General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: This Future Map Of The United States Is Way Cooler Than Any Current Map Of The United States [View all]csziggy
(34,136 posts)But after the barge hit the bridge and dropped a passenger train in a bayou the service was never restored. http://www.railroad.net/articles/topics/the-1993-alabama-train-crash.php
I'd planned to take a train trip starting in Tallahassee, going to New Orleans, then north to Chicago, west to Seattle, and back via Canada Rail to Toronto, then down the East Coast. Not going to happen in my lifetime, apparently. If I want to take a train I have to drive at least 4-5 hours to Jacksonville, Orlando or Tampa to catch one.
The western Florida route shown on the OP map seems to follow US 19/98/27. There is still a railroad graded right of way that nearly parallels those highways. It's too remote for the Rails to Trails program that has converted many RR right of way to bike and hiking trails, but the rails have been removed and there has been no maintenance in years. It could be used as the backbone of that route.
To avoid the coastal swamps and bayous, a new rail system could go further inland, from Tallahassee to Bainbridge, GA, west to Dothan and across Mississippi and Louisiana to Waco rather than Houston - basically follow US 84. That route is between interstates 10 and 20 so it hits areas that badly need transportation access and an economic boost.