That's wonderful. We were just talking last night about the possibility of the train coming through Tallahassee again. If it did, we thought we would take the kids up to Washington, DC. We could ride all the way up there on the train. I will call Congressman Boyd's office next week. Take care. Laurie ----- Original Message ----- From: Chip Orange To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Friday, July 17, 2009 1:51 PM Subject: [tabi] Amtrak considers return to Tallahassee It looks like you may want to contact your congressional representatives about this. from todays Democrat: July 17, 2009 Amtrak considers return to North Florida By Eun Kyung Kim Democrat Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - Amtrak released a long-awaited report to Congress on Thursday that outlines options for restoring passenger rail service through north Florida. One of the three options listed is restoring the Sunset Limited, a tri-weekly service running from Los Angeles to Orlando. Damaged caused by Hurricane Katrina led to halting the service east of New Orleans, suspending stops at 13 stations, including those in Pensacola and Tallahassee. The report's second option would be extending the daily City of New Orleans route that runs from Chicago to Orlando, through New Orleans. The third option would implement daily stand-alone overnight service between New Orleans and Orlando. The report also breaks down projected financial and performance measures for each route. U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd said north Florida residents have asked about the possibility of restoring service to the Panhandle. "Congress will now fully examine these options, and I am looking forward to working closely with my colleagues in the coming months to raise awareness about the possibility of restoring this service to North Florida," the Monticello Democrat said. Although the Sunset Limited would have the lowest operating costs, the route also would have the lowest annual ridership. Even prior to Katrina, the service was ranked as one of Amtrak's biggest money-losers. None of the options mentioned in the Amtrak report, however, would yield a profit. Congress now must weigh the alternatives and direct Amtrak on its next step. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.392 / Virus Database: 270.13.18/2243 - Release Date: 07/17/09 06:08:00