(The following report appeared on the Tampa Tribune website on December 25.)
TAMPA — In 2007, several Florida lawmakers lambasted a $491 million state deal with CSX Transportation to buy track for commuter rail in the Orlando area and expand CSX’s freight operations into Polk County.
The lawmakers say they were kept in the dark as state officials and CSX negotiated the costly deal, which will dump cargo that used to go through Orlando onto a freight superhighway through downtown Lakeland.
In 2008, lawmakers skeptical of the CSX deal will make it an issue when asked to give their final approval in this spring’s legislative session.