Commuter Rail Coming To Orlando

Governor Jeb Bush rode a sleek train car into Orlando on August 2 to announce a deal that will provide Central Florida with a commuter rail line beginning in 2009. The deal is a major victory for proponents of mass transit, but will also relieve frustrated motorists stuck in rush-hour traffic jams caused by slow moving freight trains in downtown Orlando, Winter Park and other cities. The rail plan calls for prohibiting freight trains on the commuter line from 5 am to 10 am, and 3 pm to 10 pm. CSX has exclusive use of the tracks for freight from midnight to 5 am.

U.S. Representative John Mica from Winter Park has pushed for commuter rail for more than a decade, and it has taken decades for Central Florida's political leaders to agree that a rail system is needed and pledge funds for it. Supporters of commuter rail say the new system will begin to relieve Central Florida's roadways, whose congestion has been ranked ninth-worst in the nation.