Amtrak possibly restoring Southeast service through Jacksonville (L.A., Chicago)

[HeartofFlorida]

I was watching the 5 o'clock news here in Tallahassee and they mentioned this during a segment.  Thought this might be intersting to some in Jacksonville.
http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/PRIAA/GulfCoastServicePlanReport.pdf

[Dog Walker]

Yes!  Yes!  Yes!  Do it!!!  I used to ride the train to Gulfport and New Orleans every summer to spend weeks with cousins in both cities.

If we get enough trains coming through Jacksonville again maybe we can turn the Convention Center back into something useful,  a train station.

[Ocklawaha]

The only option that really benefits Jacksonville is the #3 or Third Option in the Amtrak report. This would be a stand-alone train that would make a DAILY run both ways Orlando-Jacksonville-New Orleans. The Jacksonville crew base would need 25 more operating jobs of $100 thousand dollars a year +/- . Sort of like attracting a small tech firm to our city.

Those are JUST the "operating jobs," there will likely be at least as many non-operating jobs, station services, mechanical etc. added to "THE GATEWAY CITY" = Jacksonville = America's Logistics Center.

That mayor Peyton was informed of this early in the game is some surprise and as far as we have heard he has not done a single thing to improve our prospects for or against this train.

* This study came with a report which suggested extending the PALMETTO (train), a New York to Savannah daylight train, to the Jacksonville station where it could connect for points north. 
WDPD = WHAT DID PEYTON DO?

* This report hinted at money for and listed costs to some 17 stations. It also mentioned that in Jacksonville the train would pull around the old Terminal wye-track "Y", travel 3 miles and head northeast on the branchline toward Gateway Mall. The train will stop blocking US-1 and back up into the AMSHACK, between two junk yards and underneath an overpass in the most desirous part of town.
WDPD = WHAT DID PEYTON DO?

* Those who got involved in the process also were tipped to the WHOLE "Sunset West Plan". This new plan calls for a DAILY train from New Orleans to San Antonio, even mentions an extension to JAX. It then goes on to suggest a totally new connecting train from New Orleans to Dallas and Ft. Worth, probably via Baton Rouge and Shreveport. This could recreate some passenger trackage that hasn't seen a passenger train in 60 years.
WDPD = WHAT DID PEYTON DO?

Don't worry about us, our train is waiting in SANFORD!

OCKLAWAHA