User:Aalox/JAXRAIL

The First Coast Commuter Rail is a proposed commuter rail system serving Jacksonville, FL and northeast Florida. It is currently in the very early planning stages, having completed the first step of a fesibility study and currently pursuing a alturnatives annalysis

Three routes were analysised indepth, north to Yulee, FL, southwest to Green Cove Springs, FL and the southeast to St. Augustine, FL.

A feasibility study was completed in November 2009 for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). James Boyle, JTA's regional transportation planner, has since said that their are no fatal flaws in the study.

History
JTA hired a consultant to conduct a feasibility study in early 2008 at the cost of $400,000. It was completed in November 2009 The study looked into 7 routes, most along existing freight rail right of ways. Three of these, north to Yulee, FL, southwest to Green Cove Springs, FL and the southeast to St. Augustine, FL were selected for in depth study.

Routes
All routes in the indepth study start in downtown Jacksonville and head out in one of three directions, North, Southwest and Southeast.

North Corridor
The North Corridor originates in Downtown Jacksonville, and head North along the abandonS-Line to Yulee, FL.

Southwest Corridor
The Southwest Corridor originates in Downtown Jacksonville, and head North along the CSX A-Line to Green Cove Springs, FL.

Southeast Corridor
The Southeast Corridor originates in Downtown Jacksonville, and head Southeast along the Florida East Coast Railway's main line to St. Augustine, FL. The proposed 38.4 mile route is the northen most part of 368 mile freight rail line to Miami.

The corridor already serves 17 regularly scheduled interregional freight trains a day.