In the 1990s, interest had arisen in reopening the train station, converted into the Prime Osborn Convention Center in 1986, to return Amtrak from outside downtown. But two decades later, these plans had remained by the wayside, the victim of a lack of urgency by city leaders and broader headwinds after the end of Florida High Speed Rail. By 2012, All Aboard Florida, the predecessor to Brightline, had emerged. The first privately- owned rail company in the U.S. in decades, it proposed to reintroduce intercity passenger rail on the FEC Railway. Jacksonville was included on the map, a logical step considering that the city represents the north end of the FEC line. However, Jacksonville’s leadership took few steps to attract future service, and as a result, Brightline prioritized a Tampa segment as their next step after Orlando, despite Jacksonville’s existing position and infrastructure being a much simpler prospect for passenger rail development. Now, as progress is underway developing the corridor for service to Tampa, Jacksonville stands as a clear next step, and the city’s selection for Corridor ID represents the starting line for that development.
A new rail vision
So what could passenger rail’s resurgence in Jacksonville look like?
The restoration and revitalization of the Jacksonville Terminal at the Prime Osborn could serve as the center point of a vibrant LaVilla, with Amtrak, Brightline, and commuter trains all serving destinations like Miami, Orlando, Tampa, New Orleans, Atlanta, and points beyond. Intermediate stops along the FEC to Miami could include St. Augustine, Daytona Beach, and Cocoa, as well as a potential stop in the suburbs of Jacksonville like Avenues Walk.
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