The Brightline Thread

[bobdreamz]

Northeast Corridor Commuter Rail Completes Development Phase
May 23, 2023

Miami-Dade County has completed the Project Development phase of the New Starts program for its Northeast Corridor commuter rail service between downtown Miami and Aventura, Brightline told investors yesterday.

The Project Development phase was completed in April, the investor report said.

The County submitted its request to the Federal Transit Administration for entry into the Engineering
phase. Completion of the Engineering phase is expected to result in a federal grant agreement that in combination with the County and previously obtained State funding commitments will provide the final component of required funding for the project, Brightline said.
Brightline is expecting to receive $50 million in upfront payment and annual access payments Starting at $12 million for 30 years.

The project will include up to five new stations between the Miami Central and Aventura stations.

Implementation of the new commuter service will require additional track and rail infrastructure, as well as the construction of new commuter-only stations not served by Brightline. The commuter service may be separately branded and operated.

Broward and Palm Beach are also considering an extension of the commuter rail system along the same tracks to as far north as Jupiter.

https://www.thenextmiami.com/miami-d...lopment-phase/

Aventura Train Station :


https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6iLz7f7TeDo/maxresdefault.jpg

[N830MH]

Originally Posted by bobdreamz

Northeast Corridor Commuter Rail Completes Development Phase
May 23, 2023

Miami-Dade County has completed the Project Development phase of the New Starts program for its Northeast Corridor commuter rail service between downtown Miami and Aventura, Brightline told investors yesterday.

The Project Development phase was completed in April, the investor report said.

The County submitted its request to the Federal Transit Administration for entry into the Engineering
phase. Completion of the Engineering phase is expected to result in a federal grant agreement that in combination with the County and previously obtained State funding commitments will provide the final component of required funding for the project, Brightline said.
Brightline is expecting to receive $50 million in upfront payment and annual access payments Starting at $12 million for 30 years.

The project will include up to five new stations between the Miami Central and Aventura stations.

Implementation of the new commuter service will require additional track and rail infrastructure, as well as the construction of new commuter-only stations not served by Brightline. The commuter service may be separately branded and operated.

Broward and Palm Beach are also considering an extension of the commuter rail system along the same tracks to as far north as Jupiter.

https://www.thenextmiami.com/miami-d...lopment-phase/

Aventura Train Station :

Actually, only for Tri-Rail, not on Brightline. They will share as Brightline tracks. It will be on same tracks.

[mattropolis]

The train station pictured is at Orlando International airport.

[N830MH]

Brightline wants Ft Pierce station stop.

https://www.wptv.com/news/region-st-...pBkmRITaKWpj0U

[Prahaboheme]

Originally Posted by bobdreamz

Northeast Corridor Commuter Rail Completes Development Phase
May 23, 2023

Miami-Dade County has completed the Project Development phase of the New Starts program for its Northeast Corridor commuter rail service between downtown Miami and Aventura, Brightline told investors yesterday.

The Project Development phase was completed in April, the investor report said.

The County submitted its request to the Federal Transit Administration for entry into the Engineering
phase. Completion of the Engineering phase is expected to result in a federal grant agreement that in combination with the County and previously obtained State funding commitments will provide the final component of required funding for the project, Brightline said.
Brightline is expecting to receive $50 million in upfront payment and annual access payments Starting at $12 million for 30 years.

The project will include up to five new stations between the Miami Central and Aventura stations.

Implementation of the new commuter service will require additional track and rail infrastructure, as well as the construction of new commuter-only stations not served by Brightline. The commuter service may be separately branded and operated.

Broward and Palm Beach are also considering an extension of the commuter rail system along the same tracks to as far north as Jupiter.

https://www.thenextmiami.com/miami-d...lopment-phase/

Aventura Train Station :

The station the image is actually the Orlando airport station rather than Aventura. Notice the airport automated people mover on the right hand side of the picture shown.

[bobdreamz]

Brightline Celebrates Orlando Station Construction Completion

• Video Link

[bobdreamz]

Originally Posted by Prahaboheme

The station the image is actually the Orlando airport station rather than Aventura. Notice the airport automated people mover on the right hand side of the picture shown.

Strange because when I went back to search the image it's still listed as Aventura.
Anyways I changed the pic.

Thanks

[bobdreamz]

Brightline Completes Train Link from Miami to Orlando (Time-Lapse Video)

• Video Link

[bobdreamz]

Brightline Service To Orlando Starts In Weeks, Tickets Available From September 15
August 7, 2023

Brightline is getting closer to opening service to Orlando.

A Brightline spokesperson would only say that an opening date is coming soon. Service is to begin within weeks, the spokesperson said.

A CNBC report on August 4 showed that the Orlando expansion was opening in August.

Tickets are now on sale, with service being offered from September 15 and onward. Until last week, tickets had been on sale for dates starting September 1 and on.

https://www.thenextmiami.com/brightl...-september-15/

[202_Cyclist]

Decision expected soon on $4B grant for LV-LA high-speed rail system

By Mick Akers
Las Vegas Review-Journal
August 14, 2023

"State transportation officials expect a decision to be made soon regarding a nearly $4 billion grant application to go toward funding the Las Vegas-to-Southern California high speed rail line.

Nevada Department of Transportation Director Tracy Larkin-Thomason said Monday that the awarding of a $3.75 billion Federal-State Partnership Program grant, applied for jointly with Brightline West, would likely come down next month.

Larkin-Thomason brought the $12 billion project up at the NDOT Board of Directors meeting Monday due to the final environmental studies being completed on the project last month after their last scheduled meeting July 10. In that environmental assessment, the Federal Railroad Administration found no significant environmental impacts for the planned 218-mile rail line..."

https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/...ystem-2887394/

[Randomguy34]

The FSP only has an allocation of $4.6 billion. Brightline's application would basically eat up 80% of the grant, leaving scraps for all other states. I have a feeling this will discourage DOT from selecting Brightline's application, but I could be wrong

[ardecila]

Often with these grant programs, the Feds will award only part of the requested amount. That would still leave Brightline with a funding gap of course...

[202_Cyclist]

I am posting this from my phone so I am not able to post images but I think these are the first renderings I have seen for the Rancho Cucamonga and the Victor Valley stations.

Faster trains to begin carrying passengers as Amtrak’s monopoly falls
The only private operator of intercity passenger trains is about to launch new service in Florida. Next? Trains at 186 mph between Las Vegas and Southern California.

Luz Lazo
August 30, 2023
Washington Post

“ ORLANDO — Amtrak’s decades-old monopoly on intercity passenger rail travel will fall in the coming weeks when Florida becomes home to the fastest American trains outside the Northeast Corridor.

Brightline, the only private passenger railroad in the country, is slated to open its newest station here later this year, providing a train connection between Orlando International Airport and South Florida in three hours. Meanwhile, work is progressing on high-speed projects in Western states and Texas, and Amtrak is eyeing its biggest expansion in 52 years.

Two years after the infrastructure law began pumping $66 billion into the nation’s aging rail network, domestic passenger railroads are showing their greatest signs of strength in generations. Amtrak’s singular grip on transporting U.S. rail passengers is slipping as private companies, states and the federal government look to fast trains as environmentally friendly alternatives to traffic-clogged highways, while developers promise speeds rivaling those in Europe and Asia...”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2023/08/30/amtrak-brightline-high-speed-rail/

[Prahaboheme]

That is such a strange and somewhat slanted article. Does this journalist work for Brightline?
While it is certainly exciting to see “high speed rail” expansion in parts of the country not previously serviced by it, it’s important to note that Brightline also is very much funded through government funding.

[202_Cyclist]

This article is paywalled.

European Rail Giants Fight for Slice of U.S. High-Speed Train Line

Siemens and Alstom vie to supply planned Los Angeles to Las Vegas link

By Ted Mann
Wall Street Journal
Sept. 6, 2023

https://www.wsj.com/business/europea...-line-e2b788a2

[bobdreamz]

Brightline’s MiamiCentral to Orlando International Airport service is just days away from beginning.

The company announced today that the first trains will begin operating on September 22.

The schedule shows initially there will be six daily trains each way. By late October, there are 16 daily trains scheduled each way. Each train has 239 seats, for a total of 3,824 seats each way.

It will take around 3 and half hours from MiamiCentral to Orlando Airport.

Prices start at $79, with discounts offered to groups of four.
The company also announced that student discounts of up to 25 percent off Smart fares will soon be offered by registering an active college or university email.

https://www.thenextmiami.com/its-off...rts-next-week/

[UrbanImpact]

Ticket and ridership is on the up and up for Brightline in-between West Palm Beach and Miami. Lets see what happens after tomorrow's opening of the Orlando leg.

https://www.thenextmiami.com/brightl...station-opens/
From article:

According to a September 20 report to investors, Brightline carried 149,821 passengers in August 2023, up 50% from August 2022.

Ticket revenue was up 35% in August compared to last year (despite the average fare dropping 10%), while ancillary revenue surged 183%. The company announced a partnership with Orlando Health this week that will generate in excess of $4 million in revenue over three years.

[UrbanImpact]

• Video Link

[202_Cyclist]

This is unfortunate.

Brightline train strikes, kills pedestrian on day it began service to Orlando from South Florida

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/...h/70928703007/

[UrbanImpact]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

This is unfortunate.

Brightline train strikes, kills pedestrian on day it began service to Orlando from South Florida

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/...h/70928703007/

Also unfortunate is that Brightline, being a private company, would never be able to afford to elevate/bury new unleased tracks through South Florida.