The Volusia County Council Thursday reaffirmed its unanimous support for a commuter rail system that is proposed to serve riders through a four-county region that includes Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties, county spokesman Dave Byron confirmed.
As proposed, the commuter rail trains will run on tracks purchased from CSX railroad. Although the commuter rail project has garnered widespread support from Central Florida leaders, the proposal ran into a roadblock during the last session of the Florida Legislature, primarily over liability concerns. Supporters have said the project’s future rests in the hands of legislators during next year’s session.
“We remain committed to commuter rail,” County Council Chairman Frank Bruno said. “We intend to honor the original agreement we’ve signed.”
The capital costs for the commuter rail project would be funded by the federal government, while operating costs would be borne by the local governments and the Florida Department of Transportation, Byron said.
The deal approved in July 2007 by the County Council estimates that Volusia County will have committed nearly $143 million over the first 30 years of service. So far, Volusia’s commuter rail expenditures are about $1.7 million.
The approximately 60-mile train system would cater to commuters Monday through Friday. During the first phase, Volusia would have a rail station in DeBary, with a station in DeLand proposed for the second phase.
The council on Thursday also unanimously approved a change to the original agreement – to extend the timeframe for one year until December 31, 2009.
“This extension will give us time hopefully to work things out during the next session of the Legislature,” Bruno said.
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