Stunning Things Are Happening As Florida Goes Rail

[Metro Jacksonville]

Stunning Things Are Happening As Florida Goes Rail



The announcement from Florida East Coast Industries of a new private passenger rail service is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. In an article that started as the mere musings of a retired railroad consultant, Metro Jacksonville blows the lid off huge changes in the Sunshine State. This is bigger than Jacksonville, bigger than 'All Aboard Florida' -  this is just the start of an epic change in thinking as Florida goes rail.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-apr-stunning-things-are-happening-as-florida-goes-rail

[Garden guy]

For many years i have been staying on an historic island down in the keys for a week that was home to the mens who took the tracks to key west..its called Pigeon key. Those boys from new york worked their butts off. Anyone interested in rail history should visit. Historic society members are allowed to sleep in the formans house. The tiny island  is full of history. That was 1900...too bad we havent seen even more rail.

[aclchampion]

Nicely written article.

[jaxlore]

good stuff very informative.

[JeffreyS]

A nice peek behind the curtain. If Jacksonville will open the terminal downtown you will see that route to Jax happen quickly. I bet.

[Ocklawaha]

I agree JeffreyS, Jacksonville simply HAS TO get off it's collective caboose and kick into step with the rest of this state. It's either do it now, or Jacksonville is going to be the 'new' Biloxi.

Moreover, Jacksonville's Mayor and business council's could easily host a pre-train conference, where the mayors or representatives of all of the FEC RY cities, Amtrak Florida stops as well as Valdosta - Tifton - Macon - Atlanta. I think when we get Miami, Jacksonville and Atlanta in the same room all we'll have to do is jump out of the way because this is going to happen.

OCKLAWAHA

[simms3]

This was very interesting and well researched/well written.  I hope for all of this progress to be made.

[thelakelander]

Great article.  I hope the FECI project is a success.  It could end up being a huge boost for Brevard County, with the closing of the shuttle program.  Also, whatever success it has, quickly opens up the door for market rate expansion into Jacksonville.

[BackinJax05]

Great story. This could benefit Amtrak, too. If the S-Line was rebuilt from the St. Marys River to Savannah, Amtrak could run their NY-Miami trains on it saving time, money, and fuel. The Jesup stop would be eliminated, but does anyone go there?
Imagine a NY-Miami train on the FEC line from Miami-Jax, then the CSuX S-Line from Jax-SAV, then on to NYP. This train wouldnt stop in Orlando, but a link to Orlando could be at Port Canaveral. This would help Port Canaveral with not only people going to Orlando & Disney, but also cruise ship passengers.
As for Amtrak running Miami to Atlanta on FEC/NS, this has been needed for over 40 years! Maybe one day that train could be extended to Nashville, Louisville, Indianapolis, & Chicago.
All wishful thinking, but as flying and driving become more difficult the train is the best alternative.
Some people are critical of Amtrak, but as a seasoned Amtrak passenger I can say Amtrak really does the best with what they have.

[Ocklawaha]

Reconstruction of the entire 'S' line north of Jacksonville would be a Godsend for Southeast High Speed Rail AND for Amtrak. The 'S' is many miles shorter then the route CSX retained between Jacksonville and Savannah, running along the edge of the coastal marshes.

Look for this to be upgraded between downtown and Yulee or Gross within the next few years as the new Blount Island Terminal connector (to Waycross) is relaid between Callahan and Yulee or Gross (the maps say they'll use the Gross cut-off, but the older Yulee - Callahan route would benefit Jacksonville more as it is shorter.

Amtrak could easily mix or operate (as they do now) the first of the corridor trains on SEHSR, currently running Charlotte - Raleigh - NYC.

As for extensions north of Atlanta, there is always a push for Nashville - Louisville - Chicago, but the Norfolk Southern Route runs Atlanta - Chattanooga - Knoxville (west) - Frankfort - Cincinnati. This was once the route of the FEC-Southern Ry, 'PONCE DE LEON' and 'ROYAL PALM'. I believe it holds a huge benefit over the other route, and that benefit is the Cincinnati Union Terminal. At Cincinnati (not unlike Jacksonville) the trains can be split with sections operating:

Cincinnati - Indianapolis - Chicago
Cincinnati - Dayton - Toledo - Detroit
Cincinnati - Columbus - Cleveland and even Buffalo if the desire is there.

OCK

[BackinJax05]

Hey, Ock! Been reading your posts for quite some time now.

As I've said before, pulling up the S-line was one of the stupidest things CSuX has ever done. And they wonder why there's so much traffic on the A-line.

The NS route from Atlanta-Cincinnati would probably work, too. The Royal Palm and Ponce De Leon were before my time, but Ive always been a fan of the old Southern Railway. Thanks to EBay, Ive managed to find quite a few items from when Southern ran passneger trains. SCL, ACL, SAL, & FEC, too.

Anyway, the track improvements you mentioned for Blount Island will benefit freight traffic and hopefully, add new jobs to the area.

Reconstruction of the entire 'S' line north of Jacksonville would be a Godsend for Southeast High Speed Rail AND for Amtrak. The 'S' is many miles shorter then the route CSX retained between Jacksonville and Savannah, running along the edge of the coastal marshes.

Look for this to be upgraded between downtown and Yulee or Gross within the next few years as the new Blount Island Terminal connector (to Waycross) is relaid between Callahan and Yulee or Gross (the maps say they'll use the Gross cut-off, but the older Yulee - Callahan route would benefit Jacksonville more as it is shorter.

Amtrak could easily mix or operate (as they do now) the first of the corridor trains on SEHSR, currently running Charlotte - Raleigh - NYC.

As for extensions north of Atlanta, there is always a push for Nashville - Louisville - Chicago, but the Norfolk Southern Route runs Atlanta - Chattanooga - Knoxville (west) - Frankfort - Cincinnati. This was once the route of the FEC-Southern Ry, 'PONCE DE LEON' and 'ROYAL PALM'. I believe it holds a huge benefit over the other route, and that benefit is the Cincinnati Union Terminal. At Cincinnati (not unlike Jacksonville) the trains can be split with sections operating:

Cincinnati - Indianapolis - Chicago
Cincinnati - Dayton - Toledo - Detroit
Cincinnati - Columbus - Cleveland and even Buffalo if the desire is there.

OCK

[JohnBalzer]

This rail project is exactly what Florida needs to help spark the economy. The benefit to Floridians is obvious and all of this happening with private money is wonderful. I cannot wait to get on one of these new trains and be able to ride from Miami to Jacksonville in comfort.

[BackinJax05]

Same here. I especially cant wait to FINALLY ride across the FEC railway bridge. That's worth buying a ticket by itself.

[Ocklawaha]

BUMP ^^^



As I was saying; "Pay no attention to those new passenger trains running to Orlando... It's freight that serves up the cash."

So now, how do you market the Port of Miami? By selling rail, and selling JACKSONVILLE!

This just launched:

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Oct. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida East Coast Railway (FECR) and PortMiami, through a strategic alliance, are offering the Sunshine Gateway service, which includes on-dock intermodal rail capabilities.  This seamless ship to rail transfer allows the port to handle additional volumes and ensures that shipments move more quickly and efficiently with the potential to reach 70 percent of the United States population in four days or less.

"Our goal has always been to facilitate the process of cargo shipments for fast and efficient delivery to our customers," said Juan M. Kuryla, PortMiami Director.  "Through our partnership with FECR, we are expanding access for shipments coming into and out of the port to reach their final destinations seamlessly and with greater reliability."

Another proactive step has been the PortMiami -50 ft. deep dredge project enabling the port to handle larger TEU vessels.  Kuryla stated, "Our investments in infrastructure and collaboration with innovative providers like FECR, ensure that we are well positioned for the Panama Canal expansion."

President and CEO James R. Hertwig noted, "In today's global marketplace, shippers often need solutions that go beyond the United States borders and involve multiple modes to move goods from the point of origin to the final destination.  In order to meet the needs of supply chain managers, it is important for various modes of transportation to work together seamlessly.  We are pleased with the positive impact we have seen as a result of our partnership with PortMiami and look forward to continuing to provide effective solutions for shippers."

In January 2015, FECR and PortMiami will hold an event celebrating this new service.

About PortMiami
PortMiami is among America's busiest ports and recognized across the globe with the dual distinction of being the Cruise Capital of the World and the Cargo Gateway of the Americas. PortMiami contributes more than $27 billion annually to the South Florida economy and helps provide direct and indirect employment for more than 207,000. For more information please visit www.miamidade.gov/portmiami.

About Florida East Coast Railway
Based in Jacksonville, Florida, Florida East Coast Railway (FECR) is committed to providing customers with outstanding reliability, flexibility and connectivity. The company provides a wide range of economical services, including carload and door-to-door intermodal solutions across North America.  In addition, FECR connects customers to worldwide locations through its strategic partnerships with PortMiami and other South Florida partners.  For more information, visit www.fecrwy.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141017/152913-INFO
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141017/152914LOGO 

SOURCE PortMiami; Florida East Coast Railway

[spuwho]

Odd. They show Cocoa Beach /  Orlando as a freight route.

Havent heard of any plans for freight yards or transfer facilities on the AAF ROW. Also the agreement for OOCEA was for AAF's LLC. I never saw any language that allows FEC freight. So if AAF going lease trackage rights back to themselves to help the books?

Didnt they say that freight wouldnt be part of that deal to keep the tracks rated for 125mph?