The first big test of whether privately owned high-speed passenger train service can prosper in the United States will launch Friday, Sept. 22, in Florida.
MIAMI — The first big test of whether privately owned high-speed passenger train service can prosper in the United States will launch Friday when Florida’s Brightline begins running trains between Miami and Orlando, reaching speeds of 125 mph .
“This is a pretty important moment, whether you’re thinking about it in the context of the state of Florida or what it might mean for these kinds of products as they develop elsewhere in the United States,” Brightline CEO Mike Reininger said in a recent interview. “The idea that my car is the only way for me to get where I need to go is being challenged by a new product. A new product that’s safer, that’s greener, that is a great value proposition it’s fun.
If Brightline succeeds that could lead to more high-speed lines between major cities 200 to 300 miles apart, both by Brightline and competitors, he said. Brightline’s development has suffered setbacks, though. COVID-19 shut down the Miami-West Palm Beach line for 17 months. A 2018 partnership with Richard Branson’s Virgin Group to rebrand Brightline as Virgin Trains USA quickly soured.
“They don’t seem to have any empathy for our community. We’re just in their way,” said Flowers, whose county includes Vero Beach. “It’s a cost of doing business for them that they’re going to run some people over.” Reininger said most of Brightline’s Miami-Orlando passengers will come from those who drive the route regularly and others who stay home because they hate the drive. Prime targets are families headed to Orlando’s theme parks and travelers to South Florida’s nightlife, concerts, sports and cruises.
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First private US passenger rail line in 100 years is about to link Miami and Orlando at high speedFor the first time in a century, a private passenger rail service will launch new operations in the U.S. and this time it involves high-speed trains.
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First private US passenger rail line in 100 years is about to link Miami and Orlando at high speedFor the first time in a century, a private passenger rail service will launch new operations in the U.S. and this time it involves high-speed trains
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First private US passenger rail line in 100 years is about to link Miami and Orlando at high speedFor the first time in a century, a private passenger rail service will launch new operations in the U.S. and this time it involves high-speed trains.
Read more »
First private US passenger rail line in 100 years is about to link Miami and Orlando at high speedFor the first time in a century, a private passenger rail service will launch new operations in the U.S. and this time it involves high-speed trains
Read more »
First private US passenger rail line in 100 years is about to link Miami and Orlando at high speedFor the first time in a century, a private passenger rail service will launch new operations in the U.S. and this time it involves high-speed trains.
Read more »