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New Amtrak route connects Cleveland with Florida without changing trains
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New Amtrak route connects Cleveland with Florida without changing trains

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Starting in November, travelers in Northeast Ohio will be able to board an Amtrak train in Cleveland and stay in the same seat all the way to Orlando, Tampa and Miami.

Amtrak announced this week that it is temporarily combining two existing routes, including the Capitol Limited, which currently runs from Chicago via Cleveland to Washington, DC, and the Silver Star, which runs from Washington to Miami.

The new route will be called “Floridian” and will run from Chicago to Miami starting November 10th.

The entire route takes 46 hours and 29 minutes.

The journey from Cleveland to Orlando takes 32 hours and 13 minutes. En route, stops include Richmond, Virginia, Raleigh, NC, Columbia, SC and Jacksonville, Florida.

Tickets are on sale now for the daily service, which departs Cleveland at 1:54 a.m. That’s the same time the eastbound Capitol Limited currently stops in Cleveland.

Economy class seat reservation prices to Orlando start at around $180.

To travel to Florida, travelers from Cleveland currently must transfer in Washington, DC.

The route also stops in Elyria, Sandusky and Toledo, Ohio.

The new route will use single-deck Viewliner carriages with second and first class seating, as well as compartments and bedrooms with private toilets and showers.

The train will also feature a traditional dining car offering meals prepared by a chef (included in the fare for first class passengers, available as an extra for others).

The combination of the two routes is temporary to ease traffic congestion in New York City due to the upcoming East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project, which will rebuild the tunnels under the East River in New York City.

The Silver Meteor will continue to operate daily between New York and Miami.

Amtrak previously offered the Florida route that connected Chicago to Miami in the 1970s, but that train did not stop in Cleveland.

Jim Mathews, president and CEO of the Rail Passengers Association, praised the new route.

“Our members have long had a dream to reinstate connecting service from the Midwest to Florida, and we are thrilled that a new generation of American passengers will be able to experience this service for themselves,” Mathews said in a statement.

Read more:

Amtrak expansion in Ohio: What’s next and how soon can we possibly take the train to Columbus?

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