Passenger Trains > RailUSA will acquire nearly 375 miles of CSX Transportation main

Interestesting ariticle in Trains magaizine where CSX sold the panhandle route from Jacksonville to Pensacola 

Not that Amtrak is very anxious to add new services or return to service disconnected but wondering if this would be a good thing or bad thing in extending the Sunset Limited?
http://trn.trains.com/~/media/images/news-wire/2018/11-november/csxpanhandlesale.jpg?h=346&la=en&mw=600&w=600CSX line sales in FloridaCSX Transportation's line sales are highlighted in yellow on the map.TRAINS: Rick Johnson/Steve SweeneyWASHINGTON — Shortline holding company RailUSA will acquire nearly 375 miles of CSX Transportation main line across the Florida Panhandle.

If Amtrak at all, it would not be the Sunset Ltd per se under any circumstance. 

Amtrak has a federal mandate by congress to restore rail passengers services along the corridor

Posted from iPhone

Condolences to CSXT employees losing their jobs

KansasCityChief Wrote:
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> Amtrak has a federal mandate by congress to
> restore rail passengers services along the
> corridor
>
> Posted from iPhone

Merely to "study" it, which has been done several times.

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA

RailAmerica may not have the same outrageous demands that CSX did/does RE: restoring service.

rrdude Wrote:
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> RailAmerica may not have the same outrageous
> demands that CSX did/does RE: restoring service.

So no demands at all, other than Amtrak’s illegal discontinuance of service?

Posted from iPhone

The Tallahassee Sub between Baldwin and Tallahassee currently is controlled by CTC.  I suspect that RailUSA will quickly petition the FRA to remove the signal system and, given the current and anticipated level of traffic, I expect it would be granted.  I also don't expect that RailUSA will continue to maintain the track to FRA Class IV (if indeed it still is).  Not that it was ever going to happen anyway, but I would say that restoration of passenger service just got much more difficult.

Gordon

gbmott Wrote:
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> The Tallahassee Sub between Baldwin and
> Tallahassee currently is controlled by CTC.  I
> suspect that RailUSA will quickly petition the FRA
> to remove the signal system and, given the current
> and anticipated level of traffic, I expect it
> would be granted.  I also don't expect that
> RailUSA will continue to maintain the track to FRA
> Class IV (if indeed it still is).  Not that it
> was ever going to happen anyway, but I would say
> that restoration of passenger service just got
> much more difficult.

Maybe and maybe not. The FRA lately has been very unwilling to grant signal system downgrades or removals. There are several regional and mid size railroads out there with legacy signal systems. Buckingham Branch Railroad, a CSXT spin off, come to mind.


>
> Gordon

Extending the Sunset to Florida isn't going to happen.
 

3rd_Rotan wrote
> --------------------------------------------------
> The FRA lately has been very
> unwilling to grant signal system downgrades or
> removals. There are several regional and mid size
> railroads out there with legacy signal
> systems. Buckingham Branch Railroad, a CSXT spin
> off, come to mind.
>
Yes, but Buckingham Branch has a passenger train (50/51) operating over it.  I suspect that makes a significant difference to the FRA.  Where else have there been denials?

Gordon

Buckingham Branch actually upgraded their signal system, removing the old C&O signals and replacing them with Seaboard type. Also used LEDS.

ironhorsepirate Wrote:
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> Buckingham Branch actually upgraded their signal
> system, removing the old C&O signals and replacing
> them with Seaboard type. Also used LEDS.
It really helps that BB has a large amount of CSX freight traffic and is also in a state that helps financially with these kind of upgrades. The panhandle line has neither.