Brightline Train (Miami, Orlando, Deerfield Beach: live, lawsuits, beach)

[ByeByeLW]

There was an unfortunate incident today during a test run. I guess someone in Boca decided to do suicide-by-train.

[klaucka]

Originally Posted by ByeByeLW

There was an unfortunate incident today during a test run. I guess someone in Boca decided to do suicide-by-train.

OMG so awful, heart goes out to that poor person and their family and friends.

[marmsd1]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

You're not exposing anything.

There is no need to veil a request for increased freight on the tracks by utilizing passenger service as a ploy.

Want to know why? BECAUSE THEY CAN INCREASE FREIGHT WHENEVER THEY WANT!

In fact, freight traffic just a few years ago was even more than it is today.

There also already exist railway funds and government programs to do track upgrades, etc. without having to do everything they are doing. If there IS an ulterior motive it's to make money off their landholdings adjacent to stations. Such as the apartment tower they are building next to the West Palm beach station.



Get over it. The tracks were there before you were. I live inbetween the CSX AND the FEC tracks and actually look forward to the quiet zones being implemented once this project gets up and running. THAT is my biggest gripe living near the tracks. I am otherwise more inconvenienced by drawbridges in my daily life.

Ha...easy tiger...I didn't write the article.

They've failed to sell bonds on three separate occasions. They've produced a BS ridership study with inflated numbers. They aren't going to come close to filling those trains. But you'd support the taxpayers being on the hook for 1.75B in loans so they can knock out the track improvements they want for panamax freight?

Good on ya.
The passenger service approach is a sham in broad daylight and everyone knows it. Just calling a spade a spade...I don't really care much other than the OBVIOUS safety concerns and the fact that the Jupiter and Stuart rail bridges will fail and/or cause massive boat traffic issues.

But if it gets us another passenger service that no one ever rides...we win???

[projectmaximus]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

You're not exposing anything.

There is no need to veil a request for increased freight on the tracks by utilizing passenger service as a ploy.

Want to know why? BECAUSE THEY CAN INCREASE FREIGHT WHENEVER THEY WANT!

This conspiracy theory is a pretty far out one, but I've heard it a few times. But the whole discussion is moot now though because FECI doesn't run freight anymore. They sold the entire business to a Mexican corp. You would think the conspiracy theory would be dead lol, but I guess marms and klaucka aren't up to date. Brightline has absolutely zero connection of any kind to any freight carrier.

Meanwhile, FECI has unveiled their multifamily real estate plans, which is the actual business they've been targeting all along.

[john-staten island]

Originally Posted by wavves71

Any idea if the Miami-West Palm Beach to Orlando Brightline train is going to happen? If so has there ever been any talk of adding a Boca/Delray Brightline station?

I've lived PT in East Boca for 14 yrs, love it. But my #1 gripe has always been traffic & #2 lack of Mass transit. I have wished for yrs they could connect the downtowns with a train or light rail system. It might unclog 95, at least offer an option to avoid driving. Try-Rail runs through Boca, would it be that hard for a stop downtown near Camino Real,Palmetto or Glades? Where pedestrians could access it instead of driving to Deerfield Beach or miles from downtown Boca out to Yamato Rd. Commuter trains should be convenient . Southern California runs a coastal Amtrak, Coaster, Sprinter,etc trains that connect many Villages, & cities between San Diego & San Fran, that don't drop you off miles from a city. It's time for someone to fix the traffic mess or at least try by using commuter trains, Brightline I'd hoped might be a help, guess not.

[kokonutty]

Originally Posted by marmsd1

Ha...easy tiger...I didn't write the article.

They've failed to sell bonds on three separate occasions. They've produced a BS ridership study with inflated numbers. They aren't going to come close to filling those trains. But you'd support the taxpayers being on the hook for 1.75B in loans so they can knock out the track improvements they want for panamax freight?

Good on ya.
The passenger service approach is a sham in broad daylight and everyone knows it. Just calling a spade a spade...I don't really care much other than the OBVIOUS safety concerns and the fact that the Jupiter and Stuart rail bridges will fail and/or cause massive boat traffic issues.

But if it gets us another passenger service that no one ever rides...we win???

Where did this "fact" come from?

[JimT7406]

"Meanwhile, FECI has unveiled their multifamily real estate plans, which is the actual business they've been targeting all along."

To the poster with this comment I say, "BINGO". This is exactly what this is all about. They did not build train platforms they built ultra-modern train stations and they built brand new trains to start a new train service. What adjoins the stations in both the West Palm and Miami stations on land owned by Brightline, new residential and retail development. The 23 story building going up in downtown West Palm is there's and in Miami there are plans are much, much bigger and more ambitious. This has very little to do with freight trains, it is actually about passenger train service and making it work so as to increase the value of the land and properties sprouting up around the three stations and any future stations they may consider.
BTW to the poster referencing an article by the "Chairman of Citizens against Rail Expansion in Florida", I sure that was really an article giving both sides of the story.

[klaucka]

Originally Posted by projectmaximus

This conspiracy theory is a pretty far out one, but I've heard it a few times. But the whole discussion is moot now though because FECI doesn't run freight anymore. They sold the entire business to a Mexican corp. You would think the conspiracy theory would be dead lol, but I guess marms and klaucka aren't up to date. Brightline has absolutely zero connection of any kind to any freight carrier.

Meanwhile, FECI has unveiled their multifamily real estate plans, which is the actual business they've been targeting all along.

I hope this is the case w the freight, but I am still hearing freight trains every day.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

If there IS an ulterior motive it's to make money off their landholdings adjacent to stations. Such as the apartment tower they are building next to the West Palm beach station.

That's not even an ulterior motive. It's literally a method of financing the service. It's a model similar to how the old streetcar systems made their money, and how some private transit companies make their money. Heck, tons of public transit agencies today are using this method of Transit Oriented Development to supplement their other revenue streams and improve access to amenities near their stations.

I hope FEC builds a Brightline station up here in Melbourne. I'd love to be able to take the train to the Orlando airport instead of driving. It'd also add some more, much appreciated, life to our rather small downtown.

[ajnucch]

A stop somewhere in Indian River County a.k.a. treasure coast would sure have been a help since we have no transportation from here to Miami, nor Orlando 😕