MIAMI — Brightline trains will begin running north of West Palm Beach, Fla., for the first time next week, with the first of what are expected to be daily qualifying runs to allow locomotive engineers and conductors to learn the 130 miles between West Palm beach and Cocoa, Fla. It is the first segment of what will eventually be service to and from Orlando, Fla.
The trains, operating without passengers, are expected to run on a daily basis throughout 2022. They will be limited to top speeds of 60 mph as crews learn signals, curves, speed restrictions, more than 150 grade crossings, and other characteristics of the route.
Brightline says it anticipates “substantial completion” of the extension to Orlando be the end of 2022, with service between Orlando and Miami beginning in early 2023.
What can you tell us about the High Speed Rail between Houston and Dallas, Texas?
Last I heard, the Texas Supreme Court was still determining if Texas Central legally counts as a railroad (and thus has eminent domain powers under state law) or not. I think oral arguments started on Jan. 11.
Between Florida and the possibility of/build out of future Las Vegas service via I-15 corridor they have a lot on their plate. However, anyone with thoughts on what they might be their next target beyond FL & CA/NV?
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I think they have referenced the fact that they are interested in competing corridor service, maybe a trainset or two competing w Lincoln Service between Chicago & St. Louis or competing w Wolverine between Chicago & Detroit, or the Chicago to Milwaukee corridor (think a track capacity issue w northern suburbs that would limit more service than any)? I will even throw out Sacramento to Bakersfield, CaHSR corridor as it offers an area population of several million if Cali could somehow finish the build out of tracks & bridges in Central Valley for which at that point the state will want to sign a favorable deal on any type of service w proven provider/trainsets (Brightline trainsets that happen to be built in Sacramento, CA)
TIMOTHY – To run non-Amtrak passenger trains between Chicago and Detroit one must make deals with every interest group along the route. Amtrak owns Chicago Union Station along with the tracks Porter (Indiana) to Kalamazoo. Nothing moves in Michigan without arranging with MiDOT. And of course Norfolk Southern good luck with that! All that for a market that has never exactly taken off.
Norfolk Southern grudgingly cooperates with Amtrak, sort of, because the law mandates such. Any agreement between Brightline and Norfolk Southern would be strictly cash and carry, Brightline having to pay Norfolk Southern for every inch of tracks used.
So is Brightline qualifying 235 T&E crew?