New Orleans to Florida?
- Thread starter ZiaReba
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That's the Infamous "Sunset Ltd East" which has been "Suspended" since Katrina hit the Gulf Coast.
August 2005 was when Katrina stuck.
Amtrak stop listing the route a few years back.
Amtrak stop listing the route a few years back.
danasgoodstuff
OBS Chief
It may be permanently temporary. Amtrak has been pushing to restore service on at least part of this line, which will probably happen with service from NO to Mobile next year, but it seems doubtful it will ever be restored al the way to Fla for a variety of reasons which have been discussed here at length. Freight RR foot-dragging is one of them, but by no means the only one - it has been suggested that a route further off the coast would be better.
When I travel from Florida to NOL, I take the Meteor to WAS, then the Crescent to NOL. From NOL to Florida, I take the Crescent to WAS and one of the Silvers to Orlando. It is not direct, but easier than going through Chicago (which I have done in the past).
danasgoodstuff
OBS Chief
And current expansion plans would shorten that considerably by making it possible to only go as far as Atlanta to make the connection. Which could be viable depending on scheduling.
My understanding is CSX said the line was ready for Amtrak about about 6 months after Katrina. The initial foot dragging was by Amtrak. Now, of course, CSX and NS are dragging their feet and being obstructionist about the Mobile service, so much so the STB stepped in.
Dakota 400
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Does Amtrak even have the equipment ready to serve a New Orleans/Mobile extension of the Sunset Limited?
jis
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The Jacksonville to Atlanta proposal is about as baked as the New Orleans to Jacksonville proposals, that is the flour for the cake has been ordered and is yet to arrive
It will be many years before it happens, if at all. 
danasgoodstuff
OBS Chief
IIRC the ConnectsUs 2035 map shows ATL to Savanah Ga and from there to FLA, won't happen right away but at this point I think it has a better chance than the slow Mobile to Jacksonville connection being restored.The Jacksonville to Atlanta proposal is about as baked as the New Orleans to Jacksonville proposals, that is the flour for the cake has been ordered and is yet to arrive
danasgoodstuff
OBS Chief
Good question, and which equipment would that be since that's a short run?
If the line is restored to mobile the SL will continue to terminate in NOL. A corridor train would run to mobile (probably not connecting with the SL
jis
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If they ever manage to dig themselves out of the Lead in water hole and deploy those Ventures in Midwest they will have several Horizons become free to use elsewhere. Similarly deploying Chargers in the Midwest releases a bunch of P42s too.
There is a proposed schedule for two trains to Mobile per day in the Amtrak Gulf Coast Report in the Alternative B, which you can see in the following:
http://static1.squarespace.com/stat...0139160/Gulf+Coast+Initiative+Report+2015.pdf
neroden
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Amtrak's filings with the STB in the recent case over extending to Mobile say otherwise, and describe CSX obstructing Amtrak's resumption of service on Sunset East over and over again starting immediately after Katrina with various spurious excuses. You might want to read the filing. CSX isn't even denying any of it.
jis
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I knew that but did not find it worth my while to argue against opinions here. There are several other cases too. Gotta pick those windmills carefully
It is also quite possible though that Amtrak was not entirely displeased with the result. New Orleans to Jacksonville is like a Belt and Road Project - not viable unless someone is willing to water and fertilize it constantly. Money would be much better spent on redeveloping a system in the west coast of Florida instead, even extending all the way upto Tallahassee some day maybe.OTOH a development along what is I-75 today may be quite sustainable.
Equipment at one point was the Sunset Limited train set that was sitting for more than a day waiting to return to LAX. Now this equipment is not for the Mobile Service, and the schedule may of change. However the Sunset Limited at one point did not need additional equipment to run to Orlando.
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They have tons of railcars sitting in long term storage that belong on the LD trains. Some are old and need work because of the storage and some are new and unused. They'll have even more when the new Vernure cars arrive and they sit around for years while the executives decide if they should ever be used where intended.
