Amtrak Hiawatha Corridor Service

[Ocklawaha]

With CSX in town, there's such a strong rail influence in town - I can't begin to understand why this isn't absolutely taking off.  There are loads of retired rail consultants in town to handle the work - seems like we're just missing the massive public outcry.  Does the average Jacksonvillian know/care this is an option?

This idea is simply disconnected from the reality of the passenger railroad book of "rules". Please remember my friends that the railroad industry was so regulated in the 1960's that they couldn't add or subtract a SINGLE train without a year long hearing in Washington DC. Meanwhile the government was taxing the railroads at an incredible (robbery) rate for every inch of land + transportation tax + fuel tax + school district tax + special assesments (IE: new highways). The only way a railroad was able to lose a passenger train route was with MILLIONS OF DOLLARS of legal battles.

The result was, the railroad industry as whole doesn't EVER want to see a passenger train again. EVER! In fact for a Jr. Executive - it's probably the quickest way right out the 14Th floor window at CSX. The railroads think in terms of "time slots" or "windows", this means each train on the schedule = 1 time slot. One train in two directions daily? 2 time slots. Profit from running these trains for COJ - FDOT - USDOT - AMTRAK - JTA etc? ZERO $$.

"Great Bob, but I heard such and such railroad is wanting passengers over in ..................... " In rare cases this IS TRUE. But keep in mind it is VERY RARE. Usually it means it's a shortline railroad, something that was saved from abandonment by two industries. It also means it was/is probably VERY pretty. They have done their homework and found that the daily or tri-weekly freight could make money, if 30 passengers were aboard. Not only that, they can sell slides, prints, tee shirts, toys to the tourists. This might even become a regional attraction and make the operation worth while. M-I-G-H-T! As in it might make $30,000 per year. Now toss that number at FEC - CSX - or NS... BONK! SPLAT! Pennys, wouldn't buy 5 sticks of 140 pound rail.

I hope this gives everyone a REALITY check on what is doable and what awaits us. If this tea isn't REAL SWEET, we might just as well not invite any of them to our party.

[9a is my backyard]

9A, if you talk to alot of citizens in Jacksonville, they are very cynical when it comes to rail.

I know the Skyway leaves sour thoughts in the mind of Jacksonville, but if planned and executed well, commuter rail will be far more effective and should increase the use of the Skyway.  And all for less per mile then the Outer Beltway!!  I wish the local media would talk about commuter rail and the Outer Beltway in the same article and scrutinize them both equally.  If people don't want commuter rail, then they probably should be up in arms about the beltway.

I hope this gives everyone a REALITY check on what is doable and what awaits us. If this tea isn't REAL SWEET, we might just as well not invite any of them to our party.

I definitely understand this - a retired CSX guy came and lectured to my class yesterday and said the railroad expects to make 15-20+% profit on their investments.  Obviously with passenger rail, this isn't going to happen.  But I was thinking more along the lines of the designers/consultants in town - if business has slowed/is slowing down for them, I would think this might be the kind of project they would want to give them business during the slow period.