Ever contemplated a new method of travel? A way to break up all of the traffic-filled roadtrips or miserable treks to the airport, only to wait 2-3 hours for a flight? Fed up with the same old highway views (or lack of views from the plane)?
If so, this guide is for you! From the very first time I boarded an Amtrak Long Distance (LD) train in 2016 in Oakland, CA, I was immediately overcome with excitement, which quickly morphed into a passion. I have yet to go on a trip and not catch myself in a trance staring out the window on multiple occasions, failing to read/watch all of the books/shows I thought I would need or having a deep conversation with a complete stranger in the observation car. These experiences are the reason why I write this guide, to share and hopefully inform prospective travelers.
If you are not familiar with Amtrak’s LD services, fear not! I intend to offer as much information about the train options, destinations, schedules and anything else I can think of to lead your potential adventure. If for some reason, I don’t cover something, feel free to reach out!
This is just part one of a three-part guide and will cover the intro as well as the first five long-distance trains (numerically). Be sure to check out the other two sections, the individual more in-depth route guides, as well as 20 Questions for an Amtrak LD First Timer (all coming soon!).
Car-free • Accessibility • Groups • Family • Couples • 50+ • Female Solo • Digital Nomads • Vegetarian • Adventure • Budget • People & Culture • Photography • Relaxation • Slow Travel • Road Trip • Sustainable/Eco • History • Luxury • Outdoors • Wellness
#52/53 Auto Train
Amtrak’s Auto Train is the only one of its kind in the United States and operates nonstop - over 17 hours - from its originating terminal in the Washington D.C. area to the Orlando area.
The Auto Train is also the physically longest train in the Amtrak system (by far) as it typically runs with a couple of locomotives, 15 passenger cars and up to 33 car carriers (auto racks). It can be more than three-quarters of a mile at its max length, which actually makes it the longest passenger train in the world!
Lorton
@mitchellmcavoy
The originating station for the Auto Train is about a 25-minute drive down I-95 from Washington D.C. Union Station in the heart of Lorton, Virginia.
Passengers begin arriving as early as 12:30 p.m. and may continue all the way up to 3 p.m. to drop off their vehicle for loading into the autoracks. Once the vehicle is loaded, it cannot be accessed again until arrival in Florida.
At that time, you will wait inside the station building until the train is ready to be boarded. It is a fairly large glass building with seating and restrooms as well as a gift shop and a coffee shop.
When the deadline for dropping off vehicles is reached, the crew begins piecing the train together in segments due to its massive length. Getting all of the autoracks and passenger cars together will typically take about an hour depending on how busy it is and how many autoracks are used. Once everyone is on-board, the train departs, which means it can leave before its scheduled time of 5 p.m.
Details
Upon departure from the Lorton terminal, the Auto Train follows the more coastal route - the same as the Silver Meteor - of the two headed south via North and South Carolina. Passing through Richmond, VA and Rocky Mount, NC among other cities, the Auto Train proceeds directly south at Selma-Smithfield, NC rather than heading inland toward Raleigh before again continuing south.
Somewhere between 1-2 a.m. local time is the only scheduled stop for the Auto Train and that is in Florence, S.C. This is NOT a passenger stop and no opportunity exists for passengers to exit the train at this location, it is simply a fueling location as well as a crew change to pickup fresh engineers and conductors.
Again, there is NO opportunity to step off the train at any point during the 17-hour ride down to Florida.
If you’re a smoker, you will not be able to do so for the entire trip and if decide to take matters into your own hands….well you can expect to be finding a new destination and then figuring out how you will get your car (which will be continuing to Florida).
Sanford
@mitchellmcavoy
Upon arriving at the train’s final destination, feeling refreshed and glad you didn’t have to drive, you will be dropped off at the Sanford Auto Train facility. This is located about 25-miles north of downtown Orlando.
Similar to how the train was loaded, the train cars will be pulled apart in segments and each vehicle will be unloaded and returned to their owner. Passengers should expect it to possibly take an hour or more to receive their vehicle.
That being said, the Sanford station building is fairly large with seating for around 600 and also includes a gift shop, cafe, restrooms and a ticket counter.
Details
FYI - All of this applies the same in reverse. Boarding occurs between 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. and the train leaves at 5 p.m. (or earlier) whether you are departing from Lorton or Sanford.
One other point, although it may seem like common sense, you MUST be traveling with a vehicle to ride on the Auto Train.
Feel free to check out the above videos directly from Amtrak with more information about riding the Auto Train and the Lorton/Sanford areas!
#58/59 City of New Orleans
The City of New Orleans (CONO) - partially famous due to the Steve Goodman/Arlo Guthrie song of the same name reminiscing of a ride on the pre-Amtrak version of the train - begins its journey in the Big Easy. See part one and part two, above, for more information about the city.
FYI - Schedules for the City of New Orleans seem to change more frequently than others, so as of this writing (March 2024), the train departs New Orleans two hours earlier than normal at 11:45 a.m. CT. It appears the regular scheduled departure of 1:45 p.m. will resume in the spring.
Train 58 departs the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal following the same tracks as Amtrak’s Sunset Limited for a brief stretch before navigating around the west shores of Lake Ponchartrain.
It can be a slog departing the Big Easy as there is typically freight traffic, but after the train gets out of city limits, it makes its way north in a hurry. One following station stop in Louisiana is at Hammond before the CONO passes into Mississippi, alighting at McComb, Brookhaven, Hazlehurst and then the state capital Jackson right around dinner (on the normal schedule).
Jackson
@mitchellmcavoy
Jackson’s Amtrak station, Union Station, is located pretty close to downtown, just short of a one-mile walk to Jackson State University. The station is a basic set up with a ticket window, restrooms, plenty of bench seating although it also has a small food court option.
The station is also an intermodal facility because there are connections available to Greyhound as well as the local transit (JTran). There are also some food and lodging options in the immediate area of the station.
Mississippi’s state capitol building is about a mile to the northeast of the station and close to the Governor’s Mansion, the Old Capitol Museum and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
Details
Upon departure from Mississippi’s capital city, the train makes three more stops in the state: Yazoo City, Greenwood and Marks. The middle stop is a crew change point and therefore typically an opportunity to step off for some fresh air.
Memphis
@mitchellmcavoy
Memphis Central Station is located slightly south of downtown about a 10-minute walk to multiple parks along the waterfront of the Mississippi River. Connection can be made to the MATA Trolley.
Far more busy in its past life (serving 10 tracks) the station only sees a northbound and southbound CONO train per day. The original terminal building has been renovated to include a Hilton hotel and there are plenty of options for things to do in the area.
FedEx Forum (NBA’s Grizzlies) is about a mile walk from the station along with the Memphis Rock n’ Soul Museum and the Beale Street Entertainment District. Closer by is the Blues Hall of Fame and the Memphis Farmer’s Market.
On the current schedule, the train is set to arrive northbound around 10:20 p.m., while southbound is a roughly 6:30 a.m. arrival. However, the recent changes (which appear to be temporary) have the train arriving two hours earlier in each direction meaning a less-than-ideal 4:30 a.m. stop on the way to New Orleans.
Details
Leaving the Home of the Blues behind, the CONO quickly passes through Tennessee and Kentucky with just two stops in Newbern-Dyersburg (TN) and Fulton (KY) before crossing into Illinois.
The City travels almost directly south to north through Illinois with a slight eastward move after departing Centralia which follows its stop in Carbondale. These stations, including the next two of Effingham and Mattoon occur in the middle of the night northbound (and fairly late in the evening on the southbound).
Champaign-Urbana
@mitchellmcavoy
Illinois Terminal represents the City of New Orleans’ stop in Champaign-Urbana (it also serves the Illini & Saluki state-supported services). Apart from Amtrak service, the station also has connections to bus service (Burlington Trailways, Greyhound, Peoria Charter, Danville Transit as well as local services).
Located less than a mile to the northwest of the University of Illinois campus, the station is located in downtown Champaign. There are numerous food choices in the immediate area as well as a Hyatt about a quarter mile walk away.
Arriving at reasonable times both north and south, the CONO alights at Champaign-Urbana at 6:05 a.m. and 10:29 p.m., respectively.
Details
After departing Champaign at 6:10 a.m. CT, the CONO skips the next two stops on the line (served by the state-supported service) before stopping at Kankakee. The Chicago suburb of Homewood is the penultimate stop as the CONO wraps up the trip at the Windy City’s Union Station just after 9 a.m.
City of New Orleans Route Overview (Wikipedia)
See the full CONO schedule below. Thanks to the Rail Passengers Association for providing the schedule since Amtrak seems to have gone away from publishing timetables. While it is a great guideline, always be sure to confirm times with Amtrak prior to making plans, especially considering the above note about schedule shifts.
#89/90 Palmetto
The Palmetto, formerly known as the Silver Palm, is the first of three (the final three) long distance trains that serve the eastern seaboard. All three originate in New York City headed south for South Carolina and Florida.
Trains 89 & 90 are the only Amtrak long distance trains that do not carry sleeper cars or a diner. While it technically qualifies as a LD train because it travels over 750 miles (829, to be specific), it is a wholly daytime run and again, only has coach accommodations (plus business class and a cafe!).
Departing New York City at 6:02 a.m., it traverses the Northeast Corridor (see the Crescent in Part 2 for more information), stopping at Newark, Metropark, Trenton (NJ), Philadelphia (PA), Wilmington (DE), Baltimore, BWI Airport (MD) and arrives in Washington, DC for a late breakfast at around 9:30 a.m.
Departure from the nation’s capital is just before 10 a.m. and follows the same route as the Crescent and many other Amtrak trains to Alexandria, VA. It is shortly after departure from this station the Palmetto splits off the familiar routes and heads south along a more eastern branch (the Richmond, Potomac & Fredericksburg subdivision) now owned by CSX. The previously covered Auto Train runs along the same tracks, starting in Lorton, however, it does not make any stops.
Richmond
@mitchellmcavoy
The Palmetto skips the next stop on the line of Fredericksburg (served by Silver Meteor & Carolinian trains) alighting at Richmond Staples Mill Road Station.
Staples Mill station is one of two in the greater Richmond area, but by far the busiest due to its location on the main line. Unfortunately, similar to the Buffalo-Exchange Street/Buffalo-Depew situation (covered in Part 2), the tracks split off and bypasses the downtown. Therefore Staples Mill is about 8-9 miles north of downtown. Fortunately, there is local bus service that connects the two stations or you can always use a ride share app.
Richmond’s other station - Main Street Station - is located pretty much directly downtown, however, it is off the main line on a “spur line,” which Northeast Regional trains traverse to serve Williamsburg and Newport News.
As previously mentioned, Staples Mill Road Station, is located a fair distance from downtown in a suburb, so if exiting the train there, make sure you have a way of getting downtown. And if you have a chance, be sure to check out Main Street Station as it is a very historic and beautiful train station.
Details
Departure from Richmond occurs just after noon and then the Palmetto continues south through the following during the daytime hours (seasonal): Petersburg (VA), Rocky Mount, Wilson, Selma-Smithfield, Fayetteville (NC), Dillon, Florence and Kingstree (SC).
Charleston
@mitchellmcavoy
The Palmetto arrives at the North Charleston Intermodal Transportation Center at 7:30 p.m. ET and is the second to last stop for the train. As the name suggests, the station is located in the north end of the city, fairly close to Park Circle. Unfortunately, similar to Richmond Staples Mill, it is located about a 15-minute drive to the downtown.
Connections can be made at the station to local bus service (CARTA) as well as intercity options. During the daytime hours, there is the ability to get downtown via bus, however, ride share is always an option and fairly easy to arrange.
The station building itself is small, although it has the basics of seating, a vending machine, restrooms and a ticket window. Inside, there is also a small museum, which tells the story of the area and the railroads.
Details
Yemassee is the final intermediate stop for the Palmetto, scheduled for 8:26 p.m. The quick in-and-out stop is followed by Savannah about 45 minutes later where the train terminates for the evening, is turned and prepared for a morning northbound departure.
Savannah
@mitchellmcavoy
It seems to be a pattern with the stops along the Palmetto route, which is unfortunate, but just Richmond and Charleston, the Savannah station is at least a 10-minute drive from the true downtown. In this case, it is historic Savannah, Georgia. To make matters worse, there is no realistic public transportation option as it involves multiple connections and at least 30 minutes of walking. That being said, ride share is always a possibility and therefore, it is not as much of an inconvenience as it may seem.
Another unfortunate pattern, this one across the country, is the demolition of once beautiful, ornate, historic train stations. Savannah is no exception as the former Union Station was demolished in 1962 after serving for 60 years and hosting the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, Seaboard Air Line Railroad and the Southern Railway.
The current Savannah Station is not exactly welcoming and is hidden down a side road surrounded by several warehouses. That being said, the interior of the station is actually pretty decent considering what it is working with. There is plenty of seating, a nice ticket window and baggage service, some historical reminders (such as a couple of phone booths from a bygone era), a couple of vending machines and restrooms. There are no actual food options in the station or the immediate area, so if you don’t want to buy from the train, bring something along.
Details
Palmetto/Silver Service Route Overviews (Wikipedia)
See the full Palmetto/Silver Service schedule below. Thanks to the Rail Passengers Association for providing the schedule since Amtrak seems to have gone away from publishing timetables. While it is a great guideline, always be sure to confirm times with Amtrak prior to making plans.
#91/92 Silver Star
The Silver Star is the longer (1,522 miles) one of two trains to run from New York City to Miami and while there are slight differences in the two, they are quite notable.
Starting in New York City, the train departs at 11:02 a.m. and follows the Northeast Corridor to Washington D.C. (see Crescent in Part 2 for details). The standard locomotive switch and loading process occurs in the nation’s capital before departure at just after 3 p.m.
Following the Palmetto route, the Silver Star makes the same stops through Rocky Mount (NC). It then skips the stops of Wilson and Selma-Smithfield (NC) splitting off the main line at the latter to a more inland route through the rest of the Tar Heel State and South Carolina.
Raleigh
@mitchellmcavoy
The first stop following the split is in the state’s capital of Raleigh. Stopping at the city’s Union Station at 8:57 p.m. ET, the Silver Star makes a scheduled 13-minute stop.
Union Station is a fairly new building (future complex) opened at the end of April 2018. The new facility pays homage to the original Union Depot in Raleigh that opened in 1890. It has a large open hall/waiting room with a lot of glass and large windows, but also some wood features to hold on to that rustic look. There is a ticket window with baggage service inside. If you’re a true railfan or just enjoy views of the city skyline, you can check out the ‘Observation Deck.’ Food and drink options (as of 2022) were limited, it remains to be seen if this will be remedied in the future. However, there are options within a 5-10 minute walk from the station.
Raleigh Union Station is located just west of downtown in the middle of the historic Boylan Wye, which is a junction point for CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads. N.C. State University is about two miles west northwest, while the capitol building is a mile northeast. Boylan Bridge is about a five minute walk away and provides remarkable views of the downtown skyline.
Future plans are in the works to expand the rail station to accommodate more trains with plans to add two more tracks. There will also be a bus terminal built in the immediate area to serve GoTriangle, Raleigh’s local bus service.
Details
If you’re a fan of fresh air, you won’t have to wait long to get another opportunity to step off the train after departing Raleigh. The Silver Star continues about eight miles west to Cary station in the city with the same name and stops for 10 minutes per the timetable.
Just steps before arriving in Cary, the tracks split for the Piedmont service (Raleigh-Charlotte via Durham & Greensboro) as well as the Carolinian (New York-Charlotte) and the Silver Star which begins its turn south. Therefore, the Cary station is actually flanked on each side by a platform and a set of tracks (it is a pretty unique setup!).
Departure from Cary is at 9:32 p.m. and the train continues through the rest of North Carolina and South Carolina overnight. Stops include Southern Pines and Hamlet (NC) as well as Camden and the capital of South Carolina - Columbia.
Columbia
@mitchellmcavoy
Due to the nature of the schedule, Amtrak's arrival into Columbia is in the middle of the night in both directions. The southbound Silver Star is slated to arrive at 1:41 a.m. ET, while northbound comes through at 4:00 a.m. Unfortunately, it is the reality of running a train that traverses over 1,500 miles of track and sometimes the bigger cities will have service at off hours.
If you can get past the arrival times, Columbia station is located in the heart of the city about two blocks from the Congaree River. Meanwhile, two blocks to the opposite direction is the University of South Carolina. Due to this, there is no shortage of hotels, motels and restaurants, some within walking distance and the others a short drive away.
Columbia has numerous parks, some along the riverfront, as well as stadiums for the Gamecocks programs. The South Carolina State Fairgrounds are about two miles away from the station.
Details
Departure from Columbia is slated for 1:49 a.m. (southbound) and there is one final stop in the Palmetto State at Denmark (SC) approximately an hour later. The Silver Star then enters Georgia and rejoins with the “main line” tracks in Savannah (see the Palmetto for more info). Continuing south, train #91 (& #92) skips the stop at Jessup (served by the Silver Meteor) and enters Florida with a visit to Jacksonville.
Jacksonville
@mitchellmcavoy
Jacksonville is a service stop for the Silver Star as it is at least refueled during the scheduled 20-minute station stop. Arriving just after 7 a.m. local time, it also represents the first opportunity since Cary, NC for passengers to get fresh air.
The station in Jacksonville is a perfectly sufficient option although not necessarily as stunning as the former Jacksonville Union Terminal. It has a decent sized waiting room with plenty of seating, restrooms and a ticket/baggage counter. There doesn’t seem to be a food option aside from maybe vending machines and the location of the station doesn’t help with that matter.
Situated about five miles northwest of downtown, the station is quite isolated with a very large intermodal yard on one side. The closest food option either a McDonalds or Taco Bell, which is about a 15 minute walk from the station. Bus service is provided from a stop near the station’s road entrance and takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get downtown during normal hours. Ride sharing is an option as well.
After arriving downtown, there is really no shortage of things to do. In the immediate vicinity is the Riverfront Plaza on the north bank and the Southbank Riverwalk across the water. About a mile walk from the heart of downtown is the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars as well as the Veterans Memorial Arena. 121 Financial Ballpark is squeezed between the two prior and is home to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Miami Marlins AAA affiliate).
Details
Palatka, DeLand and Winter Park precede the Silver Star’s stop in Orlando (which we will cover in the Silver Meteor below) that comes just after 10:30 a.m. ET.
Kissimmee is the next stop and last one shared by the Star and Meteor as the former continues west to serve Tampa before doubling back toward Miami.
Lakeland
@mitchellmcavoy
Lakeland is highlighted here not necessarily as a tourist attraction although there is the Lemon Street Promenade. About half a mile from the station, Lemon Street offers a bunch of unique art features, green spaces and food options. Also, as the name suggests, Lakeland has a lot of….lakes. The station itself is situated on Lake Mirror, which has the Frances Langford Promenade Trail circling it.
The main reason for Lakeland being highlighted is that it is the only station in the Amtrak system that has two different station codes and is served by the same train twice in a matter of about 1.5 hours. Located a few miles west of the main line down toward Miami, Lakeland is actually on a spur line. Therefore, the Silver Star serves the Lakeland station heading west and then again east as it returns from doing station work in Tampa.
So, the LAK station code refers to the stop to/from all points north, while LKL is for all points to/from south. This is because passengers departing at Lakeland will be deboarded before the train heads further west to Tampa, while anyone boarding at Lakeland will wait until it comes back. This arrangement allows passengers to avoid an extra 1.5 hours of travel time for no reason. It can be pretty confusing, so don’t be afraid to reach out for help or contact Amtrak.
Details
Tampa
@mitchellmcavoy
Tampa Union Station is - at least as far as Amtrak service is considered - located at the end of a roughly 35-mile spur track. Following the Silver Star’s departure from Lakeland, it travels about 30 miles to Tampa where it serves the station and then runs the same track back to Lakeland (serves the station again) and continues to the main track north or south.
The station building - on the National Register of Historic Places - is the original station that was built in 1912 and refurbished in 1998. It has a very large hall with plenty of seating, restrooms and ticket/baggage service.
Located minutes from downtown, TUS is about a 20-minute walk from the Tampa Riverwalk along the Hillsborough River. Amalie Arena (NHL’s Lightning), Tampa Bay History Center, The Florida Aquarium are all in south downtown. Busch Gardens is about an 8-mile drive north of the station.
TUS serves Amtrak Thruway Connection buses as well as the Silver Star. One can also ride the local Hillsborough Area Regional Transit or walk a few blocks to the TECO Line Streetcar, which connects downtown to the Ybor City Historic District.
Details
Upon departure from Tampa, the Silver Star continues back past Lakeland and then heads south toward Miami. Traversing central Florida, the train passes through Winter Haven and Sebring before making a diagonal cut toward the coast paralleling highway 710.
Prior to arriving on the beachfront at West Palm Beach, the Silver Star alights in Okeechobee just north of the famous lake, which is the 10th largest freshwater lake in the United States.
From West Palm Beach, the Silver Star enters the final stretch toward Miami, making stops in Delray Beach, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood.
Miami
@mitchellmcavoy
The final stop on the Silver Star and Silver Meteor trains is Miami Station located about 20 minutes northwest of downtown in Hialeah. It is an old-school station, similar to the Amshack buildings but slightly more updated and larger. The interior has a large seating area, restrooms and luggage check/tickets.
There isn’t a whole lot in the immediate area of the current Amtrak station as it is mostly residential, however, the Tri-Rail/Metrorail Transfer Station is about a 10-minute walk from the Amtrak station. At this location, one can connect to trains to get closer to downtown Miami.
One item of note regarding the location of the current Miami Station: Amtrak has been in negotiations about moving its service to the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC), which is located about five miles south - near Miami Airport - of the current spot and therefore closer to the city’s downtown. Negotiations have been supposedly on-going for several years, so as of March 2024, there is no date in sight for service to begin at the new location.
Details
**Please scroll up to the Palmetto section to find the route overview and timetables for the Silver Star**
#97/98 Silver Meteor
Amtrak’s Silver Meteor with train numbers 97 & 98 are the two highest numbered trains in the system and therefore the last one we will cover. As was stated above - in the Silver Star section - the Palmetto, Star, Meteor trains are very similar as a whole.
The Silver Meteor is about 130 miles shorter than the Star at 1,389 miles from its originating point at Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station in New York City and its terminus at Miami Station (and hopefully the MIC eventually).
Departing about four hours later than the Star, the Meteor highballs at 3:15 p.m. and follows the Northeast Corridor to Washington D.C. (see Crescent in Part 2 for details). Following the same route as the Palmetto & Silver Star, the Silver Meteor makes the same stops through Rocky Mount (NC):
- Alexandria
- Fredericksburg —> The Meteor stops, while the Palmetto and Star do not
- Richmond (Staples Mill)
- Petersburg
- Rocky Mount
Bypassing Wilson and Selma-Smithfield (NC), the Meteor follows the same tracks as the Palmetto, staying more coastal than the Star. Fayetteville (NC), Florence, Kingstree, Charleston and Yemassee (SC) are all served during the overnight hours.
One bonus for the Silver Meteor as far Charleston (4:48 a.m.) and Savannah (6:43 a.m.) go, the timetable has the train arriving in the early morning hours (as opposed to the evening on the southbound Palmetto or northbound Meteor; the southbound Silver Star comes into Savannah around 4:30 a.m.). While it is a bit early, especially as far as Charleston, it allows passengers to spend the entire day in the city.
Following Savannah, the Silver Meteor quickly serves Jesup (GA) before heading south for some…orange juice? Jacksonville, Palatka, DeLand and Winter Park follow before arriving in Central Florida in the early afternoon.
Orlando
@mitchellmcavoy
Arriving into Orlando in the early afternoon (1:04 p.m.), the Silver Meteor stops at a location about one mile south of the Central Business District and right next door to the Orlando Health complex.
Connections can be made at the station to SunRail, Orlando’s commuter rail provider. A quick transfer can get you to the Church Street station or Lynx Central station (both located in the Central Business District) in 3 or 9 minutes, respectively.
Details
Kissimmee
@mitchellmcavoy
The very next station after Orlando (southbound) - Kissimmee - is the closest to Disney World and the Magic Kingdom. There is a rental car location within a few blocks of the station, or if you would rather avoid a vehicle, you can connect to public transit. Lynx Transit’s 56 route runs to the Magic Kingdom, dropping you off near Disney University about a 10 minute walk from the heart of the park.
The actual station building in Kissimmee is walking distance from the Kissimmee Lakefront Park, which is home to the Monument of the States. SunRail also serves the station and can connect north to Orlando or stops in between.
Details
Departing Kissimmee, the Silver Meteor travels about 30 miles west and the turns south toward Miami rather than continuing west toward Tampa. About nine miles after the track split is Winter Haven around 3:15 p.m. Then the Meteor serves Sebring before skipping Okeechobee (served by the Silver Star).
West Palm Beach
@mitchellmcavoy
The busiest station stop of the final five communities along the beach front before Miami - Delray Beach, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood - West Palm Beach sees almost 40,000 riders per year. Located just under a mile from the Intercoastal waterfront and downtown, the station is in a fairly convenient location.
Connections can be made at West Palm Beach station to local bus which can bring you to the Palm Beach waterfront and endless beaches in 20 minutes. Brightline’s station is about 3-4 blocks to the east with connections toward Orlando and Miami. Lastly, Tri-Rail - the greater Miami area commuter rail - also serves the West Palm Beach station and can connect you to more localized towns such as Boca Raton, Boynton Beach or Cypress Creek among others.
Details
From WPB, the Silver Meteor makes all of the same stops as the Silver Star. All of these stops - Delray Beach, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood - are departure only on the southbound trains. This means that passengers may not board at the station unless they are going north.
Due to its shorter trip, the Meteor is scheduled to arrive in Miami at 6:59 p.m. only 24 minutes after the Silver Star despite leaving nearly four hours after.
**Please scroll up to the Palmetto section to find the route overview and timetables for the Silver Star**
If you found this guide or anything in it helpful, I humbly ask that you consider scrolling down and leaving a tip. This will help to keep these guides, itineraries and any other work either completely free or at a reduced price. If you are unable to, I totally understand and ask to you save it to your profile and share it with as many people as you can. I greatly appreciate it and wish you safe travels!
Questions? Inquiries? Suggestions? Reach me - Mitchell - at orientbayadventures@gmail.com
* * *
