Oh, sorry. It seems my information was out of date.

Brightline Completes Construction Work On First Orlando Zone, Finalizes Tampa Negotiations

https://www.thenextmiami.com/brightl...jIPQJ_8T8JRnik

Brightline Affiliate Pays $245M For Access Rights To Build Miami-Dade, Broward Commuter Rail System

https://www.thenextmiami.com/brightl...fTsxjWCuJj2SSo

Brightline and FDOT complete negotiations on I-4 access for Tampa-Orlando route

https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay...hfBZJkaaM2W3EU

https://www.planetizen.com/news/2022...0V2ih6MtFkPelE

Tampa Bay Moves Forward With High-Speed Rail Plans

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https://www.wftv.com/news/local/brig...XXJX3AaAnNRubE

Brightline sets sights on future expansion to Disney Springs, Tampa

High Speed Rail: Brightline Says It Wants To Increase Train Speeds To 150MPH

The Next Miami
March 22, 2022

"Brightline’s new train service to Tampa could run at higher speeds than previously announced, a company executive said this month.

The new higher speed could make Brightline a true high-speed train service by some definitions. Brightline previously had planned a top speed of 125 miles per hour.

“We’re looking at opportunities of getting up to 150 miles per hour on the straightaways of I-4,” said Christine Kefauver, Brightline’s senior vice president of corporate development..."

https://www.thenextmiami.com/high-sp...eds-to-150mph/

FRA has track classifications that allow 150mph and Brightline could certainly build to those standards, but I don't think their current trainsets are capable of goin that fast. The Siemens Charger is only rated for 125mph.

In fact, no diesel locomotive in the world can go 150mph - the InterCity 125 in Britain has gotten up to 148mph, but only under ideal conditions on a test run.

Long story short, if Brightline wants to actually go 150mph they'll need to electrify. Not just with batteries but with genuine overhead wire. Most trains operating at those speeds are also multiple units, not locomotive-hauled. Maybe Brightline can pick up Amtrak's original Acelas?

A six unit consist with locomotives on each end? If you used both I bet you could hit that.

Apparantly the gas turbine Turbotrain hit 170 back in the 70's. So it is technically possible to reach 125mph+ without a juice wire above the rails. As a side note, contrary to what many think ive actually thought for sometime that Brightline does in fact plan on electrifying Orlando-Tampa and I speculate once coast to coast opetation is complete, Orlando to Miami will be electrified. This is probably on about a 20 year timeline though. I have no evidence or inside knowledge to support this, its just a hunch.

Note that they only wanted to go that fast along I4 straights. Aad the additional fact that there are few grades because how flat Florida is, I believe diesel locomotives could reach 150 mph - eventually. Electric locomotives would still get to 150 mph much faster.

Can you electrify a corridor that shares tracks with double decker freight trains sets?

I don't know how much FEC runs double stack container trains, but running double stack under OCS is possible, and since FEC and Brightline are mostly one in the same I don't think you will have the reluctance like you would with Amtrak (or metropolitan commuter services) proposing electrification on shared trackage.

Will a Fast Train to Vegas Lure Road Trippers From Their Cars?
The planned Brightline West would help the U.S. catch up on high-speed rail. But to fill seats, it will have to win passengers in an autocentric country.

By Romy Varghese
April 18, 2022
Bloomberg

"Picture the unlucky Los Angeles resident who decides to party in Las Vegas for the weekend, only to hit traffic that can turn a four-and-a-half-hour drive into six, or get stuck at the airport due to a flight delay.

A company called Brightline Holdings says it has the solution: It will not only transport southern Californians to Las Vegas on fast, climate-friendly trains with food, drinks and free internet, but will check in their bags for them at their hotels. The company calls this venture Brightline West. It already operates a rail line in Florida, between Miami and West Palm Beach, which was the country’s first new, privately financed intercity passenger rail in a century when it began service in 2018..."

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/featu...d-be-a-reality

Yes, yes it will.

Yes, but only if it is easily accessible. The current plan is anything but. If Brightline can't secure a one seat ride from Union Station to Las Vegas, the project will fail.

I don't disagree that it would be preferable to have a direct connection to Union Station but this will connect to Rancho Cucamonga. There are 4.5 million people who live in the Inland Empire and another 1.8 million people who live in the San Gabriel Valley. This will be relatively convenient for them.

isn't the long term plan to connect to California HSR infrastructure to access Union Station once that is built? My understanding was that the Rancho Cucamonga station was a temporary solution until they can use the much more expensive, state built tunnels into Union Station from Palmdale.

The better question is if they will connect to California HSR infrastructure in Palmdale, or wait for some future Phase 2 construction through the Inland Empire to connect to Union via Rancho Cucamonga.

The answer is "yes". There will be a Rancho Cucamonga station to serve the Inland Empire, but I believe Brightline is in talks with Metrolink to extend to Union Station using existing tracks at regular speed.

This will probably require dual-mode locomotives, or they can clip on a diesel locomotive at Rancho for the last leg. I think they also need new platforms to open at Union Station before they can stop there.

Long term, they do want to use the High Desert Corridor to Palmdale and then CAHSR through the Valley into Union Station so they can run at high speed the whole way, but that's probably 15-20 years out so they need a solution in the meantime.

Okay guys! Aventura and Boca Raton station construction progress. It's really coming along nicely!! This is new videos.

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Finally!! Brightline is considering Cocoa station. This is for the next new station.

https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/...h7mTMllkt5x4bk

Brightline is now testing at new Orlando station near airport.

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Brightline Receives Federal Grant for Rail Line Connecting Disney Springs, Orlando International Airport, and Tampa

By Spencer Lloyd
June 1, 2022

https://media.wdwnt.com/2022/06/Brightline.png
Photo courtesy of wdwnt.com.

"A new milestone has been reached in the Brightline rail corridor construction saga, which will connect Orlando and Tampa by high speed rail, including a stop at Disney Springs. Today, several House Representatives for the State of Florida announced a $15.8 million grant from the Federal Government to Brightline, which the rail company says will be used for preliminary engineering activities and environmental approvals.

The federal funding will come from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant Program. The funding will go toward Central Florida’s Sunshine Corridor and Brightline’s proposed Tampa to Orlando intercity passenger rail project. The grant award, combined with up to $15,875,000 in contributing funds from Brightline, will result in a $31,750,000 total investment. The grant application received substantial community and bipartisan support..."

https://wdwnt.com/2022/06/brightline...ort-and-tampa/