A new Amtrak service will connect North Carolina and Chicago, starting in November. But it won't be a fast trip.
The train is called The Floridian, because the route connects the Windy City with the Sunshine State. It will leave Raleigh Union Station at 9:08 am and arrive at Chicago's Union Station at 8:45 the next morning—passing through Richmond, Washington, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland along the way. North Carolina passengers can also hop on in Cary, Rocky Mount, Southern Pines, or Hamlet. The Floridian is part of Amtrak's plan to divert trains from New York, so it can rebuild a 100-year-old tunnel underneath the East River.
Amtrak's Silver Meteor service will continue to operate between Miami and New York, with several stops in North Carolina.