Silver Service
| Silver Service | |
|---|---|
 TheSilver MeteorpassingOdenton stationin 2014 | |
| Overview | |
| Locale | United States East Coast |
| Transit type | Inter-city rail |
| Number of lines | 2 |
| Website | AmtrakSilver Service |
| Operation | |
| Operator(s) | Amtrak |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft8+1⁄2in(1,435 mm)standard gauge |
Silver Serviceis abrandapplied byAmtrakto itslong-distancetrains running along theUnited States East CoastbetweenNew York CityandMiami, Florida.It comprises two trains:[1]
The two services follow the same general route between New York City and Miami, but diverge betweenSelma, NC,andSavannah, GA,as well as atAuburndale, FL.TheSilver Meteortakes a more direct, coastal route between Selma and Savannah viaFayetteville, NC,Florence, SC,andCharleston, SC,while theSilver Startravels inland to serve the Carolinas' two state capitals,Raleigh, NC,andColumbia, SC.At Auburndale, FL, theSilver Starcontinues west to serviceLakeland, FL,andTampa, FL,while theSilver Meteorturns south to go directly to Miami. Amtrak'sPalmettooperates over theSilver Meteor'sroute between New York City and Savannah.
TheSilver MeteorandSilver Starare 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
[edit]The twoSilver Servicetrains were inherited from theSeaboard Coast Line Railroad,which originally inherited them from theSeaboard 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 theFlorida Fleetbrand to theSilver Meteor,Silver Star,and the now-discontinuedChampion,another train inherited from SCL, in the 1970's.[4]
Prior to 1979, theSilver Meteortravelled between Savannah andJacksonville, FL,via the Seaboard Coast Line'sEverett Subdivisionwith a stop at Thalmann, GA, forBrunswick, GA.The train was rerouted viaJesup, GA,in late 1979 along the same route as theSilver Starafter SCL wanted to abandon the Everett Subdivision. Similarly, theSilver Starran betweenPetersburg, VA,and Raleigh via theNorlina Subdivision,with a stop atHenderson, NC,until 1985. WhenCSX,corporate successor of Seaboard Coast Line, abandoned the line between Petersburg andNorlina, NC,in 1985, theSilver Starwas rerouted via Selma en route to Raleigh. Currently, under theSoutheast High Speed Rail Corridorplan, the Norlina Subdivision will be rebuilt between Petersburg and Norlina, with both theSilver Starand Amtrak'sCharlotte–New YorkCarolinianbeing rerouted over the line, with the stop at Henderson being reinstated, as well as a new stop being added atLa Crosse, VA.
Starting in 1982, Amtrak operated a service called theSilver Palmbetween Miami and Tampa.[5]This was later discontinued in 1985 due to low ridership. From 1996 to 2002, thePalmettowas renamedSilver Palm,and operated between New York and Miami.[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"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 fromthe originalon March 24, 2016.Retrieved2012-12-31.
- ^"Amtrak returns 'traditional dining' to Silver Meteor".Trains.2023-06-28.Retrieved2023-06-30.
- ^"Amtrak Traditional Dining".www.amtrak.com.Retrieved2023-06-30.
- ^Amtrak(1975)."Florida Fleet".Retrieved2013-08-10.
- ^"Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search".news.google.com.Retrieved2018-12-17.
- ^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 fromthe originalon February 24, 2016.Retrieved2012-12-31.