October 2011

Long-discussed plans for returning passenger rail service to Florida's East Coast got new life from an Amtrak report that ranks the dormant West Palm Beach-Jacksonville segment as "the most promising initiative for expansion."

Passenger service on the 350-mile coastal stretch was abandoned in 1968. Amtrak trains currently run between Miami and West Palm Beach, then connect with Jacksonville via an inland route through Orlando.

In accordance with Section 210 of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA), Amtrak has developed and commenced plans to improve the performance of five of its Eastern long-distance routes: the Silver Star, Silver Meteor and Palmetto (collectively the Silver Service), the Crescent, and the Lake Shore Limited. The study indicates that, not only should restoring rail service between Jacksonville and Miami be Amtrak's top prioity, but that the route would actually turn a profit.

The revitalization of Miami’s port promises to boost the city’s economy, but some Biscayne Corridor residents were worried it would also bring something a little more unpleasant to their neighborhood: the sound of cargo trains blaring their whistles.

To ease the problem, City of Miami officials are asking the Federal Railroad Administration to approve a ‘quiet zone’ on the Florida East Coast Railway line, exempting trains from blowing their horns at crossings.

Bill Johnson has glimpsed the Holy Grail in his own backyard, and he is determined—come hell or deep water—to capture it.