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  #1441  
Old Posted Dec 5, 2018, 4:17 AM
eleven=11 eleven=11 is offline
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Originally Posted by Crawford View Post
There won't even be a Brightline in a year or two, unless the state takes it over. Ridership isn't even one-third of projections.

Brightline will have to be a state-subsidized system, or it won't exist. Simple as that. And if the state takes it over, they will have to integrate with Tri-Rail, or what's the point?
WHY do you say this? what are you facts or info about this?
look I don't know how brightline/VIRGIN make there money/profits
but the new florida governor is going to have NONE of what you say.
also why not add SUN rail & TRI rail & brightline together.
http://news.wjct.org/post/rail-line-...a-gets-boost-0
nice linky
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  #1442  
Old Posted Dec 5, 2018, 12:31 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eleven=11 View Post
WHY do you say this? what are you facts or info about this?
look I don't know how brightline/VIRGIN make there money/profits
but the new florida governor is going to have NONE of what you say.
also why not add SUN rail & TRI rail & brightline together.
http://news.wjct.org/post/rail-line-...a-gets-boost-0
nice linky
It is slightly early to judge whether Brightline will be profitable or not - mainly because the bread-and-butter profit making city pair is not in service yet. If the train is still losing money a year or two after servicing Orlando - then will be the time to start discussing Brightline's bankruptcy and what the state should do with it next.

We're like discussing the profitability of the Panama Canal after the Gatun Dam and Lake has been built but before the Culebra Cut had been dug. There's no way it could ever be profitable until the entire Canal was built spanning all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Likewise, we're going to see the same scenario in California with CHSR. The bread-and-butter profit making city pair will be San Francisco to Los Angeles (or at least the Bay Area to Southern California). Do not expect profits or even close to it until these two metros are connected - which could be decades after the initial leg is built.

While I understand large construction projects are built in stages, it is not fair to judge its effectiveness until why it is being built in the first place is built and in service. I personally think CHSR is making a huge mistake not building the more expensive tunnels first to complete the line between Southern California and the Bay Area with a train service without using buses. While building the Central Valley first and getting high speed trains into service as quickly as possible may have some positive political slaps in the back, it's usefulness of actually moving people by trains between the Bay Area and Southern California is still close to zero while lying upon buses to finish the journey.

Last edited by electricron; Dec 5, 2018 at 12:42 PM.
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  #1443  
Old Posted Dec 6, 2018, 12:44 AM
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A passenger railroad backed by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group named the 250-mile Atlanta to Charlotte route as a potential expansion opportunity in its IPO filing.

Virgin Trains USA Inc. is a strategic partnership between Miami-based Brightline and Virgin Group that filed for an IPO on the Nasdaq last month.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.biz...nture.amp.html
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  #1444  
Old Posted Dec 6, 2018, 5:25 PM
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Changing the thread name again to reflect the company's updated name.
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  #1445  
Old Posted Dec 19, 2018, 4:55 PM
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An interesting analysis:

Brightline goes Virginal. What price Virginity?
https://www.railwayage.com/passenger...ice-virginity/
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  #1446  
Old Posted Dec 30, 2018, 1:13 AM
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Brightline back on track for Orlando rail extension – for now.
DECEMBER 28, 2018 11:20 AM



Florida’s fledgling private passenger-rail service has had some reason for holiday cheer.

Days after Brightline got an extra six months to issue $1.15 billion in tax-exempt bonds needed to expand the service from South Florida to Orlando, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper on Monday tossed a lawsuit by Indian River County that sought to block the “private activity” bonds.

Brightline spokeswoman Ali Soule called Cooper’s ruling “well-reasoned.”

“The court’s decision adds momentum to our efforts of connecting Orlando to South Florida. We remain focused on exploring locations for a Brightline station in the Treasure Coast and are encouraged by the tremendous amounts of support we have received in the region,” Soule said.

The rail service has now prevailed in 10 rulings in cases initiated by Treasure Coast counties as it looks to put down a second track along a 128.5-mile stretch of single-track from West Palm Beach to Cocoa and then add 40 miles of track between Cocoa and Orlando.

Indian River County, which continued to press forward in the legal fight against the rail service after Martin County reached a settlement with Brightline, may determine its next move at a Jan. 8 meeting. Indian River and Martin counties have been key opponents of the rail service, pointing to concerns about issues such as safety.

“We’re disappointed [with the ruling] but we’re discussing with outside counsel our options on how we move forward,” Kate Cotner, an assistant county attorney in Indian River County, told The Bond Buyer on Wednesday.

The county contended the U.S. Department of Transportation exceeded its authority because the railroad was ineligible for the bonds under federal tax code. Part of the argument involved the federal agency categorizing the rail project as a “qualified highway or surface freight transfer” facility.

Cooper wrote that federal Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao’s approval, in part, met “statutory requirements and was a reasonable exercise of her discretion.”

Chao’s latest extension approval --- the bonds were first approved in December 2017 with a May 31 deadline --- appears to come with a warning that there won’t be another.

Brightline, which is being rebranded as Virgin Trains USA, has meet resistance from Treasure Coast officials and divided members of Florida’s congressional delegation. It currently has stops in West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami and is planned to run north to Orlando. Brightline is also looking to extend the service between Orlando and Tampa.

https://www.miamiherald.com/site-ser...223634510.html
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  #1447  
Old Posted Jan 1, 2019, 2:06 AM
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Good! They already move forward for Orlando rail expansion.

As long if they complete the construction sometime in 2021 or so. That won't be affected.
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  #1448  
Old Posted Jan 8, 2019, 10:08 PM
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Brightline To Issue Notice To Proceed For $2.1 Billion Miami-Orlando Route

By TNM Staff on January 7, 2019

Brightline – soon to be Virgin Trains – will pull the trigger on construction of the Orlando to Miami rail line within days, according to the Orlando Business Journal.

A Notice to Proceed will be issued for the $2.1 billion project on February 1. Construction will then begin after those 30 days, Company President Patrick Goddard told the Central Florida Expressway Authority governing board on December 13.

Completion will take 30 to 36 months. A $1.7 billion segment from Orlando to Tampa could also be begin construction during that time with work overlapping, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Tickets from Miami to Orlando are expected to average $100 each way, according to Brightline’s recent IPO filing.

A new station has already been completed at Orlando International Airport, and others are now being negotiated in Orlando’s theme park area and in Lakeland.

As part of a settlement with Martin County, the company will build a new station there, and negotiations are underway in Stuart and Fort Pierce.

https://www.thenextmiami.com/brightl...g-orlando-leg/
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  #1449  
Old Posted Jan 8, 2019, 10:26 PM
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Brightline could help connect Sunrail to Orlando Int'l. Airport

Currently once Brightline/Virgin reaches Orlando there will be a 5 & 1/2 mile gap between the two systems.

Video & report:

https://www.wftv.com/news/local/brig...-oia/893868671
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  #1450  
Old Posted Jan 24, 2019, 9:16 PM
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Great news! Tri-Rail to Downtown Miami will begin in late 2019. They will extended from Metrorail station to Downtown Miami station.

https://www.thenextmiami.com/plannin...6w4FCUR73hHcEo

Quote:
Planning for it may begin by the end of 2019, according to a new construction schedule released by Brightline to investors last week.

The schedule will depend on progress of installation of a new Positive Control System, an expensive new safety system required by the federal government.
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  #1451  
Old Posted Jan 30, 2019, 5:19 PM
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Miami’s new, hometown rail line wants to raise more than half a billion dollars

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/bus...225272795.html

Quote:
The company, formerly Brightline, will begin its “roadshow” as it aims to raise money from investors. On Wednesday, it announced it planned to float 28,334,000 shares, with an additional four million for underwriters, once it begins trading on the NASDAQ later this year.

It is hoping to price the shares $17 and $19 per share. So the intention is to raise more than half a billion dollars.
It will be very interesting see how reporting on this project changes once the company is open to public investment. It feels weirdly 19th-century that passenger rail lines are being built by selling stock to the public, but weird in a good way.

Also, this article had this little gem of a sentence, showing how experienced the reporter is in this subject:
Quote:
January saw two more fatal accidents involving the fast-speed rail train, though it was not immediately clear who was at fault.
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  #1452  
Old Posted Mar 6, 2019, 8:11 PM
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Brightline says it’s ready to build its Orlando extension, requests $950M in bonds
BY JIM TURNER NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
MARCH 02, 2019 07:30 AM


Brightline rail service largely drew praise from businesses, transportation officials and communities where stops are planned, during its request Friday to issue another $950 million in tax-exempt bonds.

The Florida Development Finance Corp. is expected to take “several weeks” compiling paperwork regarding the bond request before any decision is made, officials said Friday.

Brightline, a private for-profit rail service, previously received $1.75 billion in bonds through the Florida Development Finance Corp.

Virgin Trains USA, the rail line’s new parent company, recently scrapped a plan to raise money for the northern extension through an initial public offering of stock.

The Palm Beach Post reported Feb. 18 that ridership on the Miami to West Palm Beach route is well below the 1.1 million predicted for 2018, and the company has $700 million in debt.

But Brightline President Patrick Goddard said numbers for commuter and business travelers have shown “strong growth,” and the bonds, which are not guaranteed by the state, will allow the company to continue construction between West Palm Beach and Orlando.

“Our expansion from South Florida to Orlando is shovel ready, construction contracts have been bid and awarded, and we’ve received all material approvals,” Goddard told the panel Friday.

The company anticipates the northern extension will cost about $1.9 billion and, once started, will take about three years to complete, he said.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/loc...form=hootsuite
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  #1453  
Old Posted Apr 3, 2019, 2:17 AM
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Brightline looking to add stations at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and PortMiami:

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/busines...326-story.html
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  #1454  
Old Posted Apr 3, 2019, 2:54 AM
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I rode on Brightline a few weeks ago after flying into Miami. It’s faster than Tri-Rail but it had to slow down or even stop at certain places along the way. Honestly, it’s a luxurious express version of Tri-Rail. Hopefully one day there can be express trips between Miami and West Palm Beach or Miami and Orlando.
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  #1455  
Old Posted Apr 3, 2019, 5:31 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jd3189 View Post
I rode on Brightline a few weeks ago after flying into Miami. It’s faster than Tri-Rail but it had to slow down or even stop at certain places along the way. Honestly, it’s a luxurious express version of Tri-Rail. Hopefully one day there can be express trips between Miami and West Palm Beach or Miami and Orlando.
Just curious but what time of day did you ride and how full was the train? Also did you take Metrorail from the Airport to MiamiCentral?
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  #1456  
Old Posted Apr 3, 2019, 12:30 PM
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I rode between Miami and West Palm Beach last Thursday. I don't recall it slowing down outside of the draw bridge at the New River and stops in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.
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  #1457  
Old Posted Apr 4, 2019, 10:35 PM
jd3189 jd3189 is offline
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^^^ Yeah, maybe I just rode at a bad time. It was raining the Tuesday I flew into Miami to take Brightline. Things were probably more congested then.


Quote:
Originally Posted by bobdreamz View Post
Just curious but what time of day did you ride and how full was the train? Also did you take Metrorail from the Airport to MiamiCentral?
I rode around 6:45 pm to reach WPB around 8. And I took Metrorail from the airport to MiamiCentral but it wasn't a direct shot. I had to get off from Government Center, take Metromover, and walk to Miami Central on street level. The train wasn't full but had a good amount of folks riding.
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  #1458  
Old Posted Apr 5, 2019, 2:08 PM
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Orlando expansion

Virgin Trains plans to link with Disney World, SunRail at same time as Orlando International Airport


Image courtesy of the Orlando Sentinel

By Kevin Spear
Orlando Sentinel
Apr. 4, 2019

"The train that will run from South to Central Florida is slated to stop at Walt Disney World and SunRail’s Meadow Wood station at about the same time it opens its Orlando airport station, Virgin Trains’ president said Thursday.

“It’s our expectation to get it done and to build out to Disney,” Virgin Trains president Patrick Goddard said of a time frame that hinges on permits and financing. “It is entirely conceivable that that can happen with the delivery of the Orlando station.”

Virgin officials said their top priority is getting 30 to 36 months of construction started “imminently.”

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...404-story.html
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  #1459  
Old Posted Apr 5, 2019, 3:39 PM
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Stopping at the Meadow Woods Station is an interesting choice. I guess they don't trust that Sunrail will connect to the Orlando Airport anytime soon (and if it does there is always the option that it will be via a 'shuttle' train that connects to the main Sunrail line with a transfer, which would be lame) and wanted to make a good connection on their own. I feel like I ought to object to a fast train (125 mph east of Orlando) making a stop at a tiny commuter rail station in the middle of nowhere, but the more I think about the connectivity the more I like this plan.

From the airport it looks like they will be following the utility railroad corridor out to the Meadow Woods Station, a distance of ~6 miles. It will be curvy and slow as it follows the old ROW's. Then, about 1.25 miles down the Sunrail line the trains will have to make a sharp turn to the west into the median or ROW of State Road 417. Hopefully this ROW will be built for higher speeds, but since it is only about 9.5 miles to the Disney station (I have no idea where it will be, I measured to the intersection with I-4), I wouldn't expect anything faster than the typical 79 mph.

I wonder how many people riding this line are actually headed to the Disney area? Is this an acknowledgement that the train is more of a tourist attraction than an actual mode of transportation for the locals?
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  #1460  
Old Posted Apr 5, 2019, 4:01 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hatman View Post
Stopping at the Meadow Woods Station is an interesting choice. I guess they don't trust that Sunrail will connect to the Orlando Airport anytime soon (and if it does there is always the option that it will be via a 'shuttle' train that connects to the main Sunrail line with a transfer, which would be lame) and wanted to make a good connection on their own. I feel like I ought to object to a fast train (125 mph east of Orlando) making a stop at a tiny commuter rail station in the middle of nowhere, but the more I think about the connectivity the more I like this plan.

From the airport it looks like they will be following the utility railroad corridor out to the Meadow Woods Station, a distance of ~6 miles. It will be curvy and slow as it follows the old ROW's. Then, about 1.25 miles down the Sunrail line the trains will have to make a sharp turn to the west into the median or ROW of State Road 417. Hopefully this ROW will be built for higher speeds, but since it is only about 9.5 miles to the Disney station (I have no idea where it will be, I measured to the intersection with I-4), I wouldn't expect anything faster than the typical 79 mph.

I wonder how many people riding this line are actually headed to the Disney area? Is this an acknowledgement that the train is more of a tourist attraction than an actual mode of transportation for the locals?
The article notes that Virgin Atlantic connects the highest number of passengers from Europe to Orlando. Many of these passengers coming from Europe are probably going to Disney World and are used to riding trains. I am sure that Virgin could market airfare and ground transportation as a code-share ticket to these travelers.
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