Silver Palm (Amtrak)
Encyclopedia
The Silver Palm was the name of two former passenger trains operated by Amtrak
serving the U.S. state of Florida
.
and Tampa, Florida
on November 20, 1982. The train was subsidized by the Florida Department of Transportation
as a 403(b) service. The train operated over the tracks of the Seaboard System Railroad
between Miami and Tampa via Auburndale
. The northbound train departed Miami in the morning and returned from Tampa in the afternoon. Travel time was approximately five hours in each direction. A bus connection was provided between Winter Haven
and Orlando
.
The Florida Department of Transportation attempted to end subsidies for the Silver Palm as of November 20, 1984. State law required that state-sponsored services maintain a farebox ratio of 60% to continue funding, and the Silver Palm did not attain that level. The Florida Coalition of Rail Passengers sued the state, arguing that the Department of Transportation had calculated the operating ratio incorrectly, and won at the district court level. This decision was overturned on appeal by the Florida First District Court of Appeal
on March 28, 1985. The Silver Palm was discontinued on April 30, 1985.
The second Silver Palm was a long-distance passenger train between New York, New York and Miami, Florida
. The service was an extension of the Palmetto
route, which had operated between New York and Tampa, Florida
. The renamed service began on November 10, 1996. The train reverted to the Palmetto name on May 1, 2002 after it lost sleeping and dining car service.
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
serving the U.S. state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
History
Amtrak introduced the first Silver Palm as a single round trip service between Miami, FloridaMiami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
and Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
on November 20, 1982. The train was subsidized by the Florida Department of Transportation
Florida Department of Transportation
The Florida Department of Transportation is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of the Florida State Road Department...
as a 403(b) service. The train operated over the tracks of the Seaboard System Railroad
Seaboard System Railroad
The Seaboard System Railroad was a former Class I railroad created by merging the railroads of the Family Lines System. Although sharing common ownership, the railroads of the Family Lines System used different names when conducting business...
between Miami and Tampa via Auburndale
Auburndale, Florida
Auburndale is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,032 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 12,381...
. The northbound train departed Miami in the morning and returned from Tampa in the afternoon. Travel time was approximately five hours in each direction. A bus connection was provided between Winter Haven
Winter Haven, Florida
Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,487 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 32,577, making it the second most populated city in Polk County...
and Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
The Florida Department of Transportation attempted to end subsidies for the Silver Palm as of November 20, 1984. State law required that state-sponsored services maintain a farebox ratio of 60% to continue funding, and the Silver Palm did not attain that level. The Florida Coalition of Rail Passengers sued the state, arguing that the Department of Transportation had calculated the operating ratio incorrectly, and won at the district court level. This decision was overturned on appeal by the Florida First District Court of Appeal
Florida First District Court of Appeal
The Florida First District Court of Appeal, also known as the First DCA, is headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida. It is unique among the five Florida District Courts of Appeal in that, much like the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit at the federal level, it handles most of the appeals in...
on March 28, 1985. The Silver Palm was discontinued on April 30, 1985.
The second Silver Palm was a long-distance passenger train between New York, New York and Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. The service was an extension of the Palmetto
Palmetto (Amtrak)
The Palmetto is a passenger train service operated by Amtrak over the from New York City south to Savannah, Georgia via the Northeast Corridor to Washington, DC, then via Richmond, Virginia, Fayetteville, North Carolina and Charleston, South Carolina...
route, which had operated between New York and Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. The renamed service began on November 10, 1996. The train reverted to the Palmetto name on May 1, 2002 after it lost sleeping and dining car service.