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Freight Trains Resume Runs; Riders On Hold

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By TED JACKOVICS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 22, 2008

TAMPA - Freight trains serving the Bay area were operating normally Thursday, but Amtrak passenger trains remained canceled for the third consecutive day because of Tropical Storm Fay.

Amtrak said its schedules remained uncertain for today because of the slow march of the storm.
CSX Corp. anticipated conducting only essential freight operations Thursday afternoon and evening as the storm passed over the Jacksonville area, spokesman Gary Sease said. CSX planned to inspect tracks that might be damaged or blocked before resuming operations in North Florida today, he said.

Portions of the tracks that CSX owns and Amtrak uses in South and Central Florida were under water earlier this week and other lines were blocked by trees.

"But damage has been minimal so far," Sease said.
Sease said it was too soon to estimate financial losses to the railroad company or to customers from delays caused by Fay. CSX operates, on average, more than 200 trains a day in Florida, carrying freight ranging from automobiles to chemicals.

The railroad suspended operations in the state in advance of the storm Monday, and Amtrak curtailed Florida service Tuesday, officials said.

After the storm moved through South and Central Florida on Tuesday, CSX inspectors checked track and restored most freight service, although only one Amtrak New York-Florida train operated Thursday. That was the southbound Silver Star, which was scheduled to leave New York at 10:52 a.m. Thursday and arrive in Tampa at 12:34 p.m. today on its way to Miami.

If Fay's path through North Florida and its effect on Georgia created problems Thursday night, Amtrak was prepared to transfer Silver Star passengers to buses or provide overnight accommodations, spokeswoman Karina Romero said.

"We are hoping to operate Friday, but we continue to watch the storm," Romero said.

Amtrak serves more than 200 arriving and departing passengers each day at the Tampa train station.

Ridership on the Silver Star's New York-Tampa-Miami run was up 10.5 percent from October through June this year compared with 2007. It was up 28.2 percent in June compared with a year ago. Amtrak officials attribute higher airfares and airport security hassles for increased ridership on the Silver Star.

Reporter Ted Jackovoics can be reached at (813) 259-7817 or tjackovics@tampatrib.com.

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