FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Seminole Gulf Railway, which sustained major damage last October from Hurricane Ian, has gradually reopened its damaged right-of-way and should have operations fully restored by the end of the year, WBBH-TV reports.
Six bridges were destroyed along the railroad’s route south from Arcadia, Fla., where it interchanges with CSX, through Fort Myers [see “Seminole Gulf Railway faces lengthy closure …,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 5, 2022]. And “several miles of track were washed away,” Robert Fay, the railroad’s executive vice president, told the TV station.
A bridge over the Peace River has been rebuilt, restoring railroad access. But the bridge over the Caloosahatchee River, which runs through the middle of Fort Myers, was so severely damaged that divers have been needed to help with repairs to the bridge pilings.
In all, repairs will cost about $15 million. A bill from the area’s Congressman, Rep. Byron Donalds, sought to provide emergency relief funding for shortline railroads, but it remains in committee. The railroad has paid for or financed all the work itself to this point.
The only freight railroad in southwest Florida, the Seminole Gulf carried about 2,500 carloads of freight annually prior to the hurricane. It continues to play a significant role in delivering supplies for reconstruction following the hurricane.
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