Could Amtrak’s Floridian service be making a comeback? A new train route that could link Chicago to Miami was recently proposed by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
The proposal is part of a broader study looking to expand options for the nation’s skeletal long-distance passenger train network. The FRA identified 15 routes that would add over 23,000 long-distance miles to Amtrak’s network, more than doubling its reach.
To make the Chicago-Miami service possible, the former Floridian route would have to be restored and adapted. This was an Amtrak-operated train that connected the two cities before it was discontinued in 1979. But unlike its predecessor, the new route would serve Tennessee and Georgia.
As for the cities it would make stops in, locations listed in the proposal include Lafayette, Indianapolis, Colombus, Louisville, Bowling Green, Nashville, Chattanooga, Atlanta and Macon. In Florida, the route would service Jacksonville, Orlando and finally Miami.
Many might notice that Tampa, home to the second-busiest Amtrak station in the state, is not included. The Friends of Tampa Union Station, an organization that advocates for the planned restoration of Tampa’s historic station, released a statement expressing frustration with the plan:
An additional route proposed by the FRA would bring service between Dallas/Fort Worth and Miami, utilizing the Florida East Coast Railway. For this one, travelers would pass through Marshall, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Pensacola, Tallahassee and Jacksonville.
While it can be pretty interesting to envision all these routes added to Amtrak’s existing network, they’re far from set. In the meantime, you can find out more about the long-distance routes in the study here.