The few who used the odd-hour trains that passed through Dade City may mourn. Others may not even notice.
By CHASE SQUIRES
Published October 26, 2004
[Times photo: Brian Wagner]
The Dade City station will lose its two daily Amtrak train stopovers as of Sunday. Passengers
looking to ride a train will have to take a bus first to Lakeland southbound or Jacksonville
northbound.
DADE CITY - All aboard. The last train from Dade City pulls out Sunday.
Amtrak, which has offered passenger service at the historic depot at the end of Meridian Avenue since 1990, will cease its twice-daily stops beginning Monday, with a routing change the rail service announced in September.
The change comes as Amtrak ends its contract to carry mail for the U.S. Postal Service.
Amtrak spokeswoman Tracy Connell said Monday the service to Dade City has always been limited, with a southbound stop at 5 a.m. and a northbound stop at 10 p.m., and an average of less than four people a day getting onboard at the station.
The main reason for continuing the route was the mail contract, she said.
"It really had nothing to do with ridership," she said.
Dade City riders can still catch an Amtrak bus for a trip to Lakeland or Jacksonville to make a connection to the train. Other Florida cities losing direct train service are Ocala, Waldo and Wildwood.
Passenger train service in Dade City ceased in the 1970s after nearly a century of regular connections. Amtrak revived the service in 1990 to fanfare and big dreams in town.
The city set aside a special day to celebrate "Amtrak Day" downtown. A delegation of local politicians greeted Amtrak officials at the train and conducted a walking tour of Dade City, with local musical groups providing entertainment.
At the time, city leaders were optimistic about the service, anticipating at least 12 passengers a day, including visitors from the North, Saint Leo University students and locals.
On Monday, City Manager Harold Sample said the elimination of the train stop would have little effect on the city.
Passengers weren't allowed inside the restored depot and couldn't buy tickets on site. The trains came and went at unusual hours, and few riders used the service.
The depot's other uses - as an office for CSX Railway and an annex for the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village - won't be affected, he said.
City commissioners are expected to review the city's lease of most depot property to the museum this year. But the city's earlier eye toward turning more utilities costs over to the museum may not be feasible, Sample said.
The museum suffered a big financial blow in September when hurricanes forced the cancellation of the annual Pioneer Days festival, a big moneymaker.
The museum has scheduled a new event, the Harvest Festival, for Nov. 20.
As for losing Amtrak service, Sample said many residents might not miss the ability to board a train in town.
"I don't know how much people really realize it was even a possibility," he said.
Amtrak will offer bus service from Dade City to Lakeland for southbound trains daily at 10 a.m. And for northbound passengers, a bus will leave for Jacksonville daily at 5:50 p.m.
Tickets and schedules are available at Amtrak's Web site, www.amtrak.com
