Passenger Trains > Money Appropriated to study new Jacksonville Station

People believe Jacksonville needs a downtown station and are spending money for this study

The station was moved to its current site to reduce a lengthy backup move for all trains passing through Jacksonville.

Hopefully part of the study will determine the effectiveness of routing trains through the city

https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/years-inertia-grant-puts-amtrak-stations-move-back-downtown-jacksonville-top-list/5F37IZ3IDBDRZDHJNKIO43KH3I/?tbref=hp

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After spending the usual ten years or so on the study, there may be no Amtrak trains left to route into a downtown station.

Is this near or at the pre-Amtrak Jacksonville station, which I think Amtrak used for a short time?

The study is looking at returning passenger service to Jacksonville Union Terminal which Amtrak served from 1971 to late 1974.

The move to Clifford Lane was done as Amtrak was sole tenant and was not financially feasible, as in many other cities they moved to temporary/new facilities ( ie St Louis, Minneapolis). You can see the old station from the trains as they pass south of the current station.

The city preserved the station saving from wreaking ball opening as the Prime Osbourn Convention Center. The headhouse is magnificent. The Transit agency (JTA) built their main terminal across the street and city built a new Greyhound station at same location.

The area around the union terminal is being redeveloped with new apartments, condos, and expansion of university campus.

City ultimately wants Brightline extended. Jacksonville downtown is in an economic expansion with new hotels, rebuilding the Jaguars stadium, new museums, retail and housing.

Compare this to current Amtrak location which is in an isolated neighborhood and not the greatest way to access having to travel through some very 'scenic' neighborhoods. The station area itself is nice and parking is well lite. In fact, The station is being rehabbed with new high level platforms and other improvements in the waiting and parking areas. How this plays out with the study as it will be a 'new' station soon is unknown.

When Brightline goes bankrupt, route one train down to Miami on the FEC. Build a new connection just north of Cocoa onto the high speed section along 528. Run the Tampa train JAX -> FEC -> Cocoa -> Orlando -> Tampa->[CurrentRouteToMiami]. The only station that loses all service is Palatka. Deland<->Orlando can be served by Sunrail and a thruway connection from Deland over to Daytona. No backup moves needed. The much busier coast gets direct service to Orlando and Tampa.

I hate to be a downer, but I have a feeling that by the time Brightline trains are extended to Jacksonville, they'll be Amtrak trains.

I suspect trains will serve Jacksonville Union Terminal at about the same time as they serve Miami Intermodal Center. 

I hope they will incorporate heated platforms at the new station so Amtrak doesn't have to have an annual budget for snow removal there.

MattW Wrote:
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> When Brightline goes bankrupt, route one train
> down to Miami on the FEC. Build a new connection
> just north of Cocoa onto the high speed section
> along 528. Run the Tampa train JAX -> FEC -> Cocoa
> -> Orlando -> Tampa->. The only station that loses
> all service is Palatka. Deland<->Orlando can be
> served by Sunrail and a thruway connection from
> Deland over to Daytona. No backup moves needed.
> The much busier coast gets direct service to
> Orlando and Tampa.

And who is paying for all of this?
What does the FEC want in return?


Or are you just playing fantasy football?

NPRocky Wrote:
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> I hate to be a downer, but I have a feeling that
> by the time Brightline trains are extended to
> Jacksonville, they'll be Amtrak trains.

Better hope that Brightline lasts long enough to get to Jacksonville, because Amtrak would have about zero chance of accomplishing the extension.

NPRocky Wrote:
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> I hate to be a downer, but I have a feeling that
> by the time Brightline trains are extended to
> Jacksonville, they'll be Amtrak trains.

If Brightline goes away, there a zero chance they will go to Amtrak.  If Florida decides to fund them, it is doubful they would use Amtrak as a service provider.  

It has snowed and iced in Jacksonville several times over the past 30 yrs most recently just a few yrs ago



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/26 07:32 by dtom348.

dtom348 Wrote:
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> It has snowed and iced in Jacksonville several
> times over the padt 30 yrs most recently just a
> few yrs ago

And below freezing temps are not rare.   My palm trees are just now starting to look good again after last winters beating from temps in the low 20's.  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/26 08:36 by Typhoon.

Florida's Tri-Rail and Sunrail commuter services get bid out every few years. Train operators, maintainers, even police services.  Keeps a lid on costs.

The current Jacksonville Station is closer to the airport which makes it more convenient to Uber over there when the NB Floridan is running 12 hours late and you decide to bail and fly to your destination, Had to do that once some years ago before the Floridian. Plus the backup move will make the already long trip on Silver Service trains even longer.

runnerdude Wrote:
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 Plus the backup move will
> make the already long trip on Silver Service
> trains even longer.

Yes. The link to FEC and the bridge are still there.  No idea about the condition of each.

Bridge is used multiples times a day with NS thru freights

The distance is margional, jax airport to amtrak 23 min 13 miles, airport to union terminal 20 min 15 miles.

dtom348 Wrote:
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> Bridge is used multiples times a day with NS thru
> freights

And FEC Transfers to Moncrief!

ProAmtrak Wrote:
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> dtom348 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Bridge is used multiples times a day with NS
> thru
> > freights
>
> And FEC Transfers to Moncrief!

So, the link from FEC to the Convention Center could be used without major work?   What is the authorized speed now?