Jacksonville to Miami Passenger Rail Returning?

[thelakelander]

The best upgrade for rail travel in our area, in my opinion, will be the return of a passenger rail terminal to downtown Jacksonville.  The current facility on Clifford Lane is shameful as it does nothing for arriving out-of-town passengers.  Even our Greyhound station has better amenities for people as they come into our city.  As it is now, all you have are restrooms and snack machines.  Even if passengers wanted to spend their money in our area, they are stuck with buying a soda and a bag of chips.

So the question becomes, how do we get JTA, the TPO, Mayor's Office and City Council to aggressively lobby to have this added to the Amtrak/FEC Project?

[Charles Hunter]

JTA is going to ask for Stimulus Funds for the Jax Transprotation Center - but I think that is just the part north of Bay Street - not the Amtrak part.

[thelakelander]

I noticed in the application that the 2002 studies will have to be updated.  It seems like this would be a good opportunity to lobby to push the Amtrak part of the JTC into the FEC corridor project.  On the surface, it would seem a station downtown would have the ability to attract more riders to this system than the existing one off Clifford Lane.

[Jaxson]

That is a good question, Lakelander, about how we can get our local city leaders to support moving the passenger rail station back downtown. 
I firmly believe that our city has been chasing after pipe dreams with regard to reviving downtown.  Remember the scheme to sell hot dogs on the Main Street Bridge?  Well, city leaders should wake up and see that a steady stream of out-of-towners stopping in the downtown area to switch trains (From CSX to FEC lines) would be great for downtown retail.  Whenever I am changing trains in D.C. or NY, that is what I normally do - I stop for a meal at a local eatery and often buy things from their retailers.  Right now, the Amshack does nothing to promote our city or serve passengers.

[Ocklawaha]

Europe was able to grow their hsr from active passenger train societies we stunted our passenger train growth long ago so we may have to take some growth steps before true hsr is an option.

Railroads throughout Europe were bankrupt from WWI forward. It was America that kicked the house down then went in and rebuilt it. On a continent with a far denser population base, fewer road miles, automobiles and an industrial base in utter shambles, by the end of WWII any serious travel was by train. The post war trains were pulled by new "General Electric," "Baldwin," "Alco," "EMD," and "Fairbanks Morse," diesels or electric locomotives "MADE IN THE USA." Box Cars, flat cars and other freight equipment was tiny by American standards, but it fit the field. As industry grew back so did the size, weight and speed of the equipment. Not unlike modern highways, heavy vehicles beat the hell out of track too, a curse that the European nations didn't have to contend with while they built their passenger networks.

Parking is free at the train station...and remember the more station stops you have, the slower the overall trip. Can't have 10 station stops between Jax and Miami and still expect it to get there in 5 hours.

Which is why train travel won't grow in this country until we can get high(er) speed rail like every other developed country in the world has already.  Paris to Lyon is about the same distance as Jax-Miami.  The trip takes less than two hours and stops five or six times on the way.  The trains run every thirty minutes from city center to city center.

Won't grow? Oh silly us, somebody inform Amtrak because their growth is well into double didgets from 1971 until today, with the steepest climb all within the last 5 years. Those 5 years have been horrible from a corporate standpoint. Republican axe killers behind every BUSH... and a BUSH that refused to consider Amtrak in any formula but closure. Time and again schedules were lengthened, equipment wrecked (fender benders) with no replacement cars or money, and trains cut off (Ocala, Waldo, Dade City). Yet the numbers continued to soar. Train lengths were shortened from 22 cars to 18, then to 16 or 10, and finally down to 4 or 5 cars per train on many routes. Still, the numbers keep improving.

Train virgins just don't get it. A train from Jacksonville to Los Angeles, New York or Miami, has little to do with Jacksonville to Los Angeles, New York or Miami! Lake is right when he said it's a train to St. Augustine, Savannah, Madison or Wildwood.
The benefit being that the same "747 like, intercontinental  luxury vehicle," that stops in New York City, is also the vehicle that stops in Jacksonville, Klamath Falls and Texarkanna. That same royal coach that served President Obama on his trip to Washington and the White House, has been through every great city of North America, and Much of Central America. Yet it lives in "ORANGE PARK FLORIDA." The amazing luxury, speed, comfort and safety afforded by the greatest man on our continent is likewise available to you and I. How is this done? The magic of the silver rails, where every trip and every stop is an adventure and every station is as important as the palace of the king.


OCKLAWAHA

[Jaxson]

OCKLAWAHA  -- Thanks for introducing me to a new word (Amshack).  It is the perfect way to describe our shabby little station at Clifford Lane.  I am glad that Amtrak is working to replace Amshacks.  I visited the nicer, new train stations in St. Louis and in Albany.  They both have food and drink available for passengers.  I remember that the St. Louis station was intermodal with Greyhound service in the station.

[ralpho37]

Is MetroJax currently doing any lobbying to move the station back downtown?  If not it needs to happen!

[thelakelander]

YES.  We've been pushing for the return of Amtrak back to downtown for a while now.  Both JTA and the Mayor's office are well aware of our efforts.  You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink it.

Btw, the long range plans for the JTC include the relocation of Amtrak but funding has been difficult to secure.  Metro Jacksonville's position is that there may be an opportunity to tie in the funding to relocate Amtrak to downtown within the Amtrak/FEC Corridor project.

[heights unknown]

If Amtrak returned to downtown, where would be a good location for the station/depot?  The old convention center?  On the Southbank?

The reason why I am asking this is because if I am not wrong, most of those old tracks behind the convention center were removed yes?  It's hard for me to imagine where the station would be; not too many tracks leading into downtown proper, mostly on the outskirts of downtown or in the Southbank area.

Heights Unknown

Heights Unknown

[thelakelander]

The station would be at the old terminal (convention center). 

[ralpho37]

Okay thanks Lake, that's good to hear that MetroJax is pushing this thing.  In my opinion, moving Amtrak back downtown and constructing a new convention center should be the top priorities of our city.  I think they should've been higher priorities than the new courthouse to tell the truth.

[Jaxson]

Check out this week's Folio.  I wrote a Backpage Editorial about Amtrak and Florida. 

P.S. - One minor correction, the Silver Star arrives in Miami at 8AM!

[thelakelander]

Thanks, I'll pick up a copy this afternoon.

[Jaxson]

I mentioned the Amtrak/FEC issue on the radio yesterday.  I had a guest hosting gig on 105.3 FM, filling in for Brother Stan the Union Man (Stan Swart) and talked with Scott Irvine about the advantages of opening up the FEC lines to passenger rail again.  Also, don't forget to pick up this week's Folio!  My backpage editorial discusses FEC/Amtrak, also.

[thelakelander]

Jaxson, that was a great article.  Did you forward a copy to the City Council and Mayor's Office?

Also, what type of comments did you generate from 105.3 FM?