Brightline Trains

[spenser1058]

*sings “I've got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle* just like Gene Autry*

Edited August 3, 2022 by spenser1058

[codypet]

1 hour ago, HankStrong said:

From what I've read the OUC spur will be removed.  I didn't count that in my list.

That's the plan for now.

[HankStrong]

11 minutes ago, codypet said:

That's the plan for now.

I'm sure there are legal complexities involved, but that seems silly.  Why wouldn't you have an emergency backup just in case?

Lawyers are probably the answer.

[codypet]

We'll see once Stanton goes to Natural Gas who ends up with ownership over that line.  I think that's the wild card right now.  If the City decides to send it to Lynx (who appears to be fast tracked to lead Sunrail) then we can be looking at some interesting route options.

[jrs2]

29 minutes ago, HankStrong said:

I'm sure there are legal complexities involved, but that seems silly.  Why wouldn't you have an emergency backup just in case?

Lawyers are probably the answer.

yeah, I agree...they could veer off onto it, loop below OIA, then continue looping around to Taft, etc...

[Urban Mail Carrier]

On 8/3/2022 at 3:19 PM, codypet said:

We'll see once Stanton goes to Natural Gas who ends up with ownership over that line.  I think that's the wild card right now.  If the City decides to send it to Lynx (who appears to be fast tracked to lead Sunrail) then we can be looking at some interesting route options.

Options like going North towards UCF or even further north to Orlando- Sanford international airport or they can go south to Lake Nona or even St. Cloud.

[jrs2]

37 minutes ago, Urban Mail Carrier said:

Options like going North towards UCF or even further north to Orlando- Sanford international airport or they can go south to Lake Nona or even St. Cloud.

yeah it looks like there is a spur off of the CSX line already there for years that comes in from the NW where the railyard for the Autotrain is; it heads SE from there, then due south, and borders the western edge of  airport property. I presume that they would improve that spur for passenger rail if they expanded to there.  That track ends up continuing south then shadows 419 and then dead ends a little to the east of there and from that point east it has been converted to Trails.

[CFL Rez]

On 8/5/2022 at 2:53 PM, jrs2 said:

yeah it looks like there is a spur off of the CSX line already there for years that comes in from the NW where the railyard for the Autotrain is; it heads SE from there, then due south, and borders the western edge of  airport property. I presume that they would improve that spur for passenger rail if they expanded to there.  That track ends up continuing south then shadows 419 and then dead ends a little to the east of there and from that point east it has been converted to Trails.

I could see, if the east/west Sunrail comes together, it taking/using the Stanton line from South of OIA with stations in Lake Nona and Randal Park/Sunbridge. It could ultimately continue to Waterford Lakes and UCF, but how it would get there is anyone's guess as I see no easy paths North from Stanton. 

I am very curious as to the new Westward path from OIA to "Disney". I've seen some reporting that the route goes North on current Sunrail tracks near Orange Ave to Taft Vineland Rd to SR528 and John Young Parkway. I don't see this a reasonable route for Sunrail. For Brightline maybe as it is direct to the OCCC, but that doesn't  work for commuter rail. It bypasses a major potential passenger Station at the Florida Mall/ Orange Blossom Trail. I think it needs to find its way up to 528 before John Young Parkway, but there are no easy paths for that. 

The future looks to be very interesting.

Future East/West Sunrail with stations at I4/ 535 [Disney], SR528/Destination Parkway [OCCC/I Drive], SR528/Orange Blossom Trail [Florida Mall/Hunter's Creek],  OIA [connection to current Sunrail],  Lake Nona, Randal Park/Sunbridge, Waterford Lakes and UCF.   

[jrs2]

10 hours ago, CFL Rez said:

I could see, if the east/west Sunrail comes together, it taking/using the Stanton line from South of OIA with stations in Lake Nona and Randal Park/Sunbridge. It could ultimately continue to Waterford Lakes and UCF, but how it would get there is anyone's guess as I see no easy paths North from Stanton. 

I am very curious as to the new Westward path from OIA to "Disney". I've seen some reporting that the route goes North on current Sunrail tracks near Orange Ave to Taft Vineland Rd to SR528 and John Young Parkway. I don't see this a reasonable route for Sunrail. For Brightline maybe as it is direct to the OCCC, but that doesn't  work for commuter rail. It bypasses a major potential passenger Station at the Florida Mall/ Orange Blossom Trail. I think it needs to find its way up to 528 before John Young Parkway, but there are no easy paths for that. 

The future looks to be very interesting.

Future East/West Sunrail with stations at I4/ 535 [Disney], SR528/Destination Parkway [OCCC/I Drive], SR528/Orange Blossom Trail [Florida Mall/Hunter's Creek],  OIA [connection to current Sunrail],  Lake Nona, Randal Park/Sunbridge, Waterford Lakes and UCF.   

yeah, I wish I knew the answer on the "right" route to take.

I recall the Maglev proposal did have a stop at Florida Mall.  Now, Sunrail could build the track (if feasible) to Fla Mall and BL can merely use the easement and drive right through without stopping (for time purposes).  But, they are building a station at Aventura Mall which is a "halfway point" between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale Station, but I'm sure would give them decent ridership- but, based on the videos, it is located on the opposite side of the RR tracks and US-1, across another parallel street; I don't know whether they will have an elevated walkway across US-1 to the mall down there (by comparison).

Here, if they could get to the 528 easement a few miles sooner, perhaps where the CSX line goes under the 528 overpass, they could maybe get a station at Fla Mall;

in an ideal world, an easement running down the middle of the expressway (ala Dan Ryan in Chicago) would be the way to go.  It looks like the only places remotely close to doing that are the 528 east of OIA and future I-4 easement to Tampa.

 

[jrs2]

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by jrs2

[jrs2]

https://allears.net/2022/09/22/big-update-on-the-orlando-airport-train-to-disney-world/

Um, I don't think anyone saw this.  Sunrail voted unanimously for the Sunshine Corridor on 9-22-22.

[dcluley98]

Very, very cool: 

 

[HankStrong]

I'm really excited about those tests.

[jrs2]

https://www.wftv.com/news/local/channel-9-exclusive-brightline-needs-more-time-finish-orlando-stretch/PSNJKHP47ZDG7KRX4VZTXYKO4Q/

the article is new, but the video is old.  this wasn't the first time a BL train went into the Intermodal Center; it's been months since that's occurred.  They go there frequently from the on site maintenance facility.

EXCLUSIVE: Brightline on track to bring passengers to Orlando 2023

[aent]

Brightline is now selling tickets and starting service to the new Boca Raton and Aventura station starting this coming Wednesday, 12/21. Apparently they've decided, for the moment at least, to only have every other train stop at the new stops, in an effort to keep faster trains available for those who want to get from Miami to WPB.

[codypet]

I believe when Orlando opens up, you'll see a "mixed bag" of stops and times.  Some trains will do Orlando/WPB/FT Lauderdale/Miami, and others will have the stops in the middle.

[dcluley98]

Boca Raton and Aventura stations are now officially "OPEN" 

 

 

[aent]

10 hours ago, dcluley98 said:

Boca Raton and Aventura stations are now officially "OPEN" 

 

 

They ended up delaying the Aventura station opening a couple days, but now that its open there is a number of reports of overbooked trains and demand is high. It seems they might not have built the Boca station large enough for demand for a luxury rail service.

[codypet]

I was seeing blogs online complaining about overbooked trains.  I didn't expect that.

[aent]

YouTube recommended a couple videos to me, apparently Tri Rail also opened a new, expanded station this year. Brightline's bathrooms make your poop shine...  Tri Rail is out of toilet paper and filthy. Zero people wanted to use Tri Rail new "fanciest" station while Brightline's "worst" station is overcrowded. Also apparently Brightline now offers monthly pass programs to make it cheaper for those who need to ride the train everyday for work, so to travel in luxury now only costs $35/month more then Tri-Rail's similar program. Demand is here for passenger rail in America... it just turns out the people want it to be run by private industry, so its fast, efficient, and nice.

 

 

[codypet]

Now I'm wondering when Orlando opens is it gonna have the same crowding issues and is that going to light a fire under the whole country for intercity rail.  Maybe the only reason why we don't have it is because its never been so nice and comfortable until now.

[aent]

9 minutes ago, codypet said:

Now I'm wondering when Orlando opens is it gonna have the same crowding issues and is that going to light a fire under the whole country for intercity rail.  Maybe the only reason why we don't have it is because its never been so nice and comfortable until now.

Unfortunately, with the rest of country using Amtrak, where the trains aren't nice, I don't think thats going to happen. Brightline is currently running 4 car trainsets, but its my understanding that the stations are designed to handle 10 cars, and they planned to extend them before starting Orlando service. They already have all of them ready to go for the Orlando service, so if this demand keeps up the trains will be getting longer very soon.

[codypet]

1 hour ago, aent said:

Unfortunately, with the rest of country using Amtrak, where the trains aren't nice, I don't think thats going to happen. Brightline is currently running 4 car trainsets, but its my understanding that the stations are designed to handle 10 cars, and they planned to extend them before starting Orlando service. They already have all of them ready to go for the Orlando service, so if this demand keeps up the trains will be getting longer very soon.

Yes, but I know some of those cars were a larger dinning car and a dedicated bar car and if I recall correctly they might have a baggage car.   That said if demand is high enough, I could see Brightline adding additional trainsets, and at a minimum if demand is high enough, if it doesn't prompt the rest of the country to expand rail service, it would light a fire under Brightline itself to get Tampa going and perhaps a higher priority.......LA to Vegas.

[prahaboheme]

2 hours ago, aent said:

YouTube recommended a couple videos to me, apparently Tri Rail also opened a new, expanded station this year. Brightline's bathrooms make your poop shine...  Tri Rail is out of toilet paper and filthy. Zero people wanted to use Tri Rail new "fanciest" station while Brightline's "worst" station is overcrowded. Also apparently Brightline now offers monthly pass programs to make it cheaper for those who need to ride the train everyday for work, so to travel in luxury now only costs $35/month more then Tri-Rail's similar program. Demand is here for passenger rail in America... it just turns out the people want it to be run by private industry, so its fast, efficient, and nice.

 

 

Tri-rail is commuter rail.

Brightline is intra-city high speed rail.

This is comparing apples to oranges. A better comparison to Brightline is Acela.

[prahaboheme]

22 hours ago, codypet said:

Now I'm wondering when Orlando opens is it gonna have the same crowding issues and is that going to light a fire under the whole country for intercity rail.  Maybe the only reason why we don't have it is because its never been so nice and comfortable until now.

The Acela services the Northeast corridor (BOS-NYC—Philly-DC) and is regularly sold out multiple times daily.