Comments on: Passenger Rail Service Could Return To Pensacola, Atmore

By: Jim Catron

Jim Catron — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 13:52:58 +0000

Emotion will trump reason every time except when it comes to the bottom line. We would not have electricity and telephone service in rural Florida (AL, LA, MS, etc) but for the fact that Congress authorized the experiment. Railroads opened the interior of this nation. We have an opportunity to provide rail service (public or private) which can benefit our economy and provide an exit option in the event of a major storm approaching. The demise of air service and bus service for rural American makes providing rail service an option again.

By: Wanda

Wanda — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 15:48:28 +0000

This will be an amazing alternative to college students that only uses greyhound when are in break, to come home , that will be a great idea. Support 100%

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 23:40:23 +0000

It is incorrect to say that csx or any other rail company has priority over passenger railways. They cause mass delays for freight carriers, not the other way around. Get your facts straight, please.

By: M in Bratt

M in Bratt — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 12:12:34 +0000

Sounds like a great plan; Local Governments can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars rebuilding dilapidated train stations, and wait for Amtrak to shut down service again.
Congress needs to quit subsidizing Amtrak, and they would shut down all the un-profitable routes and start running like any private business has to do.

By: BaeBae

BaeBae — Sat, 05 Dec 2015 15:45:01 +0000

Yes its great…for those that are RR buffs…the reality is.. longer delays for freights…the conductor is correct…more money for him…I was with CSX for nearly 40 years and I went thru all the AMTRAK days in the 90’s and was involved heavily in the maintenance of the tracks during this time…very stressful for all employees on the trains….working on the track…dispatching the trains…hard on the supervision. One screw up at night and AMTRAK would be affected the next day and someone had to answer. Thankful I am retired now…but there is a different generation of railroaders out there now…some are great…others I wont comment on. Oh yeah…by the way I worked on the AMTRAK derailment in the Mobile swamp that took 47 lives that foggy night in 1993…Something I will never forget…Can we make it without AMTRAK ?…We have for 10 years …

By: Betty

Betty — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 03:48:49 +0000

My husband and I took the train from Pennsylvania to Jacksonville to Crestview (Sunset Limited), Now we take the train to Jacksonville, take a taxis to the airport, rent a car and drive to Crestview .. You would get more tourist for the area if the Sunset Limited was back in serve.

By: Inspector

Inspector — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 02:22:37 +0000

When the track was washed away on the bay front in Pensacola in hurricane Ivan is when Amtrak stopped running. that was in 2004. Took weeks to build the track back and Amtrak never ran again. And the conductor is correct. Freight trains were put in holding patterns, so Amtrak could run, which cost csx money. Amtrak is funded by the government and does not make money it cost tax payers to run. do not think it will come back.

By: Rufus Lowgun

Rufus Lowgun — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 00:06:15 +0000

I have great memories of riding the train with my nana and my brother from Los Angeles to San Diego for a day at the zoo and museums when I was a kid. I support this 100%. How cool would it be to be able to make a trip to New Orleans a day trip? This needs to happen yesterday.

By: Just thinking

Just thinking — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 23:15:09 +0000

It would seem to make more sense stopping in Flomaton as there are multiple tracks and loading and or unloading wouldn’t hold up the main lines. Apparently all it takes is a one room building to make it happen and some interest from the leaders there.

By: Chad Depew

Chad Depew — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 22:37:44 +0000

I also believe there would still be some updates to the track to be done to fit the new positive train control requirements not 100% on that though.