The Florida Interurban Railway and Tunnel Company

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The Florida Interurban Railway and Tunnel Company was started in 1912 by the Bates Real Estate Interests and partners, who had big rail backgrounds from the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. It isn’t clear if the company was a cover for Seaboard’s expansion, but using a front company was a common Florida practice. The plan was to build a 45-mile line from Jacksonville to St. Augustine and to Pablo Beach (now Jacksonville Beach). The project also included a man-made tunnel under the St. Johns River, meant for interurbans and streetcars, as well as cars and pedestrians.

In 1921, the St. Elmo Acosta toll Bridge opened, connecting both river sides and carrying streetcars, cars, and pedestrians. After that, there were no more updates about the Florida Interurban Railway and Tunnel Company, though other interurban ideas continued to influence the area’s electric railway history.

Separately, the Jacksonville Traction Company formed the Duval Traction Company, which in 1918 finished a line from downtown Jacksonville to Camp Johnston (now NAS JAX) near the Clay County line. The South Jacksonville Municipal Railways, flush with cash after linking Jacksonville and South Jacksonville, extended its lines to St. Nicholas and San Jose, areas that were then considered far out in the country.