Port of Miami rail connection breaks ground

MIAMI (WSVN) -- Construction crews broke ground to reconnect the Port of Miami to Florida East Coast Railway, Friday morning.

Construction began on a nearly $50 million railway construction project, which will allow freight trains along the Florida East Coast Railway system to connect the Port of Miami to the rest of the nation.

Senator Bill Nelson, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez and City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado were all on hand for the groundbreaking. "This is a big day because we are preparing for the big ships that will come all the way from Asia," said Nelson. "They'll be able to come through the expanded Panama Canal. That's gonna mean a lot of new jobs in the area."

Officials said they expect more than 800 jobs to be created as a result of this project.

New rail tracks will be constructed to carry goods from Miami to Jacksonville. Once in Jacksonville, the goods will be distributed to the rest of the nation.

According to officials, the new railway will allow the freight trains to travel at speeds up to 30 mph compared to the current railway which only allows freight trains to travel at speeds up to 5 mph.

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