Kansas City to Orlando?

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Guest_Chris

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Anyone traveled from Kansas City to Orlando on Amtrak? I have always traveled with Amtrak going west, but never east. I was going to take Amtrak from KC to New Orleans and then cross over to Orlando, but of course Katrina will prevent that. It seems insane to have to travel UP to Chicago and then east to Washington D.C. and then south finally to Orlando?? Would like to see the east coast by train though.

Any input??
 
Even if everything were up and running, wouldn't you still have to take the SW Chief to Chicago, the CNOL to New Orleans, and then the Sunset Limited to Orlando? If that's the case you'd still need to travel through Chicago, just as you currently will need to via the SW Chief, Capitol Limited to DC, and then the Silver Star/Meteor to Orlando. Timewise I think both routings would take about the same.

Going via New Orleans might be quicker if there is an Amtrak thruway connection between trains to get you south faster, but if you are traveling exclusively by train it appears that going via DC would be the better option on a regular day with all services up and running.
 
jccollins said:
Even if everything were up and running, wouldn't you still have to take the SW Chief to Chicago, the CNOL to New Orleans, and then the Sunset Limited to Orlando?
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No, he could have taken the Mule from KC to STL, then transfered to a Thruway connection between STL and Carbondale, to pick up the CONO.
 
Why doesnt the Silver Star to Orlando show a Family Bedroom? Is it a really old train? It only showed Roomettes on the reservation website.

Is there a website I can go to to view these trains (pictures, diagrams, etc)??
 
The Florida trains are viewliners and do not have Family bedrooms. The sleepers consist of Roomettes (with private toilets and sink), 2 Bedrooms and 1 Handicapped room.

Go to amtrak.com to view the sleepers.

Good luck with your trip.
 
Guest said:
Why doesnt the Silver Star to Orlando show a Family Bedroom? Is it a really old train? It only showed Roomettes on the reservation website.
Is there a website I can go to to view these trains (pictures, diagrams, etc)??
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As noted by Halorider, the Florida trains use Viewliner sleeping car, which do not have family rooms.

Only the Superliner cars, used on the Capitol Limited and all other long distance trains that run west or south of Chicago, have family rooms.

You can view the layout of the cars here, thanks to Friends of Amtrak. Note the Heritage cars are no longer in use by Amtrak.

You can view room pictures and demensions here on Amtrak's website.
 
The real question is why isn't there a train that goes from Chicago to Florida? There's demand, many cities in between that needs service, and they obviously know it if they have a somewhat timed Chicago connection going through DC in the new timetable.

That's my question I pose daily.
 
If at all possible avoid the thruway bus between STL and CDL. The connection gets you to CDL for a 1am connection to the City of New Orleans and the station there is nice, but few services open at that hour to pass the time, just a few college bars open until 2am. Secondly, if the City even gets into NOL on the date of your trip, the connection to the Sunset is very unreliable due to Train 2's OTP, and you could face a long bus ride between NOL and ORL since CNOC (Amtrak's Consolidated Operations Center) terminates the train if it doesn't depart NOL by 6:00am. Take the train to CHI and then WAS to enjoy full service trains to your destination. As stated in the previous post, the Silver Service trains use Viewliner sleepers, the only way to make a family bedroom setup is to either reserve the two bedrooms, A & B and have the attendant ensuite them, or book two roomettes adjacent to each other, across the hall seems to work the best for families. Best of luck and have a great trip.
 
guest_jeffw said:
The real question is why isn't there a train that goes from Chicago to Florida? There's demand, many cities in between that needs service, and they obviously know it if they have a somewhat timed Chicago connection going through DC in the new timetable.
That's my question I pose daily.
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That was discussed recently in another thread (I forget which, and am too lazy to find the link right now).

Bottom line: politics and money. Demand has nothing to do with it.
 
Thanks, read the whole thread.

All I know is, if there isn't a need for a mid-west to florida route(which would double as a Florida to Atlanta route, etc...), then there isn't a need for all these new york runs. Just as many people and even more major cities to be hit. I know there's some folks who go over to dc etc and then down, which adds a day.

This is a travesty. And better yet, I bet you can get some superlines on that line!
 
AmtrakFan said:
We won't have the problem as badly as we do if Congress fully funded Amtrak. ;)
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Aloha

Please don't shoot me :eek: but isnt congress representing us :huh: :huh: but then I am typing while dreaming. :rolleyes:

Eric
 
If fare revenues can't finance frugal train startups and operation, both as advertised proposed service some six months in advance and as the service actually operates, then the dependence on tax financing will result in the failure of preserving or expanding passenger trains!
 
Concerning railroads' capacity for handling new Floridian/Southwind (or any other) service, a some one-tenth mile long passenger train (four coaches, dinette & sleeper) can often duck into a siding with and even run as a leading section of a trailer express. I've been on even longer, usual-lengthed (diner, lounge, baggage, several sleepers and coaches) passenger trains that have done that! If passengers are really paying the railroads for the service then it is a legitimate form of revenue rail traffic just as are the trailer loads.

Now, having to pay for the dining car and its waiters, chef, cook, steward (rather than the mere steward and waiter for a dinette), numerous grand central stationbound management (instead of onboard, "porter-managers") and a baggage car (each car costs money if the railroads are paid the tariff for running it) runs up the bill for fare-paying passengers if revenue does finance the operation.
 

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