Passenger rail service could transform travel to and through Fort Lauderdale. Within two years, Coral Gables-based Florida East Coast Industries expects to start running passenger trains between Miami and Orlando in under three hours, one way, with stops at downtown stations in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. Florida East Coast, also known as FEC, plans to revive passenger service on its most prized possession: the historic railroad that pioneering industrialist Henry Flagler built a century ago, sparking the development of South Florida. The popularity of passenger rail travel declined throughout the United States in the decades that followed. FEC stopped running passenger trains in 1968 and since then has operated only freight trains.
Its planned passenger service, called All Aboard Florida, would operate on 195 miles of the existing FEC railroad between Miami and Central Florida and continue on a new 40-mile line extension to Orlando that the company plans to build.
http://flmag.com/features/we-hear-trains-are-comin
So Jacksonville is missing the train on this ? Is there a reason that our city officials cannot think outside of the box ?
^Jacksonville is considered an extension city for the future. Since its driven by a for-profit company obviously they would first try it on a route deemedmost likely to succeed. All the info is on these boards, but unfortunately a new story of recycled info usually gets posted as a new thread. If you sesrch AAF on here, there is a thread that describes the planned system and future plans in as much detail as is public right now.
Quote from: Stephen on February 04, 2014, 01:18:45 PM
So Jacksonville is missing the train on this ? Is there a reason that our city officials cannot think outside of the box ?
Did an interview a few months back with Don Robinson, president and COO of AAF. He was reasonably confident that the Jax leg would get the go-ahead. Especially since the track is already in place. But when is the answer. There will be some evaluation time from this first phase before anything moves forward.
It would be really cool if they put the Jax AAF station just south of Atlantic on the FEC (ROW is wide because there was a small yard there) and ran the skyway to it.
More then likely, they'd head to the main downtown terminal. It has a skyway station already and blocks and blocks of charred earth for infill transit oriented development.
Quote from: thelakelander on February 04, 2014, 03:05:42 PM
More then likely, they'd head to the main downtown terminal. It has a skyway station already and blocks and blocks of charred earth for infill transit oriented development.
True, it's just hard to see anything happening over there with the convention center issue. I guess with enough money they could fix that though.
Looking at what they're doing in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, they'd find away around Jax's inaction. For anyone wanting to see a decent passenger rail system connecting Jax's urban core with other places, AAF is probably your best chance. We should be the biggest cheerleaders of their Orlando-Miami line. If it is a success, expansion to Jax won't be that far behind.
Quote from: thelakelander on February 04, 2014, 08:45:25 PM
Looking at what they're doing in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, they'd find away around Jax's inaction. For anyone wanting to see a decent passenger rail system connecting Jax's urban core with other places, AAF is probably your best chance. We should be the biggest cheerleaders of their Orlando-Miami line. If it is a success, expansion to Jax won't be that far behind.
+1
Quote from: acme54321 on February 04, 2014, 03:35:17 PM
Quote from: thelakelander on February 04, 2014, 03:05:42 PM
More then likely, they'd head to the main downtown terminal. It has a skyway station already and blocks and blocks of charred earth for infill transit oriented development.
True, it's just hard to see anything happening over there with the convention center issue. I guess with enough money they could fix that though.
AAF has shown interest in some of the property around the Prime Osborn. Just look at their plans for developing millions of square footage around the Miami station
Honestly, I have been following AAF for awhile and their attitude toward anything beyond Orlando has been nothing short of "don't call us, we will call you" to everyone. If they hadn't put out a map with the dotted lines, I don't think the discussion would be so active.
You can bet that even if one phone call was made to anyone at COJ about anything it would be leaked faster than the toilet in Obama's cabinet.
At this point anything beyond Orlando is just speculative because the new line hasn't even been built yet. It is really hard for them to talk about a future when they haven't executed anything other than leases and contracts.
^Maybe so. However, they have shown interest in the property around the Prime Osborn.
Quote from: thelakelander on February 04, 2014, 10:01:05 PM
^Maybe so. However, they have shown interest in the property around the Prime Osborn.
Interested to know what level of interest?
Like, "oh yeah its there...we see it"
Or is it like "interesting, how much is that today?"
I am surprised because they have really locked down the "future talk" by execs, so any interest implied or otherwise beyond Orlando at this point would be a definite icebreaker.
More like they've contacted credible sources locally and inquired about possibilities of an extension with stations in Daytona Beach and Jax. Doesn't mean anything will come of it but an expansion to Jax isn't as far fetched as one may be to Tampa. Now all of this is assuming the initial project ends up being remotely successful and a feasibility study for expansion comes back positive. Nevertheless, the way things are going locally, the chances of that are higher than seeing commuter rail running down the FEC or CSX A line anytime within the next decade.
Thought I would pass this along. FEC submitted a bid on a state-owned rail line connecting Oklahoma City and Tulsa. ODOT is very anti-passenger rail (and mass transit in general) so it will be interesting if FEC even has a chance. BNSF wants the line so they can connect to the national oil storage facility in Cushing, OK.
http://www.okctalk.com/transportation/36646-potential-tulsa-okc-rail-line-sale.html#post743308
Quote from: Kerry on February 05, 2014, 03:13:56 PM
Thought I would pass this along. FEC submitted a bid on a state-owned rail line connecting Oklahoma City and Tulsa. ODOT is very anti-passenger rail (and mass transit in general) so it will be interesting if FEC even has a chance. BNSF wants the line so they can connect to the national oil storage facility in Cushing, OK.
http://www.okctalk.com/transportation/36646-potential-tulsa-okc-rail-line-sale.html#post743308
OKC is somewhat similar to Jacksonville. Very much spread out with low density throughout. It makes mass transit in general harder to justify.
OKC Transit seems to making headway in a plan and their is definitely an effort with The Amtrak Eagle to connect OKC with DFW.