Jacksonville Commuter Rail Schedules...SAMPLE

[Ocklawaha]

Okay, group! This is a posting of POSSIBLE commuter rail schedules using LRT or DMU vehicles. This includes the "S" line, "A" line and the "FEC" route. It also shows the stations that could be located on the future western routes. Just imagine that Gainesville Route open THIS weekend?!? This isn't official, but it gives an idea. the FEC and CSX are pretty much from the current schedules, the Northside lines are pure estimations and follow a more Light Rail Format. What do you think if this was connected to a system of East / West BRT to the Beaches, NW Jax, Orange Park and Blanding?

NORTHBOUND TRAINS

From: ST. AUGUSTINE
..................#2..........#4...........#6...........#8...........#10..........#12.........#14
St. Augst    5:10 AM..6:20 AM...7:10 AM..8:26 AM..9:14 AM...5:14PM..6:30PM Nocatee.....5:27........6:37.........7:27........8:43........9:31.........5:31........6:47 
Bayard.......5:33........6:43.........7:33........8:49........9:37.........5:37........6:53
Avenues.....5:35........6:45.........7:35........8:51........9:39.........5:39........6:55
University...5:41........6:51.........7:41........8:57........9:45.........5:45........7:01
San Marco..5:48........6:58........7:48........9:03........9:52.........5:52........7:08
Jax Terml...6:00 AM..7:10 AM..8:00 AM..9:15 AM..10:04 AM.6:04 PM..7:20PM

SOUTHBOUND TRAINS
....................#1...........#3...........#5..........#7..........#9...........#11.........#15
Jax Terml...7:25 AM...8:15 AM...3:15 PM...4:25 PM...5:15 PM....6:35 PM..9:15PM
San Marco..7:37........8:27........3:27........4:37.......5:27.........6:47........9:27
University...7:44.........8:34.......3:34........4:44.......5:34.........6:54........9:34
Avenues....7:47.........8:37........3:37........4:47.......5:37.........6:57........9:37
Bayard......7:49.........8:39........3:39........4:49.......5:39.........7:05........9:39
St. Augst..8:07 AM....8:57 AM...3:57 PM...5:07 PM..5:57PM.....7:17 PM....9:57 PM
.
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NORTHBOUND TRAINS
........................#71........#73........#77........#79........#83........#87........#89
Green Cove ...6:00 AM...7:00 AM..8:00 AM.9:00 AM..4:30 PM...5:30PM...6:30PM
Magnolia........6:05........7:05......8:05.......9:05.......4:35.......5:35.......6:35
Doctors Lak....6:15.......7:15.......8:15.......9:15.......4:45.......5:45.......6:45
Orange Park...6:20.........7:20......8:20.......9:20.......4:50.......5:50.......6:50
Yukon/NAS.....6:30.......7:30.......8:30.......9:30.......5:00.......6:00.......7:00
Jax Terml.......6:45 AM..7:45 AM..8:45 AM..9:45 AM..5:15 PM..6:15 PM..7:15 PM

SOUTHBOUND TRAINS
......................#72........#74........#78........#80........#84........#88........#90
Jax Terminal..7:00 AM..8:00 AM..3:30 PM..4:00 PM..5:30 PM..7:00 PM...9:10 PM   
Yukon/NAS....7:15.......8:15.......3:45.......4:45......5:45.......7:15........9:25
OrangePark...7:30.......8:30.......4:00.......5:00.......6:00.......7:30........9:40
Magnolia.......7:40.......8:40.......4:10.......5:10.......6:10.......7:40........9:50
Green Cove...7:45 AM...8:45 AM.4:15 PM...5:15 PM...6:15 PM.7:45 PM...9:55 PM

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NORTHBOUND TRAINS
..........................#101......#201.........#301
Jax Terminal.......6:00 AM....6:15 AM....5:00 AM...#100 SERIES TRAINS
Springfield..........6:10.........6:25.........5:10.......... Every 30 minutes until
Gateway............6:15 AM.................................  9:30 PM
Busch...............................6:35.........5:20.........#200 SERIES TRAINS
Aprt/Mkt Place...................6:45.........5:30........   Every 1 hours until
Yulee..............................................5:45.........   10:00 PM
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Yulee..............................................5:45
Fernandina.......................................6:05...........#300 SERIES
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Yulee..............................................5:50
Kingsland.........................................6:10.........   Every 4 hours until
St. Marys/NSKB.................................6:30 AM...    9:00 PM


SOUTHBOUND TRAINS
..........................#100.........#200...........#300
St. Marys/NSKB....................................9:00 PM........
Kingsland............................................9:20
Yulee.................................................9:40
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Fernandina..........................................9:25..............
Yulee.................................................9:45...............
------------------------------------------------------------
Yulee.................................................9:45.............
Aprt/Mkt Place....................10:00 PM....10:00PM.......
Busch................................10:10.............................
Gateway............9:30 PM.........................................
Springfield..........9:35..........10:20.............................
Jax  Terml..........9:45 PM.....10:30 PM......................

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EASTBOUND TRAINS

Tallahassee           Future Expansion
Monticello
Madison
Live Oak
Lake City
Sanderson
Glen St. Mary
Maclenny
Baldwin
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Gainesville             Future Expansion
Alachua
Starke
Baldwin
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Baldwin                 Future Expansion
Marietta
Edgewood
Jacksonville Terml


WESTBOUND TRAINS

Jacksonville Terml    Future Expansion
Edgewood
Marietta
Baldwin
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Baldwin
Starke                        Future Expansion
Alachua
Gainesville
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Baldwin
Maclenny                   Future Expansion
Glen St. Mary
Sanderson
Lake City
Live Oak
Madison
Monticello
Tallahassee

OCKLAWAHA

[Jason]

Nice work Ock!

Man, if I could hop on the 7:10 in St. Aug and transfer at the Avenues to a bus to San Jose I'd be leaving the car at home.

[thelakelander]

Great work indeed.  I think once the Orlando rail deal goes down, light rail type service would also be possible on the CSX "A" Line, assuming a similar Orlando-type deal could be worked out with CSX.

[reednavy]

It can be done, the only other train that would use it is the train that goes to the Seminole Electric Palatka Coal-Fired Generating Plant, and boy are those trains long! One or 2 other stops can be added, one at San Juan, in front of Roosevelt Square, the other at Edgewood Ave, by Jones College in Murray Hill.

[Lunican]

Amtrak would probably preclude light rail from being able to run on the A-Line.

There are 6 daily Amtrak trains on that line and they all come through during the day.

[reednavy]

That is true as well. They use the same track that part of Orlando's system is will use. I'm sure they'll be able to work something out. Currently, both the coal train and freight trains that use the track HAVE TO give way to Amtrak, so this could be the same way here, or they could just schedule the trains to avoid each other and have no delays.

[Ocklawaha]

Amtrak would probably preclude light rail from being able to run on the A-Line.

Yes, as a traditional "Trolley" it would without clear division of operations, worse, the passenger trains are historically heavy South in the Morning and North in the evening. So we have a contra-flow situation with Amtrak. Where the idea shines, is using a combination Heritage Interurban/New LRT-DMU type vehicle. A Heritage Interurban is RAIL size so it could interface with trains, the DMU could too. Then the Interurban can interface with traditional trolleys with a device of Anti-Climbers, (a device that prevents larger cars from climbing over or THROUGH the lighter trolleys in the event of collision). Also with the new signal system and operating codes in NJ setting the pace, we'll be dealing with a whole new system of operations.

Glad y'all could see how this works out. Understand, I didn't build schedule graphs, which could include all trains and give us precise meet locations etc... but the time will come when it can be fine tuned.

Ocklawaha

[thelakelander]

Yeah, along the CSX "A" you have to take advantage of the density, which means it needs a service that may be different from traditional commuter rail and closer to the New Jersey RiverLine which stops at commuter rail type distances in the burbs and closer stops in Trenton and Camden.

Along the CSX "A", I'd say you could take advantage of the urban landscape to provide at least three stops between the Prime Osborn and San Juan Avenue.

1. Prime Osborn (to transfer to skyway and other mass transit lines)

2. King (a feeder bus could run down Park & King strip to St. Vincents.  Stop would also be within walking distance of neighborhoods north of I-10 and nearby vacant warehouses provide redevelopment opportunities.)

3. Edgewood (Murray Hill business district and main access point into Avondale)

4. FCCJ Kent (college campus)

5. San Juan (Roosevelt Square/great spot for less expensive forms of brt to feed rail with transit riders from the west.)

If you skip a majority of these areas I think you do mass transit a disservice regardless of whether its rail or bus rapid transit.

[thelakelander]

Amtrak would probably preclude light rail from being able to run on the A-Line.

There are 6 daily Amtrak trains on that line and they all come through during the day.

I should clarify my statement "light rail type service" a little better.  I'm not talking about the technology.  Instead I was getting at having stations closer together and higher frequency of trains coming through.  From what I understand, DMUs can provide this type of service on existing tracks without having to immediately electrify the lines.  In Austin, they're calling it Urban Commuter Rail, but in San Deigo, they're calling it Diesel Light Rail.  It seems to be a hybrid between traditional commuter and light rail.

[thelakelander]

Let's also not forget that the CSX "A" is already doubled tracked from downtown to a few blocks north of Roosevelt, meaning that there should be decent capacity on that rail that allows Amtrak to keep their same schedule, assuming most of the through freight to Orlando is rerouted through Baldwin.  As for the trains to Palatka, maybe they could possibly be rescheduled to run at night like the coal trains to Orlando will, via the S-Line.  Btw, I believe the coal trains to Orlando run down the CSX "A" right now as well.

[Ocklawaha]

You are VERY right about other stations, What I was basing this on was speeds of timetables of the 1930s, 50's, and today. While they had some very fast trains in the 30's, they also had expresses which stopped at the stations I listed. In the case of the FEC I had to update some of the names. But it gave us a working model of what could be. Certainly the other stops would have to be worked in, but they don't appear on the older timetables, so without measurements or a dive alongside, we can't construct a working model of the other stops.
Don't worry, I'm aboard for Edgewood, Kings, etc...

Ocklawaha

[Jason]

Since the right of way and infrastructure is already there, wouldn't it be reasonably inexpensive to lay a second track?

[thelakelander]

There's already a second track for most of the corridor between Duval and Clay counties.  For the rest, it would be much easier, quicker and cheaper to lay additional track (IF NEEDED), then to build a ONE land busway (we'll need at least two lanes and elevated sections) at grade level.