ORLANDO — Brightline is targeting the second quarter of 2023 for the start of service to Orlando, the Orlando Business Journal reports, citing the company’s monthly revenue and ridership report to bondholders.
Brightline spokeswoman Katie Mitzner says 90% of construction is now complete on the 170-mile extension from West Palm Beach to Orlando. The company had said it plans to start Orlando service this year, with the date still to be determined.
But the passenger operator still has a number of significant milestones to clear before the start of operation would be possible, most notably the start of 125-mph testing on the portion of the route between Cocoa, Fla., and Orlando International Airport. The Federal Railroad Administration is still accepting comment on plans for the test procedures on that segment through Feb. 21 [see “Brightline update: PTC plans outlined …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 3, 2023].
Testing is also continuing on various portions of route between Cocoa and West Palm Beach where trains will operate at 110 mph, with testing in northern Palm Beach County at speeds up to 110 mph set to begin this Friday, Feb. 17.
A number of other factors could delay the launch of service. Among them: U.S. Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), a vocal opponent of the Brightline expansion, has sent the FRA a letter asking that the agency pause all preparations for the Orlando service pending conclusion of a National Transportation Safety Board investigation into a Feb. 8 grade crossing accident that killed two people.
Semi related question – when this is finished, how will passengers move on to the various resorts from the airport? Or whatever other stops there are?
It might be just the camera perspective, but that seems to be a pretty tight curve for the transition from the FEC main to the new line.
The zoom distorts the view, but having been there, this is *not* a high speed curve.
See the You Tube videos the Roaming Railfan has been producing. This is where the line will transition from 110 to 125 mph. The curve is probably less than 110!
Regardless of the local peanut gallery we have new ROW built to class 7 standards. This island is going to get more public and private scrutiny than the Zapruder film. Second quarter is a bit optimistic.
Rep Mast is anti-Brightline as a number of other folks in Florida are and opposed to all expansion of Brightline and any other rail expansion or new rail projects in Florida. I remember that Brightline has run into oppostion from the NIMBYs in Hunters Creek when Brightline was and is building their line to Tampa. Even opposistion is there against SunRail trying to expand service to Orlando Intl Airport. However there is never any opposistion or complaints or lawsuits against highway expansion or building new freeways in Florida. Public transit and rail service both new and extensions always have a tough sell and go of it in auto and freeway happy Florida
Joseph C. Markfelder
There is a minority, but very vocal population in Florida when it comes to federal funding and transportation, specifically rail transit.They see highways as a “pay as you go” through fuel taxes or private via tolls. But this community is very much against the use of or redirection of general taxes to pay for passenger rail. It is as they have said shows no proof it can operate as a pay as you go or private concern.
Even when Brightline was approved, the same crowd said that they did not want their tax dollars going to pay for the needed crossing signal upgrades even though by law they were on the hook.
Then they demanded fences along the entire ROW, saying that they were not going to pay to keep tresspassers off the private property, that was Brightline’s problem and they should pay for it.
I have met them periodically and they as a group are very difficult to reason with. I have gone through all of the scenarios where they enjoy many services supplied by the government that werent paid for by them.
I finally finished with “who paid to restore your beach after the last hurricane”, they say they do through their property taxes. I asked them if they really thought their property tax covered their hurricane recovery costs? No response.
John Rice, please review rule #1 of the Ten Pretty Good Rules as compiled by the Naval War College.
“please review rule #1”.
LOL. When the leading newspaper on Florida’s Treasure Coast started removing my sensible and responsible posts on the Brightline rhetoric, rule #1 came to me pretty quickly.
This is epic! Although, I don’t think Mast understands that private sector companies aren’t really at the mercy of any big or small governments. (correct me if I got something wrong, because the “under government mercy” part is based on funding)