My wife hates flying so we are two of those Floridians who have taken the Silver Star from Tampa, Florida, all the way to Manhattan. It may not be like a train trip through the Rockies, but it is a unique experience in seeing the Eastern states.

Now the Silver Star is getting a new body and maybe a new image for travelers. The New York-Tampa-Miami route has seen an 8% increase in passengers in the last year and news Amtrak is spending $298 million dollars on new cars on Eastern long distance trains will help continue the trend.

The Silver Star is scheduled to have a completely new look with new sleeping cars, new diners, and new baggage cars by 2015 with new cars arriving as early as next summer. Most of the existing facilities are 1950’s cars.

Railroad ridership increases are an important talking point to those who want high speed rail service between Florida cities. The total upgrade in long-distance routes will attract younger and richer travelers.