www.semgulf.com
1-800-SEM-GULF (736-4853)
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A Brief History of SW Florida RailroadsThe Florida Southern Railroad began construction of the line from Arcadia to Punta Gorda in 1885. By March, 1886, the roadbed was finished, and the first train operated into Punta Gorda on July 24, 1886. This line was originally built as a three foot narrow gauge. The tracks were widened to standard gauge (four feet, eight and a half inches) on December 17, 1892. The extension from Punta Gorda to Fort Myers was built by the Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) Railroad. Construction began shortly after the ACL purchased the Plant System and Florida Southern Railroads in 1903. The first locomotive crossed the Caloosahatchee River on February 2, 1904. Nine days later the tracks reached Fort Myers city limits, and scheduled passenger service began May 10, 1904. In order to construct a railroad to Naples, the Fort Myers Southern Railway was formed in 1922 as a joint venture of the ACL, Barron Collier, and other Fort Myers businessmen. The company reached Bonita Springs on October 8, 1924 and western Naples on January 7, 1927. Atlantic Coast Line's main competitor, the Seaboard Air Line Railway which had its own track through Fort Myers, also constructed a line to Naples. Their tracks reached Naples on December 7, 1926, beating the ACL to the finish. Determined to have the last word, the Atlantic Coast Line completed a line to Marco Island on June 27, 1927 In 1967 the Atlantic Coast Line and the Seaboard Air Line merged into one company, the Seaboard Coast Line (SCL). This effort proved beneficial to the region, especially with the elimination of duplicate tracks and stations. But as it happened, the Age of Railroad Passenger Service was over. Beaten out by improved airline service and the new national passenger rail system AMTRAK, the SCL decided to end passenger service in Southwest Florida in May of 1971. Freight service was also reduced heavily throughout the 1970's. Then in November of 1980, the Seaboard Coast Line merged with the Chessie System to form CSX, the second largest railroad in the U.S. (at that time) and among the top five largest transportation companies in the world. The Seminole Gulf Railway (SGLR) took over ownership and operations of the 118 miles of CSX trackage in this region in November 1987, bringing a with it, a new high level of customer service and dedication. To learn more about the Seminole Gulf Railway and its brief but interesting history, click on the following link about Seminole Gulf.
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