Silver Star (Amtrak train)

The Silver Star is a 1,522-mile (2,449 km) passenger train route in the Silver Service brand operated by Amtrak, running from New York City south to Miami, Florida via the Northeast Corridor to Washington, D.C., then via Richmond, Virginia; Raleigh, North Carolina; Columbia, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; Jacksonville, Florida; Orlando, Florida; and Tampa, Florida.[2]

Silver Star

Southbound Silver Star near Baltimore in 2019
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Operating
Locale	East Coast of the United States
First service	1947
Current operator(s)	Amtrak
Former operator(s)	Seaboard Air Line (1947–1967) Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (1967–1971) Pennsylvania Railroad (1947–1968, haulage agreement) Penn Central (1968–1971, haulage agreement)
Ridership	368,518 (FY18)[1]
Route
Start	New York City
Stops	38[2]
End	Miami, Florida
Distance travelled	1,522 miles (2,449 km)
Service frequency	3 Days a Week
Train number(s)	91–92
On-board services
Class(es)	Reserved Coach and First-class Sleeper
Seating arrangements	Airline-style coach seating
Sleeping arrangements	Viewliner Roomette (2 beds) Viewliner Bedroom (2 beds) Viewliner Bedroom Suite (4 beds) Viewliner Accessible Bedroom (2 beds)
Catering facilities	Lounge car
Baggage facilities	Checked baggage available at selected stations
Technical
Rolling stock	Amfleet II coaches Viewliner sleepers
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	On the Northeast Corridor
Operating speed	Northeast Corridor: 125 mph (201 km/h) Outside NEC: 79 mph (127 km/h)
Track owner(s)	Amtrak, CSX, NS, SunRail, Tri-Rail
Route map Northeast Corridor to Boston 0 mi 0 km New York City NY NJ North River Tunnels under Hudson River 10 mi 16 km Newark Penn 58 mi 93 km Trenton Delaware River NJ PA 91 mi 146 km Philadelphia PA DE 116 mi 187 km Wilmington DE MD 185 mi 298 km Baltimore MD DC 225 mi 362 km Washington, D.C. Potomac River DC VA 234 mi 377 km Alexandria 334 mi 538 km Richmond Staples Mill Road 362 mi 583 km Petersburg VA NC 460 mi 740 km Rocky Mount 530 mi 853 km Raleigh 538 mi 866 km Cary 598 mi 962 km Southern Pines 626 mi 1007 km Hamlet NC SC 700 mi 1127 km Camden 733 mi 1180 km Columbia 782 mi 1259 km Denmark Savannah River SC GA 870 mi 1400 km Savannah St. Marys River GA FL 1018 mi 1638 km Jacksonville 1076 mi 1732 km Palatka 1128 mi 1815 km DeLand 1160 mi 1867 km Winter Park 1165 mi 1875 km Orlando 1183 mi 1904 km Kissimmee 1233 mi 1984 km Lakeland 1264 mi 2034 km Tampa 1312 mi 2111 km Winter Haven 1353 mi 2177 km Sebring 1395 mi 2245 km Okeechobee 1456 mi 2343 km West Palm Beach 1474 mi 2372 km Delray Beach 1484 mi 2388 km Deerfield Beach 1498 mi 2411 km Fort Lauderdale 1506 mi 2424 km Hollywood 1522 mi 2449 km Miami All stations are accessible

The Silver Star shares much of its route with the Silver Meteor; however, the two trains diverge between Selma, North Carolina and Savannah, Georgia and between Kissimmee and Winter Haven, Florida.[3][2] Between Selma and Savannah, the Silver Star takes an inland route to serve the Carolinas' state capitals of Raleigh and Columbia, while the Silver Meteor stays closer to the coast and services Florence and Charleston, South Carolina. Between Kissimmee and Winter Haven, the Meteor takes a direct route with no intermediate stops, while the Star takes a detour through Lakeland and Tampa.[3][2] The two trains are the remnants of the numerous long-distance trains that operated between Florida and New York for most of the 20th century.

During fiscal year 2019, the Silver Star carried nearly 389,995 passengers, an increase of 5.9% from FY2018.[4] In FY16, it earned a total revenue of $29,261,496, an 11.6% decrease from FY2010.[5]

History

The northbound Silver Star passing through Seabrook, Maryland in 1969

The Star was originally a service of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, running from New York to Miami and later also St. Petersburg (beyond Tampa). It was inaugurated December 12, 1947, to replace the Advance Silver Meteor. In early years it was winter-only and did not appear in summer timetables.[6] By 1949, however, it was a year-round train.[7] Its main Miami-bound route went through the interior of Florida, via Ocala and Winter Haven. In peak winter service in the mid-1950s it had a section that went to St. Petersburg via Tampa. Another section went to Port Boca Grande via Tampa.[8] The Pennsylvania Railroad carried the train between New York and Washington, D. C. under a haulage agreement, similar to the arrangement with its sister train, the Silver Meteor. The agreement was maintained when the Pennsy was folded into Penn Central in 1968, a year after SAL merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad as the Seaboard Coast Line. Between Washington and Richmond, Virginia, the train operated on RF&P rails. Amtrak took over the train in 1971.

A Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad locomotive pulls the Silver Star at Alexandria, VA on March 23, 1969

With the exception of a brief period from 1994 to 1995 and from 1996 to 2004, when service to Tampa was provided by the Palmetto (known as the Silver Palm from 1996 to 2002), the Silver Star has served both Tampa and Miami during the Amtrak era. Originally, Amtrak operated the Silver Star with Tampa and Miami sections that split in Jacksonville, with the Tampa section continuing on the old Atlantic Coast Line route through Orlando, and the Miami section traveling through Ocala and Wildwood over most of what was the original Seaboard route to Miami. After November 1, 2004, the Silver Star resumed service to Tampa, and now travels intact all of the way, backing out of Tampa and retracing its route 40 miles (64 km) east to Auburndale, where it heads south to Miami or north to New York.[9][10] The detour occurs at Lakeland; the train stops there to discharge passengers before going to Tampa and to receive passengers after it returns from Tampa.

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 (the Sunset Limited, Texas Eagle, California Zephyr, Capitol Limited, and Cardinal) were examined in FY 2010.[11] With the discontinuation of the Silver Meteor's former Tampa section (a descendant of the Champion, a longtime rival of the Silver Star and Silver Meteor) in 1988, the Silver Star is now the only passenger train serving Tampa.

On February 4, 2018, Silver Star train number 91 collided with a CSX Freight Train in Cayce, South Carolina, killing both the engineer and a conductor and injuring 116 more.[12][13]

Effective July 6, 2020, Amtrak has reduced the frequency of this train to three times per week as opposed to daily.[14] Southbound Silver Star trains depart New York Friday through Sunday, while Silver Meteor trains depart Monday through Thursday. Similarly, northbound Silver Star trains depart Miami on Thursday through Saturday, while Silver Meteor trains depart Sunday through Wednesday.[15]

Rolling stock

Like Amtrak's other long-distance routes that operate to and from New York City, the Silver Star is restricted to its single-level Amfleet and Viewliner cars due to low tunnel clearances in Baltimore and New York. Between New York Penn Station and Washington Union Station, the Silver Star is pulled by one Siemens ACS-64 electric locomotive. South of Washington, one or two GE P42 diesel locomotives pulls the train. Since July 2015, the Silver Star has operated without a dining car.[16] Passengers must buy their meals from the lounge car, which serves hot and cold food, albeit from a more limited menu.[2]

A typical Silver Star consist is:

• 1 ACS-64 engine (New York–Washington)
• 1-2 P42 engines (Washington–Miami)
• 3-4 Amfleet II coaches
• Amfleet II lounge
• 2 Viewliner sleepers
• Viewliner Baggage car

During the winter months, the Silver Star sometimes adds additional cars to accommodate increased demand. These longer trains forced delays in Amtrak's long-planned move to a larger station in Miami.[17]

Route details

Amtrak Silver Service (interactive map)

The Silver Star operates over a combination of Amtrak, CSX Transportation, and Norfolk Southern Railway trackage:

• Amtrak Northeast Corridor: New York–Washington
• CSX RF&P Subdivision, Richmond Terminal Subdivision, North End Subdivision, and South End Subdivision: Washington–Selma
• NS Piedmont Division, East Carolina Business Unit, Goldsboro to Greensboro district: Selma–Raleigh
• CSX Aberdeen Subdivision, Hamlet Terminal Subdivision, Hamlet Subdivision, Columbia Subdivision, Savannah Subdivision, Nahunta Subdivision, Jacksonville Terminal Subdivision, Sanford Subdivision, Lakeland Subdivision, and Tampa Terminal Subdivision: Raleigh– Tampa
• Central Florida Rail Corridor: DeLand–Poinciana.
• CSX Auburndale Subdivision: Auburndale–Mangonia Park
• South Florida Rail Corridor: Mangonia Park–Miami

Prior to October 1986, the train ran between Petersburg, Virginia, and Raleigh via the CSX (Seaboard Coast Line) Norlina Subdivision, stopping only in Henderson. CSX abandoned the Norlina Sub between Norlina and Collier Yard in Petersburg in 1986, and the Silver Star was shifted to the "A Line" between Petersburg and Selma, then to NS's "H Line" between Selma and Raleigh.

Like other long-distance trains, passengers are not allowed to travel only between stations on the Northeast Corridor on the Silver Star. Northbound trains only stop to discharge passengers from Alexandria northward, and southbound trains only stop to receive passengers from Newark to Washington.[2] 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 Star, like the Silver Meteor, 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.

Since Amtrak ended rail passenger service over the CSX Clearwater Subdivision between Tampa and St. Petersburg in 1984,[18] it has provided dedicated Amtrak Thruway bus service at Tampa Union Station for trainside transfer of passengers and their baggage to/from Clearwater and St. Petersburg. Other points on Florida's west coast, such as Bradenton, Sarasota, Port Charlotte and Fort Myers, are also served by Amtrak Thruway service connecting with the Star at Tampa.[19]

Station stops

State	Town/City	Station	Connections
New York	New York City	Penn Station	Amtrak: Acela, Adirondack, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Silver Meteor, 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: 1, ​2, ​3, A, ​C, ​E, B, ​D, ​F, <F>, ​M​, N, ​Q, ​R, and ​W trains NYC Transit buses: M7, M20, M34 / M34A Select Bus Service, Q32 PATH: Hoboken–33rd Street, Journal Square–33rd Street, Journal Square–33rd Street (via Hoboken)
New Jersey	Newark	Newark Penn Station	Amtrak: Acela, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Keystone Service, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Silver Meteor, Vermonter NJ Transit: Newark City Subway, Newark Light Rail, North Jersey Coast Line, Northeast Corridor Line, Raritan Valley Line, 1, 5, 11*, 21, 25, 28*, 29*, 30*, 34, 39, 40, 41* 62, 67, 70, 71, 72, 73, 76, 78*, 79*, 108, 308*, 319, 361*, 375*, 378*, go25* *Limited service PATH: Newark–World Trade Center Coach USA: 31, 44
	Trenton	Trenton	Amtrak: Acela, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Keystone Service, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Silver Meteor, Vermonter NJ Transit: Northeast Corridor Line, River Line, 409, 418, 600, 601, 604, 606, 608, 609, 611, 619 SEPTA Regional Rail: Trenton Line SEPTA Suburban Transit Division: 127
Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	30th Street Station	Amtrak: Acela, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Keystone Service, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, Silver Meteor, Vermonter NJ Transit: Atlantic City Line SEPTA City Transit Division: Market–Frankford Line, SEPTA Subway–Surface Trolley Lines (Route 10, Route 11, Route 13, Route 34, Route 36), 9, 12, 21, 30, 31, 42, 44, 49, 62, LUCY SEPTA Suburban Transit Division: 124, 125 SEPTA Regional Rail: Airport Line, Warminster Line, Wilmington/Newark Line, West Trenton Line, Media/Elwyn Line, Lansdale/Doylestown Line, Paoli/Thorndale Line, Manayunk/Norristown Line, Cynwyd Line, Trenton Line, Chestnut Hill East Line, Chestnut Hill West Line, Fox Chase Line
Delaware	Wilmington	Wilmington	Amtrak: Acela, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Vermonter Greyhound Lines DART First State: 2, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 25, 28, 31, 33, 35, 40, 45, 47, 47X, 48, 52, 54, 55, 301, 305 (seasonal) SEPTA Regional Rail: Wilmington/Newark Line
Maryland	Baltimore	Penn Station	Amtrak: Acela, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Vermonter MARC Train: Penn Line MTA Maryland: Light RailLink, 3, 11, 61, 64 Charm City Circulator: Purple Route, Artscape Shuttle
District of Columbia	Washington	Washington Union Station	Amtrak: Acela, Capitol Limited, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Vermonter, Thruway Motorcoach to Charlottesville, Virginia MARC Train: Brunswick Line, Camden Line, Penn Line VRE: Manassas Line, Fredericksburg Line Metro: Red Line Metrobus: D3, D6, D8, X1, X2, X8, X9, 80, 96, 97 DC Circulator: Georgetown, Navy Yard DC Streetcar: H Street/Benning Road Line MTA Maryland: 903, 922 Loudoun County Transit: Loudoun County PRTC: Dale City
Virginia	Alexandria	Alexandria	Amtrak: Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Meteor VRE: Fredericksburg Line, Manassas Line Metro: Blue Line, Yellow Line Metrobus: REX, 28A, 29K, 29N DASH: AT2, AT5, AT6, AT7, AT8, AT10
	Richmond	Richmond Staples Mill Road	Amtrak: Carolinian, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Thruway Motorcoach to Charlottesville, Virginia GRTC: Route 18
	Ettrick	Petersburg	Amtrak: Carolinian, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Meteor
North Carolina	Rocky Mount	Rocky Mount	Amtrak: Carolinian, Palmetto, Silver Meteor Greyhound Lines Tar River Transit: all routes
	Raleigh	Raleigh	Amtrak: Carolinian, Piedmont GoRaleigh: R-Line, inbound 13,  outbounds 7, 11 GoTriangle: outbounds 301, 303, 305
	Cary	Cary	Amtrak: Carolinian, Piedmont GoCary: 3, 4, 5, 6 GoTriangle: 300, 301
	Southern Pines	Southern Pines	none
	Hamlet	Hamlet	none
South Carolina	Camden	Camden	none
	Columbia	Columbia	none
	Denmark	Denmark	none
Georgia	Savannah	Savannah	Amtrak: Palmetto, Silver Meteor
Florida	Jacksonville	Jacksonville	Amtrak: Silver Star, Thruway Motorcoach to Waldo, Ocala, Gainesville, The Villages, Wildwood, Dade City and Lakeland, Florida JTA Bus: 3
	Palatka	Palatka	Amtrak: Silver Meteor The Ride Solution
	DeLand	DeLand	Amtrak: Silver Meteor, Thruway Motorcoach to Daytona Beach, Florida
	Winter Park	Winter Park	Amtrak: Silver Meteor SunRail LYNX: 9, 102, 443
	Orlando	Orlando	Amtrak: Silver Meteor, Thruway Motorcoach to Lakeland, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Bradenton, Sarasota, Port Charlotte and Fort Myers, Florida SunRail LYNX: 40
	Kissimmee	Kissimmee	Amtrak: Silver Meteor SunRail Greyhound Lines LYNX: 10, 18, 26, 55, 56, 57, 108, 208, 407, 441, 632
	Lakeland	Lakeland	Amtrak: Thruway Motorcoach to Dade City, Wildwood, The Villages, Gainesville, Ocala, Waldo Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Bradenton, Sarasota, Port Charlotte and Fort Myers, Florida Citrus Connection: Purple Line/12, Silver Line/22XL Greyhound Lines
	Tampa	Tampa	Amtrak: Thruway Motorcoach to Dade City, Wildwood, The Villages, Gainesville, Ocala, Waldo, Jacksonville, Lakeland, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Bradenton, Sarasota, Port Charlotte and Fort Myers, Florida HART: 9, 12, MetroRapid
	Winter Haven	Winter Haven	Amtrak: Silver Meteor
	Sebring	Sebring	Amtrak: Silver Meteor
	Okeechobee	Okeechobee	none
	West Palm Beach	West Palm Beach	Amtrak: Silver Meteor Tri-Rail Palm Tran: 1, 2, 20, 31, 40, 41, 43, 44, 49, 60 Tri-Rail Commuter Connector: WBP-1 West Palm Beach Downtown Trolley: Green Trolley Greyhound Lines
	Delray Beach	Delray Beach	Amtrak: Silver Meteor Tri-Rail Palm Tran: 2, 70, 81, 88 Downtown Connector
	Deerfield Beach	Deerfield Beach	Amtrak: Silver Meteor Tri-Rail Broward County Transit: 48, Deerfield Beach Express I Tri-Rail Commuter Connector: DB-1, DB-2
	Fort Lauderdale	Fort Lauderdale	Amtrak: Silver Meteor Tri-Rail Broward County Transit: 9, 22, 81, Broward Breeze Metrobus: 95 Sun Trolley: Neighborhood Link, NW Community Link Tri-Rail Commuter Connector: FL-1, FL-2, FL-3
	Hollywood	Hollywood	Amtrak: Silver Meteor Tri-Rail Broward County Transit: 7 Hallandale Beach Community Bus: 3
	Miami	Miami	Amtrak: Silver Meteor Metrobus: 42, 112

In popular culture

• In the movie Carlito's Way (1993), Al Pacino's character is killed just before boarding the Silver Star.[20]
• In Tim Dorsey’s novel The Stingray Shuffle, the climactic scenes take place aboard a fictional version of the Silver Star called “The Silver Stingray”, running from New York City to Miami.

References

1. "Amtrak Sets Revenue and Earnings Records Delivers Best Operating Performance in Company History" (PDF). Amtrak. November 16, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
2. "Atlantic Coast Timetable" (PDF). Amtrak. March 4, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
3. "Silver Service / Palmetto Train". Amtrak. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
4. https://media.amtrak.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/FY19-Year-End-Ridership.pdf
5. "Amtrak FY16 Ridership & Revenue Fact Sheet" (PDF). Amtrak. April 17, 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
6. Seaboard Aire Line Railroad Timetables, June 15, 1948
7. 'Official Guide of the Railways, August 1949, Seaboard Air Line Railroad section, Tables 1, 3, 6
8. 'Official Guide of the Railways, December 1954, Seaboard Air Line Railroad section, Condensed Table and Tables 1, 3, 6, 7
9. "April 6, 2004 (System Timetable) Page 71". The Museum of Railway Timetables.
10. "Atlantic Coast Service Timetable - Effective November 8, 2010" (PDF). Amtrak.
11. "Amtrak's Improvement Wish List". Trains. January 2011. pp. 20–21.
12. Fedschun, Travis (February 4, 2018). "Amtrak, CSX train collision in South Carolina leaves 2 dead, over 100 injured, officials say". Fox News. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
13. Joseph, Yonette; Bolon, Anne-Sophie (January 31, 2018). "Amtrak Train Collision Kills at Least 2 and Injures Nearly 70 Others". The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
14. Tate, Curtis. "Amtrak to reduce New York-Florida trains starting July 6, with more cuts coming Oct. 1". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
15. "Silver Star and Silver Meteor Schedule Changes effective July 6, 2020". Amtrak. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
16. Kennedy, Thomas L. (September 8, 2017). "Tampa's Silver Star not a fallen star but needs work". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
17. 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.
18. Luisi, Vincent (2010). Railroading in Pinellas County. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-8550-5.
19. Amtrak Website
20. "All reserved on the 11:30 Amtrak Silver Star bound for Tampa and Miami - Carlito's Way". Subzin.

External links

• Media related to Silver Star (Amtrak train) at Wikimedia Commons
• Silver Service / Palmetto – Amtrak