtrak Route Ridership FY21 vs. FY19" (PDF). Amtrak. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  44. ^ "Amtrak FY22 Ridership" (PDF).
  45. ^ "Amtrak FY23 Ridership" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 1, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  46. ^ Wayner, Robert J., ed. (1972). Car Names, Numbers and Consists. New York: Wayner Publications. p. 80. OCLC 8848690.
  47. ^ "Equipment of Through Main Line and Local Trains", Seaboard Railroad Time Tables (December 16, 1961), p. 5.
  48. ^ Schafer, Mike (1991). All Aboard Amtrak: 1971–1991. Piscataway, New Jersey: Railpace Co. ISBN 978-0-9621-5414-0. OCLC 24545029.
  49. ^ Paul, Joe Sr.; Welsh, Michael; Kraft, Michael (February 2024). "Amtrak New Fleet Acquisition Updates" (PDF). Next Generation Corridor Equipment Pool Committee. p. 7.
  50. ^ "Amtrak - Silver Meteor". Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  51. ^ a b "Silver Service / Palmetto Train". Amtrak. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  52. ^ Amtrak. "Silver Service / Palmetto". Retrieved November 23, 2013.

Notes

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  1. ^ Amtrak's Fiscal Year (FY) runs from October 1 of the prior year to September 30 of the named year.
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