We need a direct Chicago-Florida regular intercity service (preferably via Atlanta) before we need an Auto Train on that route. OBS gone freight... :blink:
I totally agree,
even though I'm not sure that all the trackage is usable for such!
Do you have a suggested routing? I'm just curious what would be the best route.
Here is a quick summary of the old and current Chicago to Florida routes:
The three former 24 hours Chicago to Jacksonville routes:
City of Miami: ICRR-CofG-ACL: Chicago-Fulton KY-Birmingham-Columbus GA-Jacksonville-Miami the fastest of them all. No longer possible. two segments abandoned, and the remaining ICRR/GM&O out of Fulton KY is a short line that no longer has signals.
South Wind: PRR-L&N-ACL: Chicago-Louisville-Nashville-Birmingham-Mongtomery-Jacksonville-Miami: more or less the Amtrak Floridian: the track is all still there, except PRR Chicago to Indinapolis where an alternate is available, but a lot of work is needed. Indianapolis to Louisville, complete re-rail. Montgomery to Waycross is now 40 mph, and need lots of work to get back up to 59 mph, which is all it ever was. Louisiville to Montgomery has capacity problems. A few more sidings, maybe some double track segments, mostly restoration where it had been in the past between Louisiville and Montgomery plus the rail work north of Louisiville, plus, south of Montgomery a lot of tie and ballast, and probably quite a bit of rail between there and Waycross could probably see something close to the old South Wind schedule possible again.
Dixie Flagler: C&EI-L&N-NC&StL-ACL: Chicago-Evansville-Nashville-Atlanta-Jacksonville. the shortest route, but always the tightest schedule. This is all still mainline, but heavily congested, and even without the congestion reduction in superelevation on the very curvey ex NC&StL, and other lines means that the 1950's speeds can no longer be achieved. Even though all still main line, this would be more expensive to get back to its former running time than the South Wind route. Quite a bit of second track on lines that never had a second track, some curve realignments, etc. would be needed.
Other Florida routes
The Royal Palm (Southern) and the Southland (L&N) both ran as day trains south of Cincinatti with a gathering of late departure overnights from Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland. These were two nights out trains with early second morning arrivals at Jacksonville. These routes also had night trains that were similar in elapsed time. They never approached the ridership of the fast three. Both these routes are still available, and still main lines into Jacksonville, and would probably be no more than a few hours slower than their former best times, although the southern part of the Southland's direct route to Tampa and St. Pete has long ago turned into trails and swamps.
George