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(The following story by Carlton Proctor appeared on the Pensacola News Journal website on August 3, 2009.)

PENSACOLA, Fla. — A recent Amtrak report is raising hopes among local passenger-train aficionados that the restoration of rail service through Pensacola is back on track.
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Not so fast, say City of Pensacola officials.

Even under the best of circumstances, passenger service is three to four years away, said Thaddeus Cohen, the city’s community development director.

Amtrak needs at least that much time to have new equipment built and make needed track improvements to accommodate passenger cars, he said.

“This (time line) is an opportunity for local governments to work with other cities and legislators to move this forward,” Cohen said.

And that process has started.

Amtrak officials recently met with city officials to discuss three options for resuming rail service through Pensacola.

The least expensive option would restore the Sunset Limited, a triweekly service originating in Orlando and running through Pensacola to New Orleans and on to Los Angeles.

That service was shut down in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina wiped out several railroad bridges in Mississippi.

Before Katrina, Pensacola ridership averaged about 4,000 passengers a year, with Amtrak’s official 2004 figures reaching 4,130. Through Aug. 28, 2005 — when Katrina hit — ridership totaled 3,254 passengers.

Since then, the city-owned passenger station on Heinberg Street has been closed and Amtrak’s lease on the property has expired.

The second option would establish service from Chicago to New Orleans and Pensacola, and offer the best time schedule for local passengers.

The third and most-expensive option would be a “stand-alone” train service from Orlando to Pensacola and on to New Orleans.

Pensacola resident Philip T. Williamson II wants to see passenger train service restored as soon as possible. He said he would use it often if it was available.

“I think the government should put money back into Amtrak and get the Sunset Limited back up and running,” he said.

Williamson, a retired U.S. Coast Guard master chief, believes that with the right marketing, including ticket-hotel packages, Amtrak can improve ridership and reduce its dependency on federal subsidies.

“If Sunset Limited gets back in service, I think it would create a lot of jobs in Florida, from Orlando to Pensacola,” Williamson said.

Williamson and other supporters of the Sunset Limited won’t be getting any help from U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Chumuckla.

Miller opposes any federal subsidies for Amtrak lines that are not profitable, according to spokesman Dan McFaul.

“He (Miller) doesn’t think the government should be subsidizing any kind of transportation system that consistently loses money,” McFaul said.

McFaul noted that only Amtrak’s Northeastern lines running through heavily populated metropolitan areas actually break even or turn a profit.