STB Advances $12B Brightline West Project

Written by Marybeth Luczak
Railway Age
Nov. 20, 2023

"The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has authorized construction and operation of a modified alignment of the high-speed passenger rail project proposed by private-sector firm Brightline West, subject to environmental mitigation measures.

STB in its Nov. 15 decision explained that in 2019, DesertXpress Enterprises, LLC, (doing business as Brightline West) “filed a petition to reopen this proceeding, seeking modification of a 2011 condition concerning the construction of an approximately 190-mile rail line for high-speed passenger rail service between Victorville, Calif., and Las Vegas, Nev. (the LV Line)” . That condition, STB said, authorized construction of a designated alignment, and DesertXpress sought authority for modifications to the previously approved alignment. Among the modifications: relocating the rail alignment on certain portions of the Line from the east side of the I-15 freeway to the median; revising the design of the Apple Valley station to include the passenger boarding and alighting platforms in the median of the I-15 freeway; and raising and moving east a portion of the existing I-15 northbound lanes to provide the necessary footprint and access for these passenger platforms.

“Environmental review of the modified route had been ongoing and was recently completed,” STB reported. “Specifically, the Board’s Office of Environmental Analysis (OEA) has worked with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the lead agency on the environmental and historic review for this project under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and related environmental laws, including Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). As part of this process, OEA has reviewed a 2020 reevaluation by FRA (FRA 2020 Reevaluation) of the modified alignment, as well as a subsequent reevaluation by FRA (FRA 2023 Reevaluation) considering further route modifications proposed by DesertXpress in 2022. OEA concludes that FRA adequately assessed the potential environmental and historic impacts associated with the project modifications and concurs with FRA’s determination that a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not necessary. OEA also recommends that the Board impose the revised mitigation measures in Appendix D of the FRA 2023 Reevaluation [see STB decision]. Historic review of the project modifications had also been ongoing and was completed this year. A Programmatic Agreement (PA) setting out the final terms for compliance with Section 106 was executed on August 15, 2023.”

https://www.railwayage.com/regulator...-west-project/

The Points Guy has a good review of the Brightline service from Orlando to Miami.

https://thepointsguy.com/reviews/bri...orlando-miami/

Brightline has doubled it's passenger count last month compared to October 2022!

"Overall, Brightline carried carried 205,745 passengers in October (including local and long-distance), double the passenger count of October 2022. Revenue surged 390%, thanks partly to the addition of higher-paying long-distance passengers."

https://www.thenextmiami.com/heres-h...ce-to-orlando/

Source: Vegas-to-LA rail project lands $3B in federal funds
https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/...ederal%20funds

Dang! I also saw a headline in the paper today that Brightline wants to start construction next year.

Yep, great news.

Unfortunately this is not good. $192 millions loss.

https://www.bizjournals.com/southflo...YWUTjUoot3F-p0

I don't think this matters so much. Companies like this are expected to post a loss, as long as they continue to increase revenue, which Brightline seems to be doing.

Unfortunately, there was another fatal crash with a vehicle and Brightline train yesterday outside of Melbourne, FL.

https://www.floridatoday.com/story/n...a/72178860007/

It's going to continue since most of the crossings are at grade. Brightline doesn't have the funds to raise the tracks nor does it own most of the tracks (They own the small spur that turns west to Orlando).

^^This is irrelevant since Fortress owns Brightline and the FEC. Not at all like situations on other lines. It's just a money thing, it'd be astronomical to grade-separate the hundreds of crossings- and the FEC has no incentive to do so.

I know Brightline's parent company is Fortress, however, I thought the FEC was owned by Grupo Mexico :shrug: I don't see anything on the internet regarding FEC & Fortress.

It really does not matter who owns the railroad line. What matters is who was there first? Was it the railroad or US Route 1?
The FEC railroad was built to Miami by March 1896. US Route 1 was not designated as such until 1926, a good 30 years later.
The roads crossing the railroad were built after. It's not fair to suggest more than 100 years later that the railroad should redesign and reconfigure itself on their own dime in the name of highway safety. Those who should be responsible for that are the owners of the roads and highways.

You're 100% right- my mistake. Brightline does have guaranteed slots and trackage rights- curious how many they agreed to as part of the sale.

It would be impossible to raise the countless road crossing above the rail line as it runs through the central areas of dozens of cities. There's no space, unless 1960s style urban renewal using eminent domain and demolitions were implemented obliterating countless cities (including my house since I live next to the tracks and a major crossing). The only solution would be to tunnel (too costly) or elevate the tracks which would be +/- $14 billion if we were to use California HSR costs as a barometer ($200 million per mile x 70miles [Miami to West Palm Beach]). NIMBY hell would be another issue.

There is a small section of tracks that was elevated coming into Miami's station:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/qybAyV2wc9sUVD839

Here is the link between Florida East Coast Industries, owner of Florida East Coast Railway , and Fortress. Here is the FECI Wiki page. Open the History part. The paragraph beginning with "In 2007" describes the purchase of FECI by Fortress. This made Fortress the owner of Florida East Cost Railway and Brightline (original name All Aboard Florida.). By owning the railroad and the passenger project they made sure Brightline had an operating agreement Amtrak cannot even dream of. In 2017, Fortress sold the railroad to Groupo Mexico but made sure Brightline's operating contract continued.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florid...ast_Industries

That’s exactly right! That would be too impossible to build the tunnel. Not an option. It’s not very good idea. They don’t have tunnel. They don’t do that. That’s won’t work. It’s too costly and too expensive to build a tunnel. Just forget about it! Just accept it! Just build the bridge! Do it! Build it now!

What's the deal with people trying to beat the Brightline train? Two vehicle crashes in less than a week at the same spot?

And yeah, OK, it wasn't grade separated, but no quad arm gates?

• Video Link

I believe some of those collisions are not due to people trying to beat the train, but these have a lot have to do with distracted driving. Level crossing signals do not do the job to fully mitigate the risk, only a physical impediment will work. Should people drive distracted? No. Should people stop beating the train? Obviously. However, with so many crossings and some many cars crossing, it’s just a matter of probability that every X time there will be a car driver either distracted, rushing, with lack of experience, or a combination of all. So we can all expect for this to continue happening until someone does something about it.

I get above grade crossings are unrealistic, but the fact that no quad gates have been added is amazing to me. The video shown in the previous post has nothing to realistically impede the collisions.

These two recent incidents were not because of distracted driving. Both drivers INTENTIONALLY went around the lowered crossing arm; the driver in the other incident even passed up the one car that was already stopped at the rail crossing. It was definitely intentional, not because of being distracted.

Here's another news clip of the incidents, and it shows video of both:
• Video Link

People are just DUMBASSES.