CLEVELAND — If you're looking to travel to Florida but would prefer not to drive or fly, there is now a solution.
Amtrak is now offering a new temporary route on the "Floridian," which provides direct round-trip service between Chicago and Miami, with stops in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Raleigh, Jacksonville, and more. Sandusky, Elyria, and Alliance are also on the route.
This train combines the routes of the Capitol Limited and Silver Star for a limited time and will make its inaugural trip on Sunday, Nov. 10.
"The 'Floridian' offers customers an exceptional and sustainable journey to great destinations between Chicago and Miami, providing the amenities and delicious food our guests enjoy when traveling with us," Amtrak Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Eliot Hamlisch said in a release.
WHY IS THIS ROUTE NOW AVAILABLE?
Amtrak says it is "temporarily combining the Capitol Limited and Silver Star trains to create the Floridian due to the upcoming East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project in New York." During construction, Amtrak says one tunnel tube will be closed at a time.
HOW LONG WILL THE FLORIDAN ROUTE BE IN SERVICE?
Amtrak didn't specify a set time in its announcement earlier this week. In a previous release, the company said that the East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project was expected to be completed sometime in 2027.
HOW LONG WOULD A TRIP FROM CHICAGO TO MIAMI TAKE?
Plan for a long journey. Really long. According to our partners at Cleveland.com, a journey from the Windy City to South Beach would take an estimated 46 hours and 29 minutes. A trip from Cleveland to Orlando will take 32 hours 13 minutes.
WHEN WILL THE TRAIN ARRIVE IN/DEPART FROM NORTHEAST OHIO?
An exact timetable for the Floridian has not been announced yet, but Amtrak says it will operate on a "similar" schedule to the Capitol Limited and the Silver Star. The current Capitol Limited arrival/departure times for Northeast Ohio stations are as follows:
Eastbound
- Sandusky: 12:40 a.m.
- Elyria: 1:15 a.m.
- Cleveland: arrive 1:45 a.m., depart 1:54 a.m.
- Alliance: 3:05 a.m.
Westbound
- Alliance: 1:39 a.m.
- Cleveland: arrive 2:53 a.m., depart 2:59 a.m.
- Elyria: 3:29 a.m.
- Sandusky: 4:02 a.m.
