Amtrak began operations on May 1, 1971, inheriting various trains from the private railroads. Initially, the railroads' train numbers were retained. On July 12, 1971, some schedule adjustments were made. And on November 14, 1971, Amtrak adopted its own train numbers.
Trains are listed in numerical order of train numbers. Except certain trains with three digit numbers which connect with the main trains with two digit numbers, are listed following the main trains.
Not all details are included for routes with multiple trains, primarily in local corridors. Also, not all details are included regarding trains between New York and Florida, where numerous route changes occurred, between former Atlantic Coast Line and former Seaboard routes.
Between Washington and Richmond (via former Richmond Fredericksburg & Potomac) and beyond to Newport News (via former Chesapeake & Ohio), trains are documented until 1995. During that year, Amtrak began marketing that route as part of the Northeast Corridor, including it with the main Northeast Corridor timetables.
Links are to zoomable Google Maps, which clarify some of the more interesting routings adopted by Amtrak, mostly in smaller cities.
Passenger Train Routes In Major Cities
In many of the largest cities, Amtrak continues to use routings within the cities which had been used by the private predecessor railroads.
Seaboard Coast Line Consolidations
The 1967 merger forming Seaboard Coast Line, and a few other events, resulted in certain consolidations of traffic and establishment of connecting tracks.
519/520 - Gulf Breeze
10/29/89 - introduced between Birmingham and Mobile via Louisville & Nashville, connecting with Crescent.
4/2/95 - discontinued.
52/53 - Auto Train
10/30/83 - introduced between Lorton VA and Sanford FL, having acquired assets from failed Auto-Train Corporation.
73/74/75/76 - Piedmont
5/26/95 - introduced between Raleigh and Charlotte, supplementing the Carolinian.
79/80 - Carolinian
10/28/84 - introduced between New York and Charlotte, via Seaboard Coast Line (former Seaboard) between Richmond and Raleigh, and via Southern Railway between Raleigh and Charlotte.
9/3/85 - discontinued.
5/12/90 - restored, but via former Atlantic Coast Line and Southern Railway between Petersburg and Raleigh (See Seaboard Coast Line link above).
81/82 - Silver Star
5/1/71 - inherited from Seaboard Coast Line (former Seaboard) between New York and Jacksonville, and from Seaboard Coast Line (former Atlantic Coast Line) between Jacksonville and St. Petersburg.
1/3/74 - Jacksonville Union Station replaced by Clifford Lane Station.
11/15/75 - Broad Street Station in Richmond replaced by Staples Mill Station.
2/1/84 - discontinued between Tampa and St. Petersburg.
10/26/86 - rerouted via former Atlantic Coast Line and Southern Railway between Petersburg and Raleigh (See Seaboard Coast Line link above).
11/10/96 - discontinued between Jacksonville and Tampa, train numbers 91 and 92 adopted for remaining service between New York and Miami.
83/84 - Silver Meteor
5/1/71 - inherited from Seaboard Coast Line (former Seaboard) between New York and Miami.
12/17/71 - rerouted between Richmond and Jacksonville via Seaboard Coast Line (former Atlantic Coast Line).
1/3/74 - Jacksonville Union Station replaced by Clifford Lane Station.
11/15/75 - Broad Street Station in Richmond replaced by Staples Mill Station.
10/1/79 - combined with Champion and renumbered 87 and 88, with section between Jacksonville and Miami renumbered 97 and 98. Throughout 1970's, these trains had occasionally been combined between New York and Jacksonville during off peak seasons, with numbers 87 and 88 adopted for combined train beginning 11/30/75.
85/86 - Champion
5/1/71 - inherited from Seaboard Coast Line (former Atlantic Coast Line) between New York and St. Petersburg.
1/3/74 - Jacksonville Union Station replaced by Clifford Lane Station.
11/15/75 - Broad Street Station in Richmond replaced by Staples Mill Station.
10/1/79 - combined with Silver Meteor and renumbered 87 and 88. Throughout 1970's, these trains had occasionally been combined between New York and Jacksonville during off peak seasons, with numbers 87 and 88 adopted for the combined train beginning 11/30/75.
84 - Old Dominion
4/2/95 - introduced between Richmond and New York.
9/10/95 - renamed New England Express.
10/29/95 - Northeast Direct adopted as name for this and other trains.
85/86 - Virginian
10/28/84 - introduced between New York and Richmond.
4/2/95 - renamed Chesapeake southbound, New England Express northbound.
10/29/95 - Northeast Direct adopted as name for this and other trains.
87/88 - Florida Special
12/17/71 - seasonal service inherited from Seaboard Coast Line (former Atlantic Coast Line) between New York and Jacksonville, and from Seaboard Coast Line (former Seaboard) between Jacksonville and Miami.
4/30/72 - discontinued at end of season. Following season would be named Vacationer and numbered 95 and 96.
87/88 - Silver Meteor
11/30/75 - numbers adopted for off peak seasons when Silver Meteor and Champion were combined between New York and Jacksonville during off peak seasons. Prior to then, those trains actually had already occasionally been combined.
10/1/79 - Silver Meteor and Champion permanently combined.
2/1/84 - discontinued between Tampa and St. Petersburg.
10/30/94 - discontinued between Jacksonville and Tampa and replaced with extension of Palmetto, train numbers 97 and 98 adopted for remaining service between New York and Miami.
89/90 - Seasonal Train
6/11/72 - a seasonal train named the Carolina Coast introduced between New York and Savannah via Seaboard Coast Line (former Atlantic Coast Line).
9/10/72 - discontinued at end of season.
6/15/73 - seasonal train resumes operation, named the Carolina Special, and operating between New York and Jacksonville via Seaboard Coast Line (former Seaboard), southbound on Fridays and northbound on Sundays.
9/3/73 - discontinued at end of season.
12/13/73 - numbers adopted for seasonal service formerly the Vacationer (former train numbers 95 and 96) between New York and Miami and renamed Miamian, using former Atlantic Coast Line route between Richmond and Jacksonville, and former Seaboard route between Jacksonville and Miami.
4/7/74 - discontinued at end of season.
89/90 - Palmetto
6/15/76 - introduced between New York and Savannah via Seaboard Coast Line (former Atlantic Coast Line).
12/88 - extended from Savannah to Jacksonville.
10/30/94 - extended from Jacksonville to Tampa, replacing section of Silver Meteor.
2/1/95 - discontinued.
11/10/96 - restored, named Silver Palm, using former Seaboard route between Jacksonville and Plant City and beyond to Tampa, and extended between Tampa and Miami via Auburndale (See Seaboard Coast Line link above).
4/29/2002 - renamed Palmetto.
11/1/2004 - discontinued between Savannah and Miami, resulting in the demise of passenger service via former Seaboard route between Jacksonville and Plant City or Auburndale.
91/92 - Silver Star
5/1/71 - inherited from Seaboard Coast Line (former Seaboard) between Auburndale and Miami, connecting with trains 81 and 82 (See Seaboard Coast Line link above). Previously operated via former Seaboard between Jacksonville and Miami, connecting with main Silver Star train at Jacksonville.
4/29/84 - extended north from Auburndale to Jacksonville via former Seaboard, connecting with main Silver Star train at Jacksonville, and replacing trains 97 and 98.
1988 - route between Wildwood and Auburndale changed to via Plant City, using former Seaboard route which had served Tampa, and via former Atlantic Coast Line between Plant City and Auburndale.
4/7/91 - reverted back to between Auburndale and Miami, connecting at Auburndale with trains 81 and 82.
10/30/94 - extended north again from Auburndale to Jacksonville via former Seaboard through Plant City.
11/10/96 - train numbers 91 and 92 adopted for train between New York and Miami, when service to Tampa was discontinued. Route between Jacksonville and Auburndale changed to former Atlantic Coast Line. On that date, Silver Palm, later Palmetto, was introduced serving Tampa and Miami, and using former Seaboard route south of Jacksonville.
11/1/2004 - restored to Tampa by operating train both directions between Auburndale and Tampa, between Jacksonville and Miami.
93/94 - Floridian
5/1/71 - inherited from Seaboard Coast Line (former Atlantic Coast Line) between Auburndale and St. Petersburg, connecting with trains 52 and 53. Previously operated via a different Atlantic Coast Line route between Jacksonville and St. Petersburg, bypassing Tampa.
10/1/79 - discontinued.
93 - New England Express
4/2/95 - introduced between Boston and Richmond.
9/10/95 - renamed Tidewater Express.
10/29/95 - Northeast Direct adopted as name for this and other trains.
94/95 - Colonial
6/14/76 - introduced between New York and Newport News via Chesapeake & Ohio between Richmond and Newport News, basically replacing Newport News section of the James Whitcomb Riley. Originally assigned 100 series Northeast Corridor train numbers.
10/25/81 - assigned train numbers 94 and 95.
10/25/92 - renamed Old Dominion.
4/2/95 - renamed New England Express.
9/10/95 - renamed Tidewater Express southbound.
10/29/95 - Northeast Direct adopted as name for this and other trains.
95/96 - Vacationer
12/15/72 - introduction of seasonal service formerly the Florida Special (former train numbers 87 and 88) between New York and Miami, but using former Seaboard route between Richmond and Jacksonville.
4/29/73 - discontinued at end of season.
12/14/73 - seasonal train resumes operation, but reverting to former Atlantic Coast Line route between Richmond and Jacksonville.
3/31/74 - discontinued at end of season. Following season would be named Miamian and numbered 89 and 90.
97/98 - Silver Meteor
10/1/79 - numbers adopted for section between Jacksonville and Miami via Seaboard Coast Line (former Seaboard), when Champion was combined into Silver Meteor, with main train between New York and St. Petersburg numbered 87 and 88.
4/29/84 - discontinued between Jacksonville and Auburndale, replaced with trains 91 and 92 (See Seaboard Coast Line link above).
4/7/91 - restored between Jacksonville and Auburndale via former Seaboard.
10/30/94 - train numbers 97 and 98 adopted for train between New York and Miami, when service to Tampa was discontinued. Former Atlantic Coast Line route was adopted between Jacksonville and Auburndale.
895/896 - Silver Palm
11/20/82 - introduced between Miami and Tampa
4/30/85 - discontinued.
Northeast Regional
12/12/2012 - introduced between New York and Richmond and Norfolk via former Atlantic Coast Line between Richmond and Petersburg, and former Norfolk & Western between Petersburg and Norfolk.
Northeast Regional
10/31/2017 - introduced between New York and Roanoke via former Southern Railway between Washington and Lynchburg, and former Norfolk & Western between Lynchburg and Roanoke. Train switches former railroads using connections south of Lynchburg, which had been used for through trains existing prior to the creation of Amtrak. Now both former railroads are now Norfolk Southern.