BE YOUR OWN SUBCONTRACTOR.

Destination: Freedom reports, with a mix of surprise and pleasure, on the possibility of Florida East Coast becoming a passenger carrier.  The United Rail Passenger Alliance has additional background information, including a link to All Aboard Florida, the project website.

The Alliance report contemplates Florida choosing not to deal with Amtrak, calling the agency a middleman between a state Passenger Rail authority and the operating carrier.  It's been the case for some time that states seeking additional intercity trains have had to provide the funding under the 403(b) provision of the legislation creating Amtrak, and California (successfully) and Wisconsin (less so) have purchased their own rolling stock.  There's no reason, though, why a state department of transportation can't deal directly with a railroad, or contract with a railroad to operate trains.  There's a reason why commuter coaches in Chicago have BNSF Railroad letterboards, complete with traditional Zephyr typefaces.  Metra contracts with Burlington to run those dinkies.

With a little imagination, it does not have to be Amtrak, or Metra, providing the intercity service to Rock Island or Rockford.