Running the Meteor on FEC would leave Orlando, the station with highest ridership outside of Auto Train, bereft of connections, as the Star's schedule doesn't connect anywhere. Unless they first institute the proposed corridor service with guaranteed connections at JAX, and checked baggage.
Or split the Meteor at JAX as mentioned as an alternative.
That would be my preference, and continue the ORL section on to Tampa, but seemed like the reroute was their preferred alternative. I don't think they need to split the Star as well, but it looked like the alternatives presented were just the reroute, or split sections on both trains.
I don't think they have a preferred alternative. They are just throwing up ideas to consider in discussions for now. We are quite a distance from trying to nail down a single preferred alternative.
I know it is easy to be bemused by the happenstances in Florida from passenger train rich CT. but trust me, getting FDOT even to talk to Amtrak again is a big win in Florida.
We at FCRP have been trying to get this to happen for years now. The last time FDOT talked about intrastate inter-city service beyond the two commuter systems was around 2010-2012 IIRC., until AAF came on the scene. Even then it was a hands off approach, and fortuitously AAF was building a previously identified by FDOT corridor anyway.
It won't cannibalize anything. One is a 10-12 frequencies a day service through a densely populated area, and the other is a 2-4 trips a day service that is considerably slower and cheaper, through a less densely populated area between WPB and Auburndale.
Thnk of it as the Florida ARP. Anyone can join, so in that sense it is open to public. The basic membership fee is not exorbitant.
FCRP - Florida Coaltion of Rail Passengers
I highly doubt that there is any will to build railroad infrastructure through the Everglades. Furthermore, even if some company wanted to, they would be tied up in court for years before construction began. Maybe one day a train will roll into Naples again but one will never follow I-75 or Tamiami Trail from there to South Florida.
If you even THINK too loudly about building a railroad across the Everglades, or a new highway either for that matter, every environmentalist including both the rational and the irrational will be coming at you screaming. This, should it ever get past all that would take at least 20 years to happen.
