# Floridian (train)

The Floridian is an Amtrak long-distance passenger train that operates daily between Chicago, Illinois, and Miami, Florida, via Washington, D.C. Service officially began on November 10, 2024. The train was formed as a combination of two existing trains: the Capitol Limited, which operated overnight between Chicago and Washington, D.C., and the Silver Star, which operated overnight between New York City and Miami. Amtrak intends the train to be temporary, in response to planned rehabilitation work in the East River Tunnels, as well as a shortage of Superliner cars. It operates with single-level Amfleet and Viewliner passenger cars.

## History

Amtrak created the Capitol Limited in 1981 as a Washington section of the Chicago–New York Broadway Limited, with the split occurring in Pittsburgh. It became a fully separate train in 1986. The train gained bilevel Superliner cars in 1994. Amtrak inherited the Silver Star from the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1971. Amtrak previously used the name Floridian for a Chicago–Miami service that ran from 1971 to 1979 via Louisville, Kentucky, Nashville, Tennessee, and Montgomery, Alabama.
Trains magazine speculated in July 2024 that Amtrak intended to combine the two trains, based on "circumstantial evidence gleaned from Amtrak’s booking site." Amtrak confirmed this speculation on September 23, 2024, announcing the temporary merger of the Capitol Limited and the Silver Star. The new train, called the Floridian, will use the entire route of the Capitol Limited between Chicago and Washington, D.C., and the route of the Silver Star between Washington, D.C. and Miami. The combined train will use single-level Amfleet and Viewliner cars from the Silver Star and carry the train numbers 40 and 41, which were previously assigned to the Three Rivers and Broadway Limited. Amtrak cited two reasons for the move: reducing the number of movements through the East River Tunnels during planned reconstruction work, and meanwhile freeing up Superliner cars for use on Western long-distance trains.

## Equipment

The Floridian uses single-level Viewliner and Amfleet equipment, with a consist similar to that of the Silver Star. A typical Floridian has two GE P42DC or Siemens ALC-42 diesel locomotives, four Amfleet II coaches, an Amfleet cafe/lounge, a Viewliner diner, two Viewliner sleepers, and a Viewliner baggage car. Amtrak plans to add a third sleeper in April 2025.

## Stations

| State | City | Station |
| Illinois | Chicago | Chicago |
| Indiana | South Bend | South Bend |
| Indiana | Elkhart | Elkhart |
| Indiana | Waterloo | Waterloo |
| Ohio | Toledo | Toledo |
| Ohio | Sandusky | Sandusky |
| Ohio | Elyria | Elyria |
| Ohio | Cleveland | Cleveland |
| Ohio | Alliance | Alliance |
| Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh |
| Pennsylvania | Connellsville | Connellsville |
| Maryland | Cumberland | Cumberland |
| West Virginia | Martinsburg | Martinsburg |
| West Virginia | Harpers Ferry | Harpers Ferry |
| Maryland | Rockville | Rockville |
| District of Columbia | Washington | Washington, D.C. |
| Virginia | Alexandria | Alexandria |
| Virginia | Richmond | Richmond Staples Mill Road |
| Virginia | Ettrick | Petersburg |
| North Carolina | Rocky Mount | Rocky Mount |
| North Carolina | Raleigh | Raleigh |
| North Carolina | Cary | Cary |
| North Carolina | Southern Pines | Southern Pines |
| North Carolina | Hamlet | Hamlet |
| South Carolina | Camden | Camden |
| South Carolina | Columbia | Columbia |
| South Carolina | Denmark | Denmark |
| Georgia | Savannah | Savannah |
| Florida | Jacksonville | Jacksonville |
| Florida | Palatka | Palatka |
| Florida | DeLand | DeLand |
| Florida | Winter Park | Winter Park |
| Florida | Orlando | Orlando |
| Florida | Kissimmee | Kissimmee |
| Florida | Lakeland | Lakeland |
| Florida | Tampa | Tampa |
| Florida | Winter Haven | Winter Haven |
| Florida | Sebring | Sebring |
| Florida | Okeechobee | Okeechobee |
| Florida | West Palm Beach | West Palm Beach |
| Florida | Delray Beach | Delray Beach |
| Florida | Deerfield Beach | Deerfield Beach |
| Florida | Fort Lauderdale | Fort Lauderdale |
| Florida | Hollywood | Hollywood |
| Florida | Miami | Miami |