Silver Service

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Silver Service
Old 97, New Locomotive (14853558824).jpg
The Silver Meteor passing Odenton station in 2014
Overview
Locale United States East Coast
Transit type Inter-city rail
Number of lines2
Website Amtrak Silver Service
Operation
Operator(s) Amtrak
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Amtrak Silver Service map Amtrak Silver Service.png
Amtrak Silver Service map

Silver Service is a brand applied by Amtrak to its long-distance trains running along the United States East Coast between New York City and Miami, Florida. It comprises two trains: [1]

The two services follow the same general route between New York City and Miami, but diverge between Selma, NC, and Savannah, GA, as well as at Auburndale, FL. The Silver Meteor takes a more direct, coastal route between Selma and Savannah via Fayetteville, NC, Florence, SC, and Charleston, SC, while the Silver Star travels inland to serve the Carolinas' two state capitals, Raleigh, NC, and Columbia, SC. At Auburndale, FL, the Silver Star continues west to service Lakeland, FL, and Tampa, FL, while the Silver Meteor turns south to go directly to Miami. Amtrak's Palmetto operates over the Silver Meteor's route between New York City and Savannah.

The Silver Meteor and Silver Star are the only single-level routes in the Amtrak system offering full-service dining; all other single-level long-distance routes exclusively serve pre-packaged ready-to-eat meals. [2] [3]

History

The two Silver Service trains were inherited from the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, which originally inherited them from the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, when Amtrak took over most intercity rail service in 1971. They are the sole remnants of numerous long-distance trains that ran between the Northeast and Florida for most of the 20th century. Amtrak originally applied the Florida Fleet brand to the Silver Meteor, Silver Star, and the now-discontinued Champion , another train inherited from SCL, in the 1970's. [4]

Prior to 1979, the Silver Meteor travelled between Savannah and Jacksonville, FL, via the Seaboard Coast Line's Everett Subdivision with a stop at Thalmann, GA, for Brunswick, GA. The train was rerouted via Jesup, GA, in late 1979 along the same route as the Silver Star after SCL wanted to abandon the Everett Subdivision. Similarly, the Silver Star ran between Petersburg, VA, and Raleigh via the Norlina Subdivision, with a stop at Henderson, NC, until 1985. When CSX, corporate successor of Seaboard Coast Line, abandoned the line between Petersburg and Norlina, NC, in 1985, the Silver Star was rerouted via Selma en route to Raleigh. Currently, under the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor plan, the Norlina Subdivision will be rebuilt between Petersburg and Norlina, with both the Silver Star and Amtrak's Charlotte–New York Carolinian being rerouted over the line, with the stop at Henderson being reinstated, as well as a new stop being added at La Crosse, VA.

Starting in 1982, Amtrak operated a service called the Silver Palm between Miami and Tampa. [5] This was later discontinued in 1985 due to low ridership. From 1996 to 2002, the Palmetto was renamed Silver Palm, and operated between New York and Miami. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seaboard Air Line Railroad</span> Defunct American railroad

The Seaboard Air Line Railroad, which styled itself as "The Route of Courteous Service", was an American railroad that existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. Predecessor railroads dated from the 1830s and reorganized extensively to rebuild after the American Civil War. The company was headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, until 1958, when its main offices were relocated to Richmond, Virginia. The Seaboard Air Line Railway Building in Norfolk's historic Freemason District still stands and has been converted into apartments.

<i>Silver Meteor</i> Amtrak service between New York and Florida

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.

<i>Silver Star</i> (Amtrak train) Amtrak service between New York and Florida

The Silver Star is a long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 1,522-mile (2,449 km) route between New York City and Miami via Washington, D.C., Richmond, Virginia, Raleigh, North Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, Savannah, Georgia, Jacksonville, Florida, and Tampa, Florida. The Silver Star and its sister train in the Silver Service brand, the Silver Meteor, are the descendants of numerous long-distance trains that operated between Florida and New York for most of the 20th century.

<i>Palmetto</i> (train) Amtrak service between New York City, NY and Savannah, GA

The Palmetto is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 829-mile (1,334 km) route between New York City and Savannah, Georgia, via the Northeast Corridor, Washington, D.C., Richmond, Virginia, Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina. The Palmetto is a shorter version of the Silver Meteor, which continues south to Miami, Florida. From 1996 to 2002 this service was called the Silver Palm. Although currently a day train, the Palmetto is considered a long-distance train by Amtrak and previously provided overnight sleeper service to Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orlando Health/Amtrak station</span> Passenger train station in Orlando, Florida

Orlando Health/Amtrak station, also known as Orlando station, is a train station in Orlando, Florida. It is served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system of the United States, and SunRail, the commuter rail service of Greater Orlando, as well as local and intercity buses. It serves Amtrak's Silver Meteor and Silver Star lines. Built in 1926, the historic station is located in Downtown Orlando approximately one mile south of the central business district, near the campus of Orlando Health. Serving 160,442 passengers at last measure in 2013, The station is Amtrak's fifth busiest in the Southeastern United States; it is the second busiest Amtrak station in Florida, behind the Sanford station of the Auto Train.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savannah station (Amtrak)</span> Amtrak station in Georgia USA

Savannah station is an Amtrak train station in Savannah, Georgia. The station was built in 1962 to replace the older Savannah Union Station, torn down for construction of I-16. Located at 2611 Seaboard Coastline Drive, the station consists of a terminal building on the east side of the north–south tracks, with a platform between the tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raleigh Union Station</span> American intermodal transit station

Raleigh Union Station is an intermodal transit station in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Train service began the morning of July 10, 2018. Its main building serves as an Amtrak train station, while a future adjacent building will serve as the bus terminus for GoTriangle. The station is located at the Boylan Wye, a railroad junction used by CSX and Norfolk Southern, and adjacent to the Depot Historic District in downtown Raleigh.

<i>Champion</i> (train)

The Champion was a streamlined passenger train operated by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and Florida East Coast Railway between New York City and Miami or St. Petersburg, Florida. It operated from 1939 until 1979, continuing under the Seaboard Coast Line and Amtrak. It was a direct competitor to the Seaboard Air Line Railway's Silver Meteor, the first New York-Florida streamliner.

The South Wind was a named passenger train equipped and operated jointly by the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, and the Florida East Coast Railway. The South Wind began operations in December 1940, providing streamliner service between Chicago, Illinois and Miami, Florida. This was one of three new seven-car, all-coach streamliners operating in coordination every third day along different routes between Chicago and Miami. The other two longest enduring Chicago-Florida trains were the City of Miami and the Dixie Flagler. The South Wind remained in service through the creation of Amtrak in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildwood station</span>

Wildwood station is a bus station, and former train station, in Wildwood, Florida. It serves Amtrak's Thruway Motorcoach bus system and formerly served trains for Amtrak and other rail companies. The station is located on 601 North Main Street in Wildwood, Florida. Along with the northern terminus of Florida's Turnpike, the station gave Wildwood a reason to refer to itself as "The Crossroads of Florida."

<i>Vacationer</i> (train) Seasonal passenger train between New York City and Miami, Florida

The Vacationer was a seasonal passenger train operated by Amtrak between New York City and Miami, Florida. The Vacationer, like its predecessor the Florida Special, was designed to supplement regular Northeast—Florida service during the winter months. It made its final run on March 31, 1974. The Florida Special dated back to 1888; the Vacationer originated in 1938.

The Florida Western and Northern Railroad was a subsidiary of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad that expanded their network in the 1920s by building a rail line from Coleman, Florida all the way to West Palm Beach via Auburndale and Sebring, a distance of 204 miles. The line would be extended to Miami by the Seaboard-All Florida Railway, another Seaboard Air Line subsidiary, shortly after with the full line from Coleman to Miami becoming the Seaboard Air Line's Miami Subdivision. The line is still in service today from Auburndale to West Palm Beach and is now operated by Seaboard successor CSX Transportation as their Auburndale Subdivision.

The Jesup Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in Georgia. The line runs from Jesup, Georgia to Folkston, Georgia for a length of 72.7 miles. It notable passes through Waycross, Georgia, a major CSX freight terminal and CSX operates numerous freight trains over the line. The Jesup Subdivision was once a major route for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, one of CSX's predecessors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carters Subdivision</span> CSX railroad line in Florida

CSX Transportation's Carters Subdivision is a segment of CSX's A Line running from Poinciana southwest to Lakeland. The Carters Subdivision ends just west of Downtown Lakeland at Lakeland Junction, where it continues west as the Lakeland Subdivision and connects to the Vitis Subdivision.

The Wildwood Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in Florida. It runs along CSX's S Line from Baldwin south to Zephyrhills via Ocala and Wildwood for a total of 155.7 miles. The S Line is CSX's designation for the line that was the Seaboard Air Line Railroad main line from 1903 to 1967.

The Aberdeen Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in North Carolina. The line runs along CSX's S Line from Raleigh, North Carolina, to Marston, North Carolina, for a total of 86.9 miles. At its north end it continues south from the Norlina Subdivision and at its south end it continues south as the Hamlet Terminal Subdivision.

The Norlina Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. State of North Carolina. The line currently runs from Norlina, North Carolina, to Raleigh, North Carolina, for a total of 51.2 miles. At its north end the line comes to an end and at its south end the line continues north from the Aberdeen Subdivision. While the current line dates back to 1840, it has been known as the Norlina Subdivision since the 1970s. Under CSX's predecessor, the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, the Norlina Subdivision continued north to Collier Yard near Petersburg, Virginia.

The Portsmouth Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in Virginia and North Carolina. The line connects CSX's network with the port city of Portsmouth, Virginia. The Portsmouth Subdivision was historically operated by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, a CSX predecessor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clearwater station (Amtrak)</span>

Clearwater station was an Amtrak train station in Clearwater, Florida, served by the Floridian until 1979 and the Silver Service until February 1, 1984. Thereafter, it continued to be used for Amtrak Thruway motor coach service until 1995, connecting to Amtrak Silver Service trains at Tampa Union Station.

The Seaboard Air Line Railroad’s Main Line was the backbone of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad's network in the southeastern United States. The main line ran from Richmond, Virginia to Tampa, Florida, a distance of over 800 miles. Along its route it passed through Petersburg, Raleigh, Columbia, Savannah, Jacksonville, and Ocala, Florida. While some segments of the line have been abandoned as of 2022, most of the line is still in service and is owned by the Seaboard Air Line's successor, CSX Transportation as their S Line.

References

  1. "AMTRAK TO HOST CIVIC CONVERSATION IN SAVANNAH ON RAIL DEPOT REDEVELOPMENT AND RESTORATION". US Fed News Service, Including US State News. January 27, 2009. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
  2. "Amtrak returns 'traditional dining' to Silver Meteor". Trains. 2023-06-28. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  3. "Amtrak Traditional Dining". www.amtrak.com. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  4. Amtrak (1975). "Florida Fleet" . Retrieved 2013-08-10.
  5. "Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
  6. Chapman, Mark David (November 1, 2001). "Kick back and enjoy the ride on Amtrak's Florida-bound trains; Get on track for enjoyable ride to Florida". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on February 24, 2016. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
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