The SunRail Effect

Posted on 12 July 2011 by k. a. gardner

JACKSONVILLE – It’s fairly common knowledge in these here parts that Rep. John Mica’s 7th District is just south of Jacksonville (part of both Rep. Ander Crenshaw’s 4th District and Rep. Corrine Brown’s 3rd District) beginning at St. Johns county and ending just north of Orlando. It’s also fairly common knowledge that Rep. Mica is Chairman of House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Rep. Brown also sits on the committee.

That said, Mica’s long sought after SunRail commuter rail system for Central Florida was approved on July 1st by Gov. Rick Scott for full funding ($1.2 billion) from the Federal Transit Administration. This set off a chain of events to positively effect both Jaxport and Jacksonville-based CSX Corp.

The New York Times published an uncomplimentary piece, though, on the SunRail project a few days before Gov. Scott approved the funding, labeling it a “boondoggle” for Rep. Mica.

But skeptics question whether Mr. Mica’s real goal is to give a taxpayer-financed gift to CSX, the freight rail giant and a generous Mica campaign donor, which would get $432 million for its tracks and for upgrades to tracks it owns elsewhere in the state. Other Florida businesses close to Mr. Mica also stand to benefit if the project is built. – Eric Lipton, NYT

The NYT was kind enough, however, to include a 26-page overview on the scope of the commuter rail project: John L. Mica: Working the Railroad. It documents an FTA letter of support (page 22) for the commuter rail project:

The Obama administration, which is more supportive of commuter rail, had become a supporter of the project as well, as the letter from Peter M. Rogoff, head of the Federal Transit Administration, shows. — NYT

A rail line through Orlando, Fla., would be used for the SunRail commuter train "championed" by Rep. John L. Mica. Photo: Todd Anderson for NYT

What will happen, in actuality, is that the state of Florida purchases the 61-miles of track for SunRail from CSX for $432 million. CSX moves its freight terminal operations out of Orlando inland to a 318-acre intermodal terminal it plans to build in Winter Haven. CSX will also upgrade its track infrastructure within the state. The company has also committed $40 million to Jaxport to build a new railroad link in Nassau County which would reduce the heavy port-related truck traffic on Heckscher Drive (to Interstate freeway access.)

“CSX has committed to invest up to $40 million of the proceeds from SunRail in rail infrastructure connecting to the Port of Jacksonville, subject to an on-dock rail facility being constructed by Jaxport and intermodal cargo sufficient to fill two trains per day,” CSX company spokesman Gary Sease said. [Orlando Business Journal]

The Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF) is a priority for the port to accommodate the significant volume increase expected within the next few years, said Nancy Rubin, director of communications at Jaxport.