NEW AMTRAK STATION but it ain't ours!

[Ocklawaha]

http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2010/october/163109/New-$10M-Amtrak-Auto-Train-station-opens-in-Sanford

SANFORD --

The grand opening of the new $10 million Auto Trail station was held Monday.

Amtrak reports the Auto Train showed a 5 percent increase in ridership over last year, and officials said the original depot, which was built in 1971, wasn't big enough to handle the growth.

The 10,000-square-foot facility seats 600 passengers.

The new station was built with TARP money.

Rep. John Mica was at the ceremony, even though he voted against the stimulus package.

Mica said he doesn't think there was a conflict of interest.

"Absolutely not,” Mica said. “Last week they announced that 72,000 dead people received stimulus checks, and 17,000 prisoners, so my vote was right."

"Every dime of this is stimulus dollars,” said Rep. Corrine Brown. “I mean, there should be a big sign on this building that says ‘your stimulus dollars at work.’ And I voted for it and it did exactly what we said it was going to do."

The Auto Train is the only Amtrak service to transport passengers and their vehicles at the same time.

It runs between Sanford and Washington.

Tell me how this stacks up to our our AMSHACK... Railroad hub of FLORIDA and stepchild of the funding world...

OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

^Wow, they got that thing built fast.  Any pics?

[Jaxson]

And our scummy train station lives to see another day.  Just [bleep]ing great.

[Ocklawaha]

http://w1104.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http%3A%2F%2Fw1104.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fh336%2FJeremy_Dobrosky%2FAmtrak+Auto+Train+Sanford+Station+Oct+2010%2F26dd593f.pbw

HERE TIS, BOYS AND GIRLS!

OCKLAWAHA

[fsujax]

Jacksonville Terminal will blow that out of the water!

[Ocklawaha]

Agreed! Now if we could just get funding for it!

Could it be? Novus Magnificat?!

OCKLAWAHA

[Ocklawaha]

Now just for kicks and giggles, guess who first proposed this project and it's location/layout?

OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

Let me guess....A guy who named one of his kids after a railyard?

[Ocklawaha]

It was under the leadership of Mayor Betty Smith and a couple of county commissioners... it also involved a plan to reactivate that old run down air base as a major airport... which actually opened in record time with a metal shed and about 100 folding chairs!

OCKLAWAHA

[urbaknight]

Jacksonville Terminal will blow that out of the water!

I agree, if we can only move forward with it.