Brightline/Virgin Trains USA

Vegas Disney Fan

Well-Known Member
https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando...ndo-walt-disney-world-brightline-station.html

Walt Disney World spokesperson Avery Mather stated “As many people who are involved in this project are aware, the new route configuration does not support a Disney Springs station and as a result, we don’t anticipate being part of this project.”

I wonder if this is them playing hardball against the new route or if it’s officially cancelled.
 
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DCBaker

Premium Member
"The completion of construction for Brightline's 170-mile Orlando-to-Miami expansion has been delayed a bit.

Miami-based Brightline in a June construction report tied to its bond disclosures said the completion of the route from West Palm Beach to Orlando International Airport now is set for early 2023 rather than by the end of 2022.

The company's monthly revenue and ridership report for June stated it would raise money in the coming weeks to "complete funding of the Orlando extension." Construction is still active on the route per the report, with the Orlando Vehicle Maintenance Facility expected to be completed in August and roughly 600 construction workers active.

“We have made tremendous progress, completing 80% of construction through the pandemic and subsequent supply-chain challenges," Brightline spokesman Ben Porritt told Orlando Business Journal. "We’re on track to complete the system at the beginning of 2023.”

The company's ridership report said it had an outstanding allocation from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the issuance of $500 million in tax-exempt private activity bonds which will expire Aug. 31 if unissued. The company plans to "issue this debt, and/or raise other capital sufficient to fund completion of remaining project construction as well as additional reserves."

The report said if the company cannot raise additional financing, it "may decided to curtail or delay" some construction. "Also, a certain number of the company's contractors have indicated they may suspend work and/or exercise remedies against the company if the company is unable to make required payments and/or maintain agreed-upon funding levels for construction."

The project budget has not changed substantially, with the current cost of new South Florida stations and the Orlando route at $2.8 billion. In addition to the Orlando route, Brightline is working on stations in Boca Raton, Aventura and PortMiami along its existing corridor in South Florida.

Brightline also is collaborating with commuter rail SunRail on a potential east/west corridor through Orlando. That would allow SunRail to connect to Orlando International Airport and the Orange County Convention Center while letting Brightline make an extension from Orlando to Tampa.

The company said June 2022 ridership was at 92,304 for its existing corridor, up 15% from June 2019."

 

bpiper

Well-Known Member
The RoamingRailFan on Youtube had reported that Brightline was having trouble getting ballast from Georgia quarries, where they had been getting all their ballast from. They were forced to purchase ballast from a Canadian Quarry and ship it down on a bulk freighter to Cape Canaveral where it was unloaded and then trucked to the Cocoa tunnel construction site. It then then was loaded via front end loaders into a Ballast dumping train.

I could see this driving up their costs and costing them construction time. From the RoamingRailFan's videos, the roadbed from Cocoa to the airport has been done for awhile. Just waiting for concrete ties to be put down, rails clipped to them and ballast to be dumped.
 

DCBaker

Premium Member
"Brightline has hit another construction milestone for its Orlando-to-West Palm Beach extension.

Two of the four construction zones now substantially are completed for the Miami-based intercity rail provider's 170-mile, $2.7 billion project, with the $100 million, 135,805-square-foot Vehicle Maintenance Facility in August, according to the most recent ridership and revenue report from Brightline. The expansion in 83% complete.

Construction is expected to be finished in early 2023 after originally being targeted for the end of 2022. Last October, the company completed a 3.5-mile stretch near Orlando International Airport.

Representatives with Brightline were not available to comment on what the next major construction milestone will be. Train service is expected to start in 2023 after necessary safety tests are completed.

In addition to the construction, the system has nine of its 10 total train sets delivered in Orlando already. The last is expected to come before the end of this year."

 

DCBaker

Premium Member
"Brightline is officially the fastest train in Florida and the Southeastern United States after reaching speeds of 130 mph. The historic accomplishment took place while Brightline conducted train testing along its new 35-mile rail corridor between Orlando International Airport and Cocoa, Fla. The new tracks are built along the Beachline Expressway/SR 528, which is fenced and has no grade crossings."

 

mkt

Disney's Favorite Scumbag™
Premium Member
"Brightline is officially the fastest train in Florida and the Southeastern United States after reaching speeds of 130 mph. The historic accomplishment took place while Brightline conducted train testing along its new 35-mile rail corridor between Orlando International Airport and Cocoa, Fla. The new tracks are built along the Beachline Expressway/SR 528, which is fenced and has no grade crossings."


At that speed, if it were an express train between Miami and Orlando, it could do the trip in well under 2 hours.
 

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