A great railway journey should start from a grand railway station where possible.
It is the early evening in mid-January: the temperature outside hasn’t risen above -20C, but that doesn’t really matter now that I’m inside the rather wonderful Chicago Union Station with its towering skylight, huge marble mezzanine area with enormous wooden benches and commuters perched waiting for information about their train.
For years, I’ve been curious about long-distance rail journeys in America and a visit to Chicago’s Griffin Museum of Science and Industry earlier in the day, where I had a good look around the Pioneer Zephyr – a streamlined 1930s diesel multiple-unit that set speed records when it launched, does nothing to dampen my enthusiasm about the upcoming trip I’d be taking out of one of the most jaw-dropping railway stations I’ve ever visited.
Why rush to Florida when you can take the scenic route? Photo / 123RF
Even a 70-minute later departure doesn’t bother me once I’m onboard Train 41 — or for those of that don’t speak ‘Amtrak’, the company’s new ‘Floridian’ service that connects the Windy City to Miami, in Florida, for the first time since the late 1970s. While direct flights take three and a half hours, the journey, which winds its way through 10 states, takes a smidgen under two days. The perfect definition of slow travel, perhaps?
Within minutes of settling into my roomette — a private compartment formed of two seats that fold to create a bed — a friendly staff member pops along to introduce himself and to ask what time I’d like my bed made. He’s quickly followed by a colleague asking for a preferred time for a dinner reservation in the restaurant carriage.
The journey includes 50 stops, from big cities to small towns. Photo / Daniel Puddicombe
At my allotted time, I wander down to the restaurant carriage. I’ve dined on trains more times than I care to remember, and I usually make my way to a table. Not so with Amtrak: I’m stopped in my tracks and allocated a seat on a table for four. It’s only when a group of three strangers — including a 91-year-old man who is taking his first rail journey since 1959 — join me that menus are produced and orders are taken.
Some might find this wonderfully old-fashioned approach to be jarring, but over two days, I’m randomly allocated seats with people that I’d never otherwise interact with: case in point, the seven Pennsylvania Dutch pensioners using the train to reach Tampa for a holiday. While Miami is the ultimate destination, the train makes 50 stops en route.
A roomette aboard the Amtrak Floridian train. Photo / Daniel Puddicombe
Meeting new people is one of the favourite things about travelling long-distance by train, and after devouring a steak (cooked to perfection by the onboard chef) and putting the world right with new friends David and Lynn — a couple in their 60s who are also using the train to get to the Sunshine State for a holiday — I find that, as if by magic, my bed has been made up for me.
Amtrak’s latest route proves that the journey really is as important as the destination. Photo / 123RF
The roomette is best described as ‘cosy,’ but it is well-designed and I have a decent night’s sleep – more than can be said for other journeys I’ve taken onboard sleeper trains around the world.
Waking up the next morning, I open the curtains and find the train is trundling along the Beaver and Ohio Rivers, and I admire a wonderful sunrise — you don’t get these views by taking an internal flight. Although the train is over two hours late, I don’t mind this one bit as the sun is shining and during the morning, the train winds its way — rather steadily — through Pennsylvania and Maryland.
This is the first direct rail service between Chicago and Miami since the 1970s. Photo / Daniel Puddicombe
This is far and away the highlight of the two-day journey: for hours, the train follows frozen rivers and snow-capped hillsides, with deer spotted on a regular occasion. It reminds me a little of going through the Alps, and it is the perfect way to travel, especially as I am surrounded by new friends in the restaurant carriage and later, once we’re kicked out so the hard-working staff can reset tables for the lunch serving, the open carriage.
It’s at this point that I wonder why travellers prefer planes to trains. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than winding my way through wonderful scenery with nice folk for company.
Unlike flights, the ‘Floridian’ allows passengers to enjoy stunning sunrises and wildlife. Photo / Daniel Puddicombe
Starting from NZ$200, Coach Class is extremely good value for money — surely one of the best rail bargains worldwide? Having sampled the seats on another journey, I could easily spend a day in that class. The seats are comfortable and offer plenty of legroom.
I think the trick would be to buy a USA Rail Pass for NZ$870 (which offers travel on 10 different trains) and make a real adventure of your time Stateside.
Another highlight is travelling through Florida in daylight hours, though the arrival at Miami rather lets the state down to say the least. The station is an eyesore that’s located on an industrial estate on an unlit road without a pavement, a good 15-minute walk from another station, which has trains that serve the airport. Rather remarkably for a city of more than 6 million people, just four trains a day (two departures, two arrivals) serve it.
Passengers can dine in a traditional restaurant carriage with set seating. Photo / Daniel Puddicombe
Miami’s lack of forward-thinking (the state rerouted bus services to avoid the station three years ago) shouldn’t put you off taking the journey — I found the Floridian to be a hugely enjoyable experience that allowed me to see much more of America than I otherwise would have had I flown, while meeting fascinating people and eating lovely food, all while being served by friendly staff, most of whom have lived on the rails for decades.
Tickets for the train cost from NZ$2700 for a private room (which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner) or NZ$200 in Coach Class from Chicago to Miami.
