Another rail project on verge of being derailed?

[FayeforCure]

Does the $1.2 billion include costs needed to upgrade the S-Line and to facilitate the construction of the Winter Haven yard?  If so, what's the estimated ROI and job creation on the freight side of the deal?

Exactly...........it was NEVER about the riders. It was about CSX and freight!!!

[Ocklawaha]

BTW your statement:

I get the feeling that you would support a HSR enterprise of untold billions running from Green Cove Springs to Chiefland as long as Mica said it was useless.

is out of line.......

Actually my statement was based on previous converstations between you, lakelander, dan, stephen and I with regards to the ill concieved FLORIDA HIGH SPEED RAIL project. If I recall your rebuttal to my meat and potatos attack on FHSR was to the effect that my opinion was meaningless in the face of such a group of professionals... Well its over for now and Scott, (who has now done 2 things I agree with) agreed with me that the whole thing was a bloated farce that reeked of Disney and other rats. Frankly Green Cove Springs to Chiefland at 200 mph makes about as much sense as the route they chose, IE you can drive Tampa-Orlando or Tampa-Miami faster. Which brings me back full circle to the belief that the route chosen for FHSR will be about as useful as my Green Cove Springs to Chiefland route would be... I mean you'd have to wonder how many people in Jacksonville would drive down to Green Cove Springs to ride the train to Starke? Now if they just had a big airport... 

We'll have to wait and see who's professional opinion turns out to be correct with Sunrail, I'm betting they blow out the ridership estimates the very first year.  They actually have a shot at becoming the preeminent passenger operation in the state, as TriRail serves an area full of turnpikes and freeways, Orlando on the other hand is a transportation starved megapolis with what amounts to one useable freeway.

Glad though to see you can and do agree with Mica on some things, I do wish both he and JTA would take a long and serious look at the remanfactured RDC cars from Industrial Rail Services in Mocton.
http://www.industrialrail.ca/  and click on RDC.

Cheers Faye, we ARE moving toward rail in the river city.

OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

Does the $1.2 billion include costs needed to upgrade the S-Line and to facilitate the construction of the Winter Haven yard?  If so, what's the estimated ROI and job creation on the freight side of the deal?

Exactly...........it was NEVER about the riders. It was about CSX and freight!!!

There's nothing wrong with this.  Imo, it's all about economic development and job creation (although its foolish to not believe that politics didn't drive the final decision on both rail projects).

Q: What is an Integrated Logistic Center?

A: In the specific instance of the Winter Haven site, an Integrated Logistic Center, or ILC, will be a centralized hub of transportation, logistics and goods distribution anchored by a new rail-based intermodal and automotive terminal. Within the terminal facility, containers will be transferred from rail to truck (inbound) and truck to rail (outbound), In addition, vehicles will be unloaded and positioned for transfer to retail sales locations. The other important part of the ILC concept is the planned development of distribution centers, warehouses, light manufacturing and offices in proximity to the terminal facility. Being near the rail facility enhances freight movements to the final destination, reducing costs and the time necessary for such shipments.

With that said, jobs in the form of industrial, distribution and logistics also should be included when discussing sunrail.  I know my little hometown of Winter Haven is elated to see the jobs that CSX's new ILC will bring to town as a part of the sunrail deal.

Q: How many jobs will the ILC bring to Polk County?

A: Construction of the terminal facility would generate an estimated 900 construction-related jobs in the first year. Upon completion of the terminal an estimated 200 positions would be needed for operations.

Upon build out of the entire ILC project as many as 8,500 jobs in total could be created.

http://blog.winterhavenchamber.com/csx_questions/

8,500 new jobs in a town with 33,000 residents is nothing to sneeze at.