News & Public Affairs

Rally against CSX rail deal in Lakeland listen

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Tags: CSX, Legislature, Transportation, commuter rail, labor, taxes, Lakeland

Lakeland business and labor leaders rallied today against plans for a deal between CSX and the state of Florida for a commuter rail line in the Orlando area.

About 170 people held signs and chanted in downtown Lakeland’s Munn Park, next to the rail line shared by CSX and Amtrak. Julie Townsend, executive director of the Downtown Lakeland Partnership, said that the cost to Florida’s taxpayers of the CSX deal had “gotten out of control.”

Townsend thanked Sen. Paula Dockery and Rep. Denni...

Scionti on CSX rail line and immunity – Part 2 listen

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Tags: commuter rail, CSX, Michael Scionti

On Thursday, a state House panel gave its first approval to the $491 million purchase of rail lines from the freight company CSX for a 61-mile commuter rail line through Orlando and other sections of Central Florida. Before the approval, the House infrastructure committee approved an amendment that will make the state pay for damages or injuries on the commuter rail even if CSX is at fault.

On Friday, WMNF’s Seán Kinane spoke with Rep. Mike Scionti, D-Tampa, one of only two members of the...