Here's the problem for anyone wanting to take train only to Miami from Chicago: you have to take at least two trains to get there. Here's your choices:
1. Take the Capitol Limited from Chicago to Washington, D.C. and then take the Silver Star from Washington, D.C. to Miami
2. Take the Capitol Limited from Chicago to Washington, D.C. and then take the Silver Meteor from Washington, D.C. to Miami
3. Take the Cardinal from Chicago to Washington, D.C. (or New York City) and then take the Silver Star from Washington, D.C. (or New York City) to Miami
4. Take the Cardinal from Chicago to Washington, D.C. (or New York City) and then take the Silver Meteor from Washington, D.C. (or New York City) to Miami
5. Take the Lake Shore Limited from Chicago to New York City and then take the Silver Star from New York City to Miami
6. Take the Lake Shore Limited from Chicago to New York City and then take the Silver Meteor from New York City to Miami
7. Take the City of New Orleans from Chicago to New Orleans and then take the Crescent from New Orleans to Alexandria, Virginia (or Washington, D.C. or New York City) and then take the Silver Star from Alexandria, Virginia (or Washington, D.C. or New York City) to Miami
8. Take the City of New Orleans from Chicago to New Orleans and then take the Crescent from New Orleans to Alexandria, Virginia (or Washington, D.C. or New York City) and then take the Silver Meteor from Alexandria, Virginia (Or Washington, D.C. or New York City) to Miami
As you can see, it takes at least two trains to get from Chicago to Miami. Now here's my proposal: a train from Chicago to Miami. There's already a good canidate for this: the Royal Palm. It ran from Cincinnati, Ohio to Miami, Flordia via Southern Railway's subsidaries and Florida East Coast. Here's the original route:
Southern's Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific from Cincinnati to Chattanooga, Tennessee
Southern's East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia from Chattanooga to Macon, Georgia (it passes thru Atlanta, Georgia)
Partly-owned-by-Southern Georgia Southern & Flordia from Macon to Jacksonville, Flordia
Flordia East Coast Railway from Jacksonville to Miami
Now here's the 'modern route':
Metra from Union Station (Chicago) to 81st Street (Chicago)
Union Pacific from 81st Street to Thornton, Illinois
Canadian National from Thornton to Munster, Indiana
CSX from Munster to Cincinnati, Ohio
Norfolk Southern from Cincinnati to Jacksonville, Florida
Florida East Coast from Jacksonville, Florida to Miami
I must note that the section from Chicago to Cincinnati is also the route that Amtrak's Cardinal also follows. One more thing of notice:
The route intersects with the Crescent's route in Atlanta, which allows the possibility of passengers transfering from the Crescent to the Royal Palm to go to Chicago or Miami or passengers transfering from the Royal Palm to the Crescent to go to Washington, D.C. or New Orleans.
Because the tunnels on the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific (a.k.a. 'The Rathole' for the many tunnels) have been 'daylighted' or bypassed, double-stack container trains take this route, meaning that Superliner cars can also follow this route.
Now what does everyone else think?
1. Take the Capitol Limited from Chicago to Washington, D.C. and then take the Silver Star from Washington, D.C. to Miami
2. Take the Capitol Limited from Chicago to Washington, D.C. and then take the Silver Meteor from Washington, D.C. to Miami
3. Take the Cardinal from Chicago to Washington, D.C. (or New York City) and then take the Silver Star from Washington, D.C. (or New York City) to Miami
4. Take the Cardinal from Chicago to Washington, D.C. (or New York City) and then take the Silver Meteor from Washington, D.C. (or New York City) to Miami
5. Take the Lake Shore Limited from Chicago to New York City and then take the Silver Star from New York City to Miami
6. Take the Lake Shore Limited from Chicago to New York City and then take the Silver Meteor from New York City to Miami
7. Take the City of New Orleans from Chicago to New Orleans and then take the Crescent from New Orleans to Alexandria, Virginia (or Washington, D.C. or New York City) and then take the Silver Star from Alexandria, Virginia (or Washington, D.C. or New York City) to Miami
8. Take the City of New Orleans from Chicago to New Orleans and then take the Crescent from New Orleans to Alexandria, Virginia (or Washington, D.C. or New York City) and then take the Silver Meteor from Alexandria, Virginia (Or Washington, D.C. or New York City) to Miami
As you can see, it takes at least two trains to get from Chicago to Miami. Now here's my proposal: a train from Chicago to Miami. There's already a good canidate for this: the Royal Palm. It ran from Cincinnati, Ohio to Miami, Flordia via Southern Railway's subsidaries and Florida East Coast. Here's the original route:
Southern's Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific from Cincinnati to Chattanooga, Tennessee
Southern's East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia from Chattanooga to Macon, Georgia (it passes thru Atlanta, Georgia)
Partly-owned-by-Southern Georgia Southern & Flordia from Macon to Jacksonville, Flordia
Flordia East Coast Railway from Jacksonville to Miami
Now here's the 'modern route':
Metra from Union Station (Chicago) to 81st Street (Chicago)
Union Pacific from 81st Street to Thornton, Illinois
Canadian National from Thornton to Munster, Indiana
CSX from Munster to Cincinnati, Ohio
Norfolk Southern from Cincinnati to Jacksonville, Florida
Florida East Coast from Jacksonville, Florida to Miami
I must note that the section from Chicago to Cincinnati is also the route that Amtrak's Cardinal also follows. One more thing of notice:
The route intersects with the Crescent's route in Atlanta, which allows the possibility of passengers transfering from the Crescent to the Royal Palm to go to Chicago or Miami or passengers transfering from the Royal Palm to the Crescent to go to Washington, D.C. or New Orleans.
Because the tunnels on the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific (a.k.a. 'The Rathole' for the many tunnels) have been 'daylighted' or bypassed, double-stack container trains take this route, meaning that Superliner cars can also follow this route.
Now what does everyone else think?