Promoting passenger trains as a transportation alternative in Florida since 1983.  We are citizens who advocate for Amtrak, commuter rail, intercity rail and transit for Florida's future.

The Silver Rail Blog

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  • 04 Sep 2024 8:11 AM | Jackson McQuigg (Administrator)

    A few days ago, we got the word that Charles Dunn, M.D. of Coral Gables passed away at the age of 87.

    You will find his obituary from the Miami Herald here: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/herald/name/charles-dunn-obituary?id=56089864

    To all of us who value passenger trains in Florida, Charlie was a hero. The undisputed "dean" of passenger rail advocacy in the state, Charlie's plain spoken, direct way of communicating and persistence paid off in improvements in passenger rail in Florida.

    A respected Miami physician who practiced family medicine for decades, Charlie was a founder of FCRP, a longtime NARP/RPA Board member, and a fixture at passenger rail functions.

    Among Charlie's many "wins" were the successful advocacy for Amtrak stops in Palatka and Okeechobee, both over Amtrak's initial reluctance.

    He strongly supported the creation of Tri-Rail and backed the construction of the Tri-Rail/Metrorail transfer station in Hialeah--something which FDOT hadn't previously considered. Arguably, that transfer station is what made Tri-Rail viable.

    When Amtrak and FDOT sought to discontinue the state-funded Tampa-Miami Silver Palm service in 1984 based upon faulty accounting and political pressure, Charlie was there. With dollars collected in a pass-the-hat campaign, FCRP sued the state--and won--keeping the train running until April 30, 1985 (FDOT ultimately outlasted and outspent FCRP in appeals court).

    Recent successes in Florida, including expanded Tri-Rail, new Brightline, and new SunRail services, have proven that Charlie and the "old guard" of FCRP were correct all along. Passenger rail is indeed the answer.

    And as for Tampa-Miami service, these days it's provided by Amtrak's Silver Star. It is immensely popular, so much so that Brightline will serve the Tampa-Miami market within this decade. And FDOT, once the antagonist, now advocates for the service.

    A legend has moved on--but he has left us with so much. Our sympathies, and gratitude, are with the Dunn family right now.

    FCRP will place a commemorative brick at Tampa Union Station honoring Charlie's work and well-lived life.

    --Jackson McQuigg

  • 25 Mar 2024 6:54 PM | Jackson McQuigg (Administrator)

    From the West Volusia Beacon:

    https://beacononlinenews.com/2024/03/25/county-council-oks-revised-sunrail-pact-prepares-to-share-in-transit-deal/

    The detail here makes the article worth reading.

    --Jackson McQuigg

  • 17 Feb 2024 2:39 PM | Jackson McQuigg (Administrator)

    For months now, the Federal Railroad Administration has been working on a study to identify new or restored long-distance passenger train routes

    While many of the concepts within the preliminary version of the study are encouraging, there is room for improvement. 

    For instance, a new Chicago-Miami train is proposed, but the study materials show it bypassing Tampa, presumably for operational reasons.

    This is a curious choice. The Tampa Bay area--and Tampa specifically--represents one of the fastest growing major metropolitan cities in the United States.

    Why not split the train into separate east coast and west coast sections after entering Florida, as was done in previous versions of Chicago to Florida service and the New York-Florida trains, to serve both coasts of the state? No backup move or dogleg would be required in the Chicago-Florida service were operated in sections. 

    The City of Tampa and Amtrak recently have invested, or are investing, millions at Tampa Union Station for station renovations and a new high-level platforms.

    We believe that FRA's route plan should take advantage of these fresh investments in rail infrastructure in Tampa, not avoid them--and we've said exactly that to FRA.

    The meeting materials and route maps are here. We encourage you to review them.

    You can comment on the FRA study at the study website.

    The deadline to comment is March 8--so speak up now to make your voice heard!

    --Jackson McQuigg 


  • 14 Jan 2024 6:35 AM | Jackson McQuigg (Administrator)

    A corridors study made public last fall is quietly serving as FDOT's rejection of Amtrak's much-publicized Amtrak Connects US plan. 

    The Amtrak Connects US plan released in 2021 had proposed adding additional Amtrak service within the state, but sought state support to add the new trains. 

    Amtrak's service proposal was envisioned as: 

    • 2 round trips between Jacksonville – Orlando – Tampa

    • 3 round trips between Tampa – Miami

    • 2 round trips between Orlando – Miami

    • Augmented by Amtrak’s Silver Service

    In response, in this January 2023 FDOT rail corridors study, FDOT indicates it has no interest in promoting additional passenger rail growth over the CSX corridor between Orlando and Tampa and Tampa and Miami, by Amtrak or any other means. 

    That FDOT study is shocking in its directness about stating that FDOT should not develop parallel corridors which would "compete" with Brightline (Tampa-Orlando and Orlando-Miami). The services offered in Amtrak's Connects US plan are specifically cited as services which would be provided on a parallel, "competing" corridor.

    Here are some excerpts from FDOT's assessment section, which begins on page 92 of the report:

    "With service on the Brightline Miami-Orlando alignment about to commence, and the Brightline Orlando-Tampa segment in active design with federal funding, building a future alternate intercity passenger corridor from Miami to Tampa on the SFRC/CSX alignment would serve only to expend limited resources to duplicate a successful intercity passenger corridor already in place between Miami and Orlando and in active design from Orlando to Tampa, without the benefit of a one-seat ride among all three metropolitan regions. FDOT should support Brightline’s efforts to complete the buildout of the Orlando to Tampa section of its corridor and establish a Miami – Orlando – Tampa intercity passenger service on the FEC/Brightline alignment. " 

    "Building an alternate intercity passenger corridor between Orlando and Tampa using the CSX/CFRC alignment would only expend resources to duplicate a project currently underway on the Brightline alignment and would not facilitate an extension of SunRail commuter service west to the Orange County Convention Center or east to the Orlando International Airport. FDOT should support Brightline’s efforts to complete the buildout of the Orlando to Tampa section of its corridor and establish a Miami – Orlando – Tampa intercity passenger service on the FEC/Brightline alignment." 

    There are a lot of false equivalencies here, particularly the notion that FDOT must pick Brightline over state funded Amtrak service.

    There are also some major errors. The Silver Star's dogleg over to Tampa, necessitated when Amtrak quit running separate Tampa and Miami sections of the Silver Star due to budget cuts, is described in the study as a "backup move".

    Worse yet, the corridors study hints that the real reason FDOT does not support the trains proposed in Amtrak's Connects US plan is because FDOT can't get anything done--that state supported Amtrak service in Florida isn't politically feasible. 

    And characterizing Amtrak and Brightline as competitors, as FDOT does in this corridors study, is incorrect and unhelpful. The two services serve different markets altogether. 

    FDOT should do its job and support not only Brightline--which was doing fine with its expansion plans well before the issuance of this flawed study--but also expanded Amtrak service in Florida. The reality is that after decades of a lack of investment in intercity passenger rail by FDOT, Florida badly needs both Brightline and state-funded Amtrak service in Florida. 

    --Jackson McQuigg

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