Brightline Train (Miami, Orlando, West Palm Beach: apartment, rent, quality of life)

[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?

[Elbig]

West Palm - Miami is definitely going to happen. Planned to start this year. I have not heard of any stations other than West Palm, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. The idea is to be relatively sort-of high speed so few stops. Work on the West Palm to Orlando has not been started yet. There are still some permitting issues I think. I hope it starts soon.

[wavves71]

I agree. Having another travel option would be great! Thanks

[marmsd1]

It's wrought with problems, and is a fairly thinly-veiled ploy to run additional freight through the corridor. With the Port Everglades expansion coming soon to accommodate Super Post-Panamax ships, they needed better tracks and crossings.

Passenger service was a great way to fool the public into thinking there is perceived benefit as they troll for public money to take. Ultimately, the passenger service will wither (how well does Amtrak currently do for this route?) and we'll get 3X the number or freight trains rolling through our metro areas.

Who is going to ride this service? Look at where there are (NOT) any stops/stations. It's a joke.

[klaucka]

Originally Posted by marmsd1

It's wrought with problems, and is a fairly thinly-veiled ploy to run additional freight through the corridor. With the Port Everglades expansion coming soon to accommodate Super Post-Panamax ships, they needed better tracks and crossings.

Passenger service was a great way to fool the public into thinking there is perceived benefit as they troll for public money to take. Ultimately, the passenger service will wither (how well does Amtrak currently do for this route?) and we'll get 3X the number or freight trains rolling through our metro areas.

Who is going to ride this service? Look at where there are (NOT) any stops/stations. It's a joke.

I couldnt agree more. This is a ploy to get track upgrades done to increase freight. Now those of us living east of 95 will be dealing with 50 plus trains per day. I havent seen final ticket prices but I had heard well over $100. What family (or anyone) going to Orlando or Disney is going to pay that price when you can rent a car for $30 per day and the drive isnt totally a traffic nightmare once you get past Boca on the 95. This train is going to significantly impact quality of life for those of us on east side, and what makes it worse is this is getting funded on the back of the taxpayer and only benefiting the train company. Sickening.

[Elbig]

Wait a minute. I am a bit confused. I didn't think public money was involved with All Aboard Florida Brightline. I thought it is privately funded. From their website:

PROJECT FINANCING
Privately owned and operated company—Financing through a mix of debt and equity
No state or federal grant money requested
No ongoing taxpayer subsidies required

[Ave07]

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?

Tri-rail already has stations there.

[Crashj007]

Are they fixing all the grade crossings? When I lived in Miami in the 60s collisions were a feature of the nightly news.
"Pictures at 11"

[marmsd1]

Originally Posted by Elbig

Wait a minute. I am a bit confused. I didn't think public money was involved with All Aboard Florida Brightline. I thought it is privately funded. From their website:

PROJECT FINANCING
Privately owned and operated company—Financing through a mix of debt and equity
No state or federal grant money requested
No ongoing taxpayer subsidies required

We're exposing the truth about All Aboard Florida | Guest column

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by marmsd1

We're exposing the truth about All Aboard Florida | Guest column

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.