Amtrak along East Coast

[FritzCat66]

I've been following the developments recently, and it looks like Amtrak may be starting up a line from Jacksonville to Miami, shared with the FEC line. Stops even include my little berg of Titusville!

The list of stops mentioned so far, north to south, would be: Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Daytona Beach, Titusville, Cocoa, Melbourne, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce and Stuart. One of the latest news articles about the plan is here. One-way tickets are rumored to be in the sub-$40 range.

I'm wondering if this might become an option for us in the central & north parts of the east coast to do some weekend diving down south without all the driving. I have no idea what Amtrak policies exist for scuba cylinders and such, but it might become a viable option.

 

[deepstops]

Might be doable Fritz, their baggage allowance is pretty generous. I'm not sure about cylinders though, that's not clearly stated in their policies: Amtrak - Baggage Policy and Information

 

[cudachaser]

Yeah, but you can always rent tanks...I sure be happy to lessen that long drive on I-95

 

[piikki]

Do not quote me but I think I checked this somewhere once for their auto train somewhere, and I do not think DOT cylinders where excluded on that one. Oops, I did not check if this one was an auto train though, so would you have your tanks floating about and not secure in your vehicle...

 

[deepstops]

Amtrak Studies Florida East Coast Railway Service as State Advances High-Speed Rail The Transport Politic

It's all years away apparently, they don't have the money yet.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Damn. I would love to get a train in Pittsburgh and ride to Florida. My uncle was afraid of flying. I still remember as a kid picking him up and dropping him off when he visited from Indianapolis. Always looked like so much fun and more comfy than a Greyhound.

 

[FritzCat66]

Might be doable Fritz, their baggage allowance is pretty generous. I'm not sure about cylinders though...

Yeah, but you can always rent tanks...I sure be happy to lessen that long drive on I-95

That's my thought - while it would be nice if I could pack my tanks as well, I know there are plenty of places to rent steel down there. Heck, I could probably just leave my HP120's at one of the dive shops most of the time and pick them up on the way. Or maybe count on SF ScubaBoard pals to pick them up for me.

Oops, I did not check if this one was an auto train though, so would you have your tanks floating about and not secure in your vehicle...

The Amtrak auto-train line has been here in Florida for years, and is popular with the snowbirds, letting them come down for the winter with their cars without driving the whole way. But that route goes through central Florida and Orlando. What's nice (from a diving perspective) about the new proposed route is it follows the east coast right to some of the best dive spots in Florida IMO.

Yeah, it's years off, but I'll bet it could become a popular line for divers way up the coast given the cheaper rates and more lenient luggage restrictions compared to the airlines.

So, which will happen first - this Amtrak line, or the Orlando-Tampa bullet train?

 

[FritzCat66]

Update on this: While the rail lines are apparently suitable for passenger use, looks like it might get derailed by insurance snafus.

Insurance issue may postpone Amtrak for Florida east coast run

BY REBECCA BASU • FLORIDA TODAY • August 28, 2010

The state and Amtrak's inability to reach an agreement regarding insurance coverage for a stretch of the proposed Jacksonville-Miami passenger train route could delay the anticipated 2011 start date of the project, for which three stops are slated in Brevard County.

For months, Amtrak officials in Washington and Florida Department of Transportation officials have been haggling about liability for several proposed Amtrak rail projects in Florida, including the route with stops in Cocoa, Titusville and Melbourne.

At issue is the portion of the 350-mile route known as the South Florida Rail Corridor, which covers 81 miles from West Palm Beach to Miami and is owned by the state. Amtrak wants "no fault liability," for each party to be responsible for its own financial burdens associated with costs from accidents that involve injury or death to employees or passengers.

The issue will have to be resolved legislatively when lawmakers convene next year.​