Temporary Amtrak train route will stop in Pittsburgh and Connellsville on its way to Miami

Passengers on the Capitol Limited heading to Miami that stops in Pittsburgh and Connellsville will be able to remain on their train for the trip south starting Nov. 10, Amtrak said.

The Capitol Limited train is being temporarily combined with the Silver Star train that goes from New York City to Union Station in Washington, D.C., before heading to Miami, Amtrak said this week.

Amtrak did not say how long it will operate the combined train, but said it was due to an East River train tunnel rehabilitation project in New York City. That project will require closing one tunnel tube at a time to safely modernize the tunnel, reducing the capacity of train operations in that area, Amtrak said.

Passengers leaving Pittsburgh on the Capitol Limited at 5:20 a.m., would reach Miami at about 6:30 p.m. the following day, according to Amtrak’s schedule. Bookings for the Floridian are available now for first day fares as low as $213 for a coach seat and $969 or $1,035 for a private room with sleeping accommodations. The first-day fares for the Floridian are slightly less than ones for a passenger traveling on the Capitol Limited and taking the Silver Star train before Nov. 10.

One advantage of the combined Floridian route for Pennsylvanian travelers is that they will not miss their connection at Union Station if the Capitol Limited is delayed.

Passengers on the Floridian will be able to take advantage of a full dining service, compared to the flexible dining service on the Capital Limited from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., said Mark Spada, president of the Western Pennsylvanians for Passenger Rail, an organization promoting passenger rail service.

The Floridian will follow the existing inland route, passing through Richmond, Va., Raleigh, N.C., Columbia, S.C., Savannah, Ga., Jacksonville, Fla., West Palm Beach and ending at Miami, according to the Amtrak route map. With such a long route through so many cities and states, there is more of a chance of a delay in the schedule, Spada noted.

Those riding the Floridian will not have the a superliner rail car with an upper deck for a more scenic view, as is the case with the Capitol Limited, Spada said.

For now, Amtrak has two trains daily from Washington, D.C. to Miami — one around 3 p.m. and the other leaving at about 7:25 p.m. The trains are scheduled to arrive Miami at about 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., according to Amtrak’s website.