Auburndale Subdivision

The Auburndale Subdivision is a rail line in southern Central Florida owned and operated by CSX Transportation, running along their SX Line from Auburndale though southern Central Florida to a point just northwest of West Palm Beach. The line connects with CSX’s A Line (Carters Subdivision) in Auburndale. At its south end, it continues as the state-owned South Florida Rail Corridor.^[1]

v t e Auburndale Subdivision
Legend
Milepost fmr. SAL to Coleman (abandoned) SX 819.1 Auburndale CSX A Line (Carters Subdivision) McDonald Connection fmr. ACL to Lake Alfred SX 826.5 Winter Haven Florida Midland Railroad Winter Haven Line Winter Haven Intermodal Logistics Center SX 834.6 West Lake Wales Florida Midland Railroad Lake Wales Line fmr. SAL Valrico Subdivision SX 847.0 West Frostproof US 27 fmr. ACL Haines City Branch SX 857.7 Avon Park SX 867.2 Sebring South Central Florida Express Kissimmee River SX 902.6 Mildred SX 908.9 Okeechobee SX 922.2 Marcy South Central Florida Express SX 936.4 Indiantown St. Lucie River Palm Center Automotive Terminal SX 956.4 Delta I-95 Mission Spur to FEC SX 966.6 Mangonia Park South Florida Rail Corridor

Sebring Amtrak station along the Auburndale Subdivision

Route description

The Auburndale Subdivision begins in Auburndale, its namesake city.  Here, it connects with CSX's A Line (Carters Subdivision).  A short spur known as McDonald Connection connects the Auburndale Subdivision with the CSX A Line towards Tampa.^[1]  

From Auburndale, it proceeds south though southern Central Florida, passing through Winter Haven, West Lake Wales, Avon Park, and Sebring.  In Sebring, it turns east and southeast to Okeechobee.  From here, it continued southeast near the northern edge of Lake Okeechobee in a nearly straight line.  The Auburndale Subdivision ends just outside of West Palm Beach near Mangonia Park.  From here, the line continues south as the South Florida Rail Corridor, which is owned by the Florida Department of Transportation.^[1]

Operation

Defect detector along the Auburndale Subdivision in Winter Haven

The Auburndale Subdivision is CSX’s only line to South Florida and the Miami area. The line notably carries Amtrak’s Silver Meteor and Floridian trains to and from Miami, which each run round-trip daily.

All CSX freight trains to and from Miami also run the line. Freight trains also notably serve the Palm Center Automotive Terminal just west of Jupiter and CSX's Winter Haven Intermodal Logistics Center in Winter Haven which opened in 2014.^[2][3] A short spur known as Mission Spur splits from the line in Mangonia Park just north of the South Florida Rail Corridor boundary. Mission Spur connects with the Florida East Coast Railway’s Lewis Terminal track, which connects to FEC’s main line.^[4]

CSX also uses the line to interchange freight with the Florida Midland Railroad in Winter Haven and West Lake Wales and with the South Central Florida Express (which is owned by U.S. Sugar) in Sebring.^[1]

History

See also: Miami Subdivision

The Auburndale Subdivision was built in 1925 by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. It was part of the Seaboard's Miami Subdivision, which in its entirety ran from the Seaboard's Main Line in Coleman to Miami.^[5][6] Track north of Auburndale to Coleman was abandoned in 1989.^[7]

See also

• List of CSX Transportation lines
• Auburndale TECO Trail
• General James A. Van Fleet State Trail