Comments on: Amtrak Service Could Return; Senator Wants Your Opinion

By: E Ramos

E Ramos — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 06:48:56 +0000

YES!! Please bring Amtrak back and with a reasonable schedule and routes! But be warned, if you have a train that goes to Jacksonville, I suggest you have another SEPARATE train that goes to Orlando. I’m a huge advocate of improving our FL infrastructure, especially via trains. But please, ensure a more direct and quicker route to/from the panhandle to/from Orlando. if not, that could be detrimental to the train’s success. I realize everyone can’t be satisfied but hopefully, you can accommodate most of us.

This is wonderful news that this is coming back, but when???? I’m ready to go to Destin (or a near-by station). Yippeee!!

By: John

John — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 12:41:41 +0000

YES YES YES When this rail line returns many snow birds and their family’s will be on board. We here in Wisconsin and Illinois will be ready to come down to the Gulf Coast . I could foresee folks doing long weekends or mini vacations Build it and we will come. Cant wait! Its a win win .

By: Paw Paw

Paw Paw — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 00:30:40 +0000

If the ticket prices were lowered the number of passengers would go up. A full car costs the same to pull down the tracks as one with 5 or 6 passengers. Same as filling a restaurant. Lower the price of each ticket to increase riders and increase profit. Common sense!

By: M in Bratt

M in Bratt — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 00:08:31 +0000

I have to comment again, This country just elected a president, and both houses of congress that promised to cut waste, and balance the budget. How in the world can they ever balance the budget if they dump more money down the bottomless pit of AMTRAK and other wasteful endeavors? If it were feasible to run passenger trains, CSX and the other railroads would be clamoring to get passenger cars on their tracks. We all want to balance the budget unless doing so affects the serving of pork we want to put on our plates. If AMTRAK can not make a profit, or at least break even, it should be shut down. If the government gave up their monopoly on passenger train service, private investors could possibly take over and run passenger trains in places where it is economically feasible.

By: Richard Loza

Richard Loza — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 15:00:26 +0000

I whole heartedly support the restoration of Amtrak service along the Gulf Coast. I have read the comments that it previously had low ridership but I feel that was due to the time the train used to pull into Pensacola. Remind me, 1 or 2 am? Amtrak, make the schedule worth while and you will get riders.

By: Freda Whaley

Freda Whaley — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 12:54:59 +0000

I’d give anything to see it come back to Pensacola. I now live in Ohio with Amtrak service. It’s a wonderful way to travel. To be able to come back *home* via the train. It would make traveling safer and easier for me. It’s also cheaper than driving or taking a plane. And if they put an auto train on it would be even better.

By: js

js — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 05:36:07 +0000

no
more govt subsidized waste, paid by the taxpayer. (ECAT)
Do your homework, a quick search will give you the numbers.
It will literally put you in a bad mood.
Take a step back, look at the numbers, and ask, do we really “need” to spend more tax money on something this trivial? Forget nostalgia.
It’s money you will never get back in any way, shape or form. Unless you win a contract to make the improvements to make it happen.
Improvements made to accommodate a “passenger rail” will be paid by you and I, and millions of other who will never use it.
Why don’t they just set up a gov’t funded ferry that goes to the halfway point of garcon point bridge and turns around? Because they just have not figured out a way to convince people “they” need it.

By: Todd OBert

Todd OBert — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 02:35:30 +0000

I can’t believe a happening city like Pensacola doesn’t have Amtrak service. The sooner the better for this community.

By: M in Bratt

M in Bratt — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 01:23:18 +0000

These responses are hilarious, I’ll refresh your memory, AMTRAK was here and nobody rode it and it was shut down. Even with the heavy subsidies they received from the tax payers, the low ridership shut it down. I am all for any form of transportation that pays it’s own way, but AMTRAK has proven that it can not. I challenge anybody that is all for this to make the trip to the Jacksonville AMTRAK station and see the collection of people that use the service. I suspect that a lot of them are there because they can not for what ever reason get through TSA screenings to get on a plane. For the railroad nostalgia buffs, got to Disney world, or Dollywood, both places have passenger trains that operate for a profit, and don’t cost the treasury a cent.

By: TRAVELING NANA

TRAVELING NANA — Sat, 19 Nov 2016 16:33:32 +0000

Hey I’m a (young 70) … How about rushing this along, would love to travel by train. Still have a lot of places 2 see and short time 2 get there.