Silver Meteor

The Silver Meteor is a 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 its 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.

Silver Meteor

The Silver Meteor arriving in Palatka, Florida in 2023
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Locale	East Coast of the United States
First service	February 2, 1939 (1939-02-02)
Current operator(s)	Amtrak (1971–present)
Former operator(s)	Seaboard Air Line Railroad (1939–1967) Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (1967–1971) Pennsylvania Railroad (1939–1968, haulage agreement) Penn Central (1968–1971, haulage agreement)
Annual ridership	79,196 (FY22) -57.7%^[a]^[1]
Route
Termini	New York City Miami
Stops	33
Distance travelled	1,389 miles (2,235 km)
Average journey time	27h 44m
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	97, 98
On-board services
Class(es)	Coach Class Sleeper Service
Disabled access	All train cars, all stations
Sleeping arrangements	Roomette (2 beds) Bedroom (2 beds) Bedroom Suite (4 beds) Accessible Bedroom (2 beds)
Catering facilities	Dining car, Café
Baggage facilities	Overhead racks, checked baggage available at selected stations
Technical
Rolling stock	Amfleet, Viewliner
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed	Up to 125 miles per hour (201 km/h) (Northeast Corridor)
Track owner(s)	Amtrak, CSXT, CFRC, SFRTA
Route map Legend Northeast Corridor to Boston 0 mi 0 km New York City Empire Corridor NY NJ North River Tunnels under Hudson River 10 mi 16 km Newark Penn 58 mi 93 km Trenton Delaware River NJ PA Keystone Service & Pennsylvanian 91 mi 146 km Philadelphia–30th Street PA DE 116 mi 187 km Wilmington DE MD 185 mi 298 km Baltimore Capitol Limited to Chicago MD DC 225 mi 362 km Washington, D.C. Potomac River DC VA 234 mi 377 km Alexandria Cardinal, Crescent, & Northeast Regional 279 mi 449 km Fredericksburg 334 mi 538 km Richmond Staples Mill Road Northeast Regional to Newport News 362 mi 583 km Petersburg Northeast Regional to Norfolk VA NC 460 mi 740 km Rocky Mount Carolinian & Silver Star 550 mi 885 km Fayetteville NC SC 633 mi 1019 km Florence 672 mi 1081 km Kingstree 728 mi 1172 km Charleston 782 mi 1259 km Yemassee Savannah River SC GA Silver Star 829 mi 1334 km Savannah 881 mi 1418 km Jesup St. Marys River GA FL 977 mi 1572 km Jacksonville 1035 mi 1666 km Palatka 1087 mi 1749 km DeLand 1119 mi 1801 km Winter Park 1124 mi 1809 km Orlando 1142 mi 1838 km Kissimmee Silver Star via Tampa 1187 mi 1910 km Winter Haven 1221 mi 1965 km Sebring 1324 mi 2131 km West Palm Beach 1342 mi 2160 km Delray Beach 1353 mi 2177 km Deerfield Beach 1367 mi 2200 km Fort Lauderdale 1375 mi 2213 km Hollywood 1389 mi 2235 km Miami 1393 mi 2242 km Miami Intermodal Center Planned All stations are accessible This diagram: view talk edit

The train is part of Amtrak's Silver Service brand, along with its sister train, the Silver Star, SAL’s other former flagship streamliner. The two trains are the remnants of the numerous long-distance trains that operated between New York and Florida for most of the 20th century.

During fiscal year 2019, the Silver Meteor carried 353,466 passengers, an increase of 4.9% from FY2018. ^[2] In FY2016, the train had a total revenue of $36,652,426, a decrease of 4.7% from FY2015. ^[3]

History

 

Silver Meteor 1961 SAL timetable

 

SAL's shrouded 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive #865 with the Silver Meteor's St. Petersburg section, in the 1940s

The Silver Meteor was inaugurated by the SAL on February 2, 1939. The name was selected via contest, with 30 people among 76,000 entrants proposing the winning name. Utilizing EMC E4 diesel locomotives originally purchased for SAL's flagship all-Pullman train, the Orange Blossom Special, it became the first diesel-powered streamliner to Florida. Its introduction later prompted SAL's competitor, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL), to introduce its own New York-Florida streamliner, the Champion, on December 1, 1939. The SAL emphasized the train's modernity, referring to it as the "Train of Tomorrow" and having its first trip to Florida begin not from New York Penn Station, but from the Long Island Rail Road station at the 1939 New York World's Fair. The original schedule took 25 hours.^[4][5]

The train used seven new cars manufactured by the Budd Company, those being a baggage-dormitory-coach, a diner straddled by two coaches on either side, and a coach-lounge-observation. The train was originally tri-weekly, alternating service between Miami and St. Petersburg every other day. However, the train proved to be so popular that after new equipment was delivered, SAL upgraded the train to daily operation to both coasts in December 1939.^[6] Heavyweight sleeping cars would be added to the train in 1941, and would be upgraded to lightweight sleeping cars in 1947. In 1956, SAL introduced the Sun Lounge to the train. These cars included five double-bedrooms on one end, and a lounge with glass panels in the roof. This was due to the fact that full dome cars could not fit through the tunnels on the Northeast Corridor between New York and Washington D.C.^[7]

The Pennsylvania Railroad carried the train from New York to Washington along its mainline—now the Northeast Corridor—under a haulage agreement. Between Washington and Richmond, Virginia it used the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, jointly owned by the SAL and five other railroads. South of Richmond, the train used SAL's own mainline via Raleigh, North Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, Savannah, Georgia, Jacksonville, Florida and Ocala, Florida. At Wildwood, Florida, the train was split into east and west coast sections. The east coast section continued to Miami, and the west coast section to Tampa, where the train would be split again into a St. Petersburg section and a Venice section via Sarasota. The Venice section was normally handled by SAL Motorcar 2028.

The Seaboard Air Line Railroad merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1967, and in 1968 the new railroad reshuffled the Florida streamliners. The Silver Meteor lost its west coast section and began serving Miami only.^[8] The Pennsylvania Railroad merged with the New York Central Railroad to form Penn Central Transportation in 1968, which inherited the longstanding haulage agreement for the Silver Meteor. Amtrak retained the train when it took over most intercity passenger trains on May 1, 1971.

Amtrak era

 

The Silver Meteor passing through Odenton, Maryland in 2014.

From December 17, 1971, to April 15, 1972, and September 10, 1972, to April 27, 1973, the Silver Meteor bypassed Jacksonville, running over the Gross Cutoff between Gross near the Georgia state line and Baldwin. Between November 14, 1971 and January 16, 1972, the Silver Meteor made the major shift in its route, shifting from its traditional path on the old SAL mainline via Raleigh and Columbia to the old ACL mainline through Florence and Charleston, South Carolina.^[9][10] Between June 11 and September 10, 1972 the Silver Meteor was extended to Boston and called the Meteor. Service to St. Petersburg returned with the train splitting at Auburndale, Florida.

On several occasions during the 1970s, the Silver Meteor was combined with the Champion, the main rival of the Silver Meteor up until the SCL merger. In the summer of 1972, Amtrak split the trains in Savannah, with the Champion continuing to St. Petersburg and the Meteor continuing to Miami. They were combined again for the summers of 1975, 1976 and 1977, splitting in Jacksonville. Finally, in 1979, the Champion was permanently consolidated into the Silver Meteor as its St. Petersburg section. Although the Champion name was preserved for a time,^[11] it disappeared with the October 1, 1979 timetable.

On September 30, 1979 the Silver Meteor was rerouted between Savannah and Jacksonville over the former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad route, due to the abandonment of the old SAL route. On January 31, 1984 the Silver Meteor's Florida west coast terminus was cut back from St. Petersburg to Tampa, ending almost 100 years of rail passenger service to St. Petersburg. By October 26, 1986 the Silver Meteor had shifted to the old ACL route north of Savannah, as the abandonment of the SAL route north of Raleigh affected only the Silver Star. On June 11, 1988 the tracks between Coleman and Auburndale, Florida were abandoned, then removed to create the General James A. Van Fleet State Trail, shifting the Miami section west to Lakeland.

By the end of 1988, the Silver Meteor's Miami section had train numbers 97 and 98, while the Tampa section had train numbers 87 and 88. The Tampa section (87 and 88) was discontinued in 1994, and the Miami section (97 and 98) was rerouted through Orlando, and are still used today.^[12]

The best timing for Amtrak's Silver Meteor between Miami and New York City was 27 hours in 2008; SAL's first edition took 25 hours in 1939. Late trains often add more hours to today's schedules, most often caused by freight delays.

In the January 2011 issue of Trains Magazine this route was listed as one of five routes to be looked at by Amtrak in FY 2011 as the previous five routes (Sunset, Eagle, Zephyr, Capitol, and Cardinal) were examined in FY 2010.^[13]

In October 2019, the Silver Meteor's dining car discontinued serving freshly cooked meals in a traditional, restaurant-style setting, otherwise known as "traditional dining." Amtrak introduced the “flexible dining” system to the Silver Meteor, which consists of pre-prepared meals which are then heated in either a convection oven or a microwave oven at the time of purchase.^[14] In a Rail Passengers Association webinar that took place on November 16, 2022, Amtrak's vice president of long-distance service revealed that traditional dining service is planned to be reintroduced on the Silver Meteor and the Silver Star in early 2023.^[15]

In 2021, Amtrak reached out to FDOT to begin negotiations again for utilization of the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC), the replacement for Amtrak's current Miami station. This comes after years of disagreement over the platform length at the MIC, as Amtrak normally adds cars to the Silver Meteor and Silver Star during the winter season to accommodate increased demand.^[16] In February 2022, negotiations restarted between FDOT and Amtrak.^[17] Later in March 2022, a test train operated into and out of the station and proved that the platforms are sufficient in length to hold a standard 10 car train.^[18] However, the platforms are not long enough to accommodate an 11 to 12 car train, which could be possible in the winter months. In September 2022, Amtrak management announced that it had restarted lease negotiations with FDOT regarding use and maintenance of the terminal. One issue however, is the deadheading move that will need to take place between the MIC and Hialeah. Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner has stated that "the company is evaluating technical and operational aspects of the move."^[19] In an Amtrak Public Board Meeting Q&A on December 1, 2022, it was revealed that Amtrak is in the final stages of its preparations for relocating from their current Miami station, and plans to officially relocate to the MIC in 2023.^[20]

COVID-19 pandemic

On July 6, 2020, Amtrak reduced the frequency of this train to four times per week as opposed to daily due to the impact of ridership from the worldwide COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic.^[21] Southbound Silver Meteor trains departed New York Monday through Thursday, while Silver Star trains departed Friday through Sunday. Similarly, northbound Silver Meteor trains departed Miami Sunday through Wednesday, while Silver Star trains departed Miami on Thursday through Saturday.^[22] Both trains resumed daily services on June 7, 2021, after additional Amtrak funding was included in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.^[23]

From January 24 to October 14, 2022, the Silver Meteor was suspended due to the Omicron variant surge of the coronavirus pandemic and its effect on staffing and equipment availability. During this period, the Silver Meteor's sister train, the Silver Star, continued to operate. Additional coach and sleeping car capacity was added to the Silver Star, creating a train that carried as many as six coaches and five sleepers. The Silver Star provided once-daily service to stations normally served by both trains between New York and Rocky Mount, NC as well as between Savannah and Miami during this period. Furthermore, a stop was temporarily added at Jesup, Georgia, which is usually only served by the Silver Meteor. Once-daily service remained available to Silver Meteor stations between Rocky Mount, North Carolina and Savannah via the daily daytime Palmetto, which operates between New York and Savannah.^[24] The Silver Meteor's resumption date was pushed back a total of six times. Originally scheduled to return on March 27, it was pushed back to May 23, then September 11, and finally October 3. However, Hurricane Ian caused extensive damage to the Central Florida Rail Corridor in late September, which Amtrak uses to get to central and southern Florida. Amtrak in response pushed the suspension back to October 6, then to October 11, and finally October 14 after the full extent of the damage became apparent.^[25]

Ridership

Ridership by Fiscal Year (October–September)

	Ridership	Change over previous year	Notes
2010^[26]	352,286	-
2011^[26]	373,576	06.04%
2012^[27]	375,164	00.42%
2013^[27]	373,162	00.53%
2014^[28]	348,581	06.59%
2015^[28]	346,097	00.71%
2016^[29]	339,407	01.93%
2017^[30]	341,406	00.59%
2018^[31]	337,023	01.28%
2019^[31]	343,531	01.93%
2020^[32]	200,136	041.74%
2021^[33]	187,013	06.56%	Tri-weekly October 2020 - June 2021
2022^[34]	79,196	057.65%	Suspended January - October 2022

Equipment

 

Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) glass-roofed "Sun Lounge" Hollywood Beach, a 5-double-bedroom-buffet Pullman car introduced in 1956. Regular dome cars were too high for the tunnel clearances on the Northeast Corridor used by SAL trains north of Washington.

 

Interior of the "Sun Lounge"

The original Silver Meteor used lightweight cars built by the Budd Company. Three consists were needed for a daily train between New York and Miami; each had a baggage-dormitory-coach (22 seats), three 60-seat coaches, a tavern-lounge-coach (30 seats), a dining car, and a coach-observation-lounge (48 seats). Some of the coaches were owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Budd delivered more cars in November–December 1940, allowing daily service to St. Petersburg: three baggage-dormitory-coaches (18 seats), seven 56-seat coaches, two dining cars, and three coach-buffet-observation cars (30 seats).^[35]

By the early 1960s, the SAL's Silver Meteor typically had 17 cars or more, consisting of nine Pullman sleeping cars including its highly touted glass-topped Sun Lounge introduced in 1956, several coaches, two dining cars, and an observation car with tavern.^[36]

The Silver Meteor now uses Amtrak's standard long-distance single-level equipment: Viewliner baggage cars, Viewliner sleeping cars, Viewliner dining cars, Amfleet café-lounges and Amfleet coaches. An ACS-64 electric locomotive is used between New York City and Washington, D.C, while two GE P42DC diesel electric locomotives are used for power south of Washington, D.C.

A typical Silver Meteor consist as of January 2023 is made up of:^[37]

• ACS-64 locomotive (New York–Washington)
• P42DC locomotive (Washington–Miami)
• P42DC locomotive (Washington–Miami)
• Amfleet II Coach
• Amfleet II Coach
• Amfleet II Coach
• Amfleet II Café/Lounge Car
• Viewliner II Dining Car
• Viewliner II Sleeping Car
• Viewliner I Sleeping Car
• Viewliner II Sleeping Car
• Viewliner II Baggage Car

Route details

 

Amtrak Silver Service (interactive map)

The Silver Meteor operates over a combination of Amtrak and CSX Transportation trackage:^{[citation needed]}

• New York – Washington D.C. (Amtrak)
  • Northeast Corridor:
• Washington D.C. – DeLand, Florida (CSXT)
  • RF&P Subdivision
  • Richmond Terminal Subdivision
  • North End Subdivision
  • South End Subdivision
  • Charleston Subdivision
  • Savannah Subdivision
  • Nahunta Subdivision
  • Jacksonville Terminal Subdivision
  • Sanford Subdivision
• DeLand - Poinciana, Florida (SunRail)
  • Central Florida Rail Corridor
• Poinciana - Mangonia Park, Florida (CSXT)
  • Carters Subdivision
  • Auburndale Subdivision
  • Miami Subdivision
• Mangonia Park - Miami, Florida (Tri-Rail)
  • South Florida Rail Corridor

The Silver Meteor uses the same route as the Silver Star – the other train in the Silver Service brand – excluding two segments: Selma, North Carolina – Savannah, Georgia, and Kissimmee, Florida – Winter Haven, Florida.^[38] Between Selma and Savannah, the Silver Star travels inland over the CSX S-Line to serve the Carolinas' state capitals of Raleigh and Columbia, while the Silver Meteor travels closer to the coast on the CSX A-Line and serves Fayetteville, North Carolina and Charleston, South Carolina. Between Kissimmee and Winter Haven, the Silver Meteor turns south to go directly to Miami at Auburndale, Florida, while the Silver Star continues west to Lakeland, Florida and Tampa, before coming back to Auburndale and turning south to Miami. In addition to these diversions, between Sebring, Florida and West Palm Beach, Florida, the Silver Meteor makes no intermediate stops, while the Silver Star makes an additional stop at Okeechobee, Florida. Inversely, between Savannah and Jacksonville, Florida, the Silver Meteor makes an additional stop at Jesup, Georgia, while the Silver Star makes no intermediate stops.^[38] The daytime Palmetto operates from New York to Savannah over the same route as the Silver Meteor, allowing cities in the Carolinas and Virginia on the Silver Meteor's route to have service during the day.^[39]

In its present form, the southbound Silver Meteor leaves New York in mid-afternoon, arriving in Washington at dinner time and traveling overnight through Virginia and the Carolinas for arrival at breakfast time the following morning in Savannah, rush hour in Jacksonville, lunchtime in Orlando, and early evening in Miami. Northbound trains leave Miami just before rush hour, arriving in central Florida at lunchtime and Jacksonville in late afternoon and dinner time in Savannah, then passing through the Carolinas and Virginia overnight for arrival at breakfast time in Washington, mid-morning in Philadelphia and lunchtime in New York.

Like other long-distance trains operating on the Northeast Corridor, local travel between NEC stations is not allowed on the Silver Meteor. Northbound trains only stop to discharge passengers from Alexandria, Virginia northward, and southbound trains only stop to receive passengers from Newark, New Jersey to Washington. This policy is in place to keep seats available for passengers making longer trips. Passengers wanting to travel locally must use the more frequent Northeast Regional or Acela trains. Additionally, the Silver Meteor, like the Silver Star, does not allow local travel between West Palm Beach and Miami. Southbound trains only stop to discharge passengers, while northbound trains only stop to receive passengers bound for points beyond West Palm Beach. This is due to the availability of Tri-Rail, South Florida's commuter rail system.

Station stops

State	Town/City	Station	Connections
NY	New York City	Penn Station	Amtrak (long-distance): Adirondack, Cardinal, Crescent, Lake Shore Limited, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Silver Star   Amtrak (intercity): Acela, Berkshire Flyer, Carolinian, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Maple Leaf, Northeast Regional, Vermonter   LIRR: ■ Main Line, ■ Port Washington Branch   NJ Transit: ■ North Jersey Coast Line, ■ Northeast Corridor Line, ■ Gladstone Branch, ■ Montclair-Boonton Line, ■ Morristown Line   NYC Subway:  ​ ​  ​ ​    PATH: HOB-33 JSQ-33 JSQ-33 (via HOB)   NYC Transit Bus
NJ	Newark	Newark Penn Station	Amtrak: Acela, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Keystone Service, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Silver Star, Vermonter   NJ Transit: ■ North Jersey Coast Line, ■ Northeast Corridor Line, ■ Raritan Valley Line   PATH: NWK-WTC   Newark Light Rail   NJ Transit Bus
	Trenton	Trenton	Amtrak: Acela, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Keystone Service, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Silver Star, Vermonter   NJ Transit: ■ Northeast Corridor Line, ■ River Line   SEPTA Regional Rail: ■ Trenton Line   NJ Transit Bus, SEPTA Suburban Bus
PA	Philadelphia	30th Street Station	Amtrak: Acela, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Keystone Service, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Silver Star, Vermonter   SEPTA Regional Rail: all routes   NJ Transit: ■ Atlantic City Line   SEPTA City Transit: Market-Frankford Subway-Surface   SEPTA City Bus, SEPTA Suburban Bus
DE	Wilmington	Wilmington	Amtrak: Acela, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Star, Vermonter   SEPTA Regional Rail: ■ Wilmington/​Newark Line   DART First State: 2, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 18, 20, 28, 31, 33, 35, 37, 40, 47, 52, 301, 305   Greyhound Lines
MD	Baltimore	Penn Station	Amtrak: Acela, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Star, Vermonter   MARC: ■ Penn Line   Light RailLink   MTA Maryland, Charm City Circulator
DC	Washington	Washington Union Station	Amtrak: Acela, Capitol Limited, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Star, Vermonter, Thruway Motorcoach to Charlottesville, Virginia   MARC: ■ Brunswick Line, ■ Camden Line, ■ Penn Line   VRE: ■ Manassas Line, ■ Fredericksburg Line   Metro:   Red Line   DC Streetcar: H Street/Benning Road Line   Metrobus, DC Circulator, MTA Maryland, Loudoun County Transit, OmniRide   Intercity bus:   Greyhound,   Megabus, BoltBus, BestBus, Peter Pan, OurBus
VA	Alexandria	Alexandria	Amtrak: Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Star   VRE: ■ Fredericksburg Line, ■ Manassas Line   Metro:   Blue Line,   Yellow Line   Metrobus, DASH
	Fredericksburg	Fredericksburg	Amtrak: Carolinian, Northeast Regional   VRE: ■ Fredericksburg Line   Fredericksburg Regional Transit
	Richmond	Richmond Staples Mill Road	Amtrak: Carolinian, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Star, Thruway Motorcoach to Charlottesville, Virginia   Greater Richmond Transit Company
	Ettrick	Petersburg	Amtrak: Carolinian, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Star
NC	Rocky Mount	Rocky Mount	Amtrak: Carolinian, Palmetto, Silver Star   Tar River Transit   Greyhound Lines
	Fayetteville	Fayetteville	Amtrak: Palmetto
SC	Florence	Florence	Amtrak: Palmetto
	Kingstree	Kingstree	Amtrak: Palmetto
	North Charleston	North Charleston	Amtrak: Palmetto   Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority, Southeastern Stages
	Yemassee	Yemassee	Amtrak: Palmetto
GA	Savannah	Savannah	Amtrak: Palmetto, Silver Star
	Jesup	Jesup
FL	Jacksonville	Jacksonville	Amtrak: Silver Star, Thruway Motorcoach to Waldo, Ocala, Gainesville, The Villages, Wildwood, Dade City, Lakeland   JTA Bus
	Palatka	Palatka	Amtrak: Silver Star   The Ride Solution
	DeLand	DeLand	Amtrak: Silver Star, Thruway Motorcoach to Daytona Beach
	Winter Park	Winter Park	Amtrak: Silver Star   SunRail   LYNX Bus
	Orlando	Orlando	Amtrak: Silver Star, Thruway Motorcoach to Lakeland, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Bradenton, Sarasota, Port Charlotte, Fort Myers   SunRail   LYNX Bus
	Kissimmee	Kissimmee	Amtrak: Silver Star   SunRail   LYNX Bus   Greyhound Lines
	Winter Haven	Winter Haven	Amtrak: Silver Star
	Sebring	Sebring	Amtrak: Silver Star
	West Palm Beach	West Palm Beach	Amtrak: Silver Star   Tri-Rail   Brightline (at West Palm Beach)   Palm Tran, Tri-Rail Commuter Connector, West Palm Beach Downtown Trolley   Greyhound Lines
	Delray Beach	Delray Beach	Amtrak: Silver Star   Tri-Rail   Palm Tran, Downtown Connector
	Deerfield Beach	Deerfield Beach	Amtrak: Silver Star   Tri-Rail   Broward County Transit, Tri-Rail Commuter Connector
	Fort Lauderdale	Fort Lauderdale	Amtrak: Silver Star   Tri-Rail   Broward County Transit, Metrobus, Sun Trolley, Tri-Rail Commuter Connector
	Hollywood	Hollywood	Amtrak: Silver Star   Tri-Rail   Broward County Transit, Hallandale Beach Community Bus
	Miami	Miami	Amtrak: Silver Star   Metrobus

See also

• Champion

References

1. "Amtrak Fiscal Year 2022 Ridership" (PDF). Amtrak. November 29, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
2. Amtrak FY19 Ridership
3. Amtrak FY16 Ridership & Revenue
4. Wegman, Mark (2008). American Passenger Trains and Locomotives Illustrated. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Voyageur Press. p. 90-91. ISBN 978-0-7603-3475-1.
5. "Seaboard's Silver Meteor Dedicated at World's Fair". Palm Beach Daily News. January 22, 1939.
6. "The Silver Meteor". streamlinermemories.com. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
7. "Sun Lounge Sleeping Cars and Center-Lounge Coaches for your Seaboard Trip to Florida and the South!". Sunday Herald. November 13, 1955. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
8. "St. Petersburg Made West Coast Rail Hub". St. Petersburg Times. April 13, 1968.
9. Amtrak nationwide schedules, November 14, 1971, page 59
10. Amtrak nationwide schedules, January 16, 1972, page 59.
11. "Amtrak cuts Florida service". St. Petersburg Times. August 30, 1979. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
12. Amtrak Timetable effective October 30, 1994, p. 13 http://timetables.org/full.php?group=19961110n&item=0029
13. "Amtrak's Improvement Wish List", Trains, January 2011, 20-21.
14. "Amtrak Flexible Dining".
15. Weinberg, Harrison. "Amtrak long-distance capacity to remain tight through 2023". trains.com. Bob Johnston. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
16. Chardy, Alfonso; Viglucci, Andres (October 31, 2013). "Long trains, short platforms at new Miami airport train station won't force permanent street closure". Miami Herald. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
17. "Amtrak Begins Active Preparations To Launch Service To Miami Intermodal Center". The Next Miami. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
18. "Video Shows Amtrak Train Fitting Into The Miami Intermodal Center In First Test Run". The Next Miami. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
19. "Amtrak switch to Miami airport station again moving forward". Trains.com. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
20. "Amtrak Public Board Meeting Public QA, December 1, 2022" (PDF). amtrak.com. Amtrak. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
21. Tate, Curtis. "Amtrak to reduce New York-Florida trains starting July 6, with more cuts coming Oct. 1". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
22. "Silver Star and Silver Meteor Schedule Changes effective July 6, 2020". Amtrak. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
23. "With Increased Demand and Congressional Funding, Amtrak Restores 12 Long Distance Routes to Daily Service". Amtrak. March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
24. "Amtrak to Decrease Service on Most Routes January 24 to March 27".
25. "Amtrak to restore four long-distance trains to daily service in late May". Trains. from the original on April 19, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2022."Silver Meteor Train 97, which is scheduled to depart New York (NYP) on 10/3 is now canceled in its entirety due to residual problems from Hurricane Ian. For further assistance please call 1-800-USA-RAIL". Twitter. from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2022."Modified Service in the State of Florida". Twitter. from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2022."Modified Service in State of Florida Effective October 13". Twitter. from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
26. (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 8, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
27. (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 24, 2020.
28. "Amtrak FY15 Ridership & Revenue" (PDF).
29. "Amtrak FY16 Ridership & Revenue" (PDF). Amtrak. April 17, 2017.
30. "Amtrak FY17 Ridership" (PDF).
31. "Amtrak FY19 Ridership" (PDF).
32. Luczak, Marybeth (November 23, 2020). "Amtrak Releases FY 2020 Data". Railway Age. New York: Simmons-Boardman Publishing Inc. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
33. "Amtrak Route Ridership FY21 vs. FY19" (PDF). Amtrak. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
34. "Amtrak FY22 Ridership" (PDF).
35. Wayner, Robert J., ed. (1972). Car Names, Numbers and Consists. New York: Wayner Publications. p. 80. OCLC 8848690.
36. "Equipment of Through Main Line and Local Trains", Seaboard Railroad Time Tables (December 16, 1961), p. 5.
37. "Amtrak - Silver Meteor". Retrieved December 31, 2012.
38. "Silver Service / Palmetto Train". Amtrak. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
39. Amtrak. "Silver Service / Palmetto". Retrieved November 23, 2013.

• Mike Schafer, Amtrak's atlas, Trains June 1991
• PRR Chronology
• Amtrak's First Trains and Routes
• Amtrak timetable, November 14, 1971
• Amtrak timetable, late 1988 (Northeast Corridor only)

Notes

1. Amtrak's Fiscal Year (FY) runs from October 1 of the prior year to September 30 of the named year.

External links

  Media related to Silver Meteor at Wikimedia Commons

• Silver Service / Palmetto – Amtrak