Brightline Trains

[jrs2]

17 hours ago, aent said:

Apparently that train was also short because demand in South Florida has the trains filling up and they need the extra passenger cars. They're also running mismatched colored sets as a result. 

Brightline also ordered additional passenger cars

The order is for a total of twenty new passenger cars, with half to be delivered in 2024 and the remainder to be delivered in 2025.

...its a powerful testament...

[jrs2]

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/03/27/brightline-to-unveil-new-100m-facility-in-orlando/

Maintenance Facility

[jrs2]

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/03/28/brightline-schedules-high-speed-testing-at-110-mph-in-brevard-county/

[jgardnerucf]

"Trains Unlimited" is on right now, all night, on rabbit ears 2.3 Story TV.

[aent]

The testing is starting late, which means the previously rumored June launch date for Brightline is no longer possible. Earliest possible now is July from what I'm hearing. I think they might not really be wanting to rush it too much as they really don't have enough cars, given the increased demand, until more are delivered next year.

[codypet]

11 hours ago, aent said:

The testing is starting late, which means the previously rumored June launch date for Brightline is no longer possible. Earliest possible now is July from what I'm hearing. I think they might not really be wanting to rush it too much as they really don't have enough cars, given the increased demand, until more are delivered next year.

If you're hearing what I'm hearing some of the testing is revealing adjustments that need to be made along the alignment which I assume would slow things down a bit.

Edited March 29, 2023 by codypet

[jrs2]

17 hours ago, aent said:

The testing is starting late, which means the previously rumored June launch date for Brightline is no longer possible. Earliest possible now is July from what I'm hearing. I think they might not really be wanting to rush it too much as they really don't have enough cars, given the increased demand, until more are delivered next year.

I'm ecstatic that they are short cars because of demand.  this is such a good sign ala viability of the system.  

[jrs2]

https://www.thestreet.com/retail/florida-moves-closer-to-revolutionary-transportation

"no later that December 2023."  

[aent]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjz16vLMA7s

This video is amongst the most impressive I've seen, an in depth look at Brightline Base Camp, the maintenance facility they're claiming is amongst the highest tech and most state of the art in the US, designed to keep the trains up and running with very minimal downtime and super well maintained and comfortable. It does look impressive, and I've never seen a train allowing the access that the Roaming Railfan has given to us.

Here's some info I thought was interesting:

- Its currently planned to handle 8 trains a night (Brightline plans to operate 10 for the Orlando to Miami route). The other 2 will spend the night at the existing West Palm Beach maintenance facility.

- All train washing will be done here instead of WPB, with a fully automated train wash. Its currently being done by human operated equipment. All trains will go through the train wash every day, taking 15 minutes for each one to be fully cleaned.

- The facility is designed for expansion. Its currently long enough to have 5 car trains inside, which is what length the cars will be when Brightline gets its next shipment of cars next year... well, other then the fact they've already torn apart 2 trains to get the others to 5 cars this year. Brightline plans to go to 6 car trains sometime in 2025 so apparently the building will be expanded by then. The building was designed to be expanded to fully store 10 cars plus the 2 locomotives for each one inside, along with dedicated bays for locomotive repair. Brightline also got a spare locomotive as part of the last order, so in the event a locomotive needs repairs/maintenance, they can just swap it out, with no downtime for the entire train. It can service 16 trains at one time.

- Its also designed to perform many maintenance tasks like grinding the wheels to keep them perfectly smooth without removing them from the train, apparently a very rare feature. Brightline has already started swapping the trains out in South Florida and bringing their original trainsets here to regrind all the wheels and perform maintenance tasks, while they have the extra trains before Orlando service starts.... getting them all back to new.

- The facility will operate 24/7 and have 175 employees once Orlando service begins.

- The fueling station has an 80,000 gallon capacity so far, and has room to double just by dropping in more tanks.

- Its 62 acres, cost $100 million so far, and 135,805 square feet.

[dcluley98]

Was going to post the video earlier tonight, as I was also impressed. Very cool to see the top-tech of the facility, with planned expansion designed in. 

They are betting on success. 

[prahaboheme]

It is encouraging to see Brightline mobilizing it’s operations in Orlando. This should continue to push forward their expansion plans.

[jrs2]

On 3/29/2023 at 8:35 AM, codypet said:

If you're hearing what I'm hearing some of the testing is revealing adjustments that need to be made along the alignment which I assume would slow things down a bit.

considerable, I'm thinking, if it has to do with the layers that go under the tracks themselves.

[jrs2]

IRC testing

https://www.wptv.com/news/region-indian-river-county/vero-beach/brightlines-testing-to-affect-railroad-crossings-in-indian-river-county

Edited April 4, 2023 by jrs2

[jrs2]

originally they said MCO would house 8/12 trains for BL.  Recently they said 10/12, with the other 2 housed in West Palm.  I think they just mean for the WPB to Orlando segment.  How many total trains will it have from Miami to Orl?  And, where else are the Maintenance facilities located at, Dade?

[codypet]

19 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

originally they said MCO would house 8/12 trains for BL.  Recently they said 10/12, with the other 2 housed in West Palm.  I think they just mean for the WPB to Orlando segment.  How many total trains will it have from Miami to Orl?  And, where else are the Maintenance facilities located at, Dade?

Workshop b is in West Palm.  That's a mini facility.  The main one is in Orlando.  I don't know of any plans to expand Workshop b or build another one.

[jrs2]

3 hours ago, codypet said:

Workshop b is in West Palm.  That's a mini facility.  The main one is in Orlando.  I don't know of any plans to expand Workshop b or build another one.

So Orlando is the main facility for that entire line (ORL to Miami)?

[codypet]

40 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

So Orlando is the main facility for that entire line (ORL to Miami)?

Yes.  As foretold by the old Orlando to Tampa HSR. 

Where Brightline's Orlando Facility is located was where the OG HSR facility was intended to go.  That old HSR was going to have ORL to TPA as the first leg and ORL to MIA as the 2nd leg, so the same just flip flopped.

[jrs2]

23 minutes ago, codypet said:

Yes.  As foretold by the old Orlando to Tampa HSR. 

Where Brightline's Orlando Facility is located was where the OG HSR facility was intended to go.  That old HSR was going to have ORL to TPA as the first leg and ORL to MIA as the 2nd leg, so the same just flip flopped.

so all this time, the WPB maintenance facility alone has been servicing BL in SoFla?

[aent]

5 hours ago, jrs2 said:

originally they said MCO would house 8/12 trains for BL.  Recently they said 10/12, with the other 2 housed in West Palm.  I think they just mean for the WPB to Orlando segment.  How many total trains will it have from Miami to Orl?  And, where else are the Maintenance facilities located at, Dade?

My understanding is the Orlando-Miami has 10 trainsets total for operation (plus an extra locomotive). 8 will be stored in Orlando, 2 in WPB. No new facility or expansion to the WPB is planned. Orlando will be expanded as the service grows towards Tampa (or ridership increases to demand it). Once Tampa is completed, there should still be 2 stored in WPB and 12 in Orlando I believe. There are currently 5 colors, red, green, blue, pink, and orange, with 2 sets in each color 

47 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

so all this time, the WPB maintenance facility alone has been servicing BL in SoFla?

Yes. They partly have gotten away with that by having more trains then they really needed for the line, from my understanding.

[jrs2]

On 4/4/2023 at 4:38 PM, codypet said:

Yes.  As foretold by the old Orlando to Tampa HSR. 

Where Brightline's Orlando Facility is located was where the OG HSR facility was intended to go.  That old HSR was going to have ORL to TPA as the first leg and ORL to MIA as the 2nd leg, so the same just flip flopped.

I guess I got sidetracked with Miami Station.  They probably store trains there at night b/c its so big (and elevated).

Yeah, the great thing about them needing more cars on that first leg is that bc of demand, it goes towards viability, and can offset any low numbers early in the Orlando leg ridership.

[leondecollao]

I too am very impressed with Brightline. It’s everything we wish sunrail would  be - free shuttles to sporting events, late night service, weekend service, etc. Pleasantly surprised to see a train project managed and planned so well. 

[codypet]

14 minutes ago, leondecollao said:

I too am very impressed with Brightline. It’s everything we wish sunrail would  be - free shuttles to sporting events, late night service, weekend service, etc. Pleasantly surprised to see a train project managed and planned so well. 

[aent]

On 4/7/2023 at 8:50 AM, leondecollao said:

I too am very impressed with Brightline. It’s everything we wish sunrail would  be - free shuttles to sporting events, late night service, weekend service, etc. Pleasantly surprised to see a train project managed and planned so well. 

I still don't know how Orange County doesn't see this. I'd like to see someone start up an effort to protest CFX or Lynx taking over Sunrail when FDOT gives up control and hand it to Brigthline. They've said they're interested, but our local leadership doesn't seem to want it to be well run. The incentives are aligned for Brightline to run it, it will supplement their ridership of the long distance routes.

Edited April 8, 2023 by aent

[jack]

On 4/8/2023 at 12:26 PM, aent said:

I still don't know how Orange County doesn't see this. I'd like to see someone start up an effort to protest CFX or Lynx taking over Sunrail when FDOT gives up control and hand it to Brigthline. They've said they're interested, but our local leadership doesn't seem to want it to be well run. The incentives are aligned for Brightline to run it, it will supplement their ridership of the long distance routes.

Brightline owns their own tracks, no? Sunrail's is owned by our government but don't they connect to CSX's? 

They are not interested because the price will go up and limit working class people from riding it. And they want to control it regardless that FEC could run it better. 

[jrs2]

2 hours ago, jack said:

Brightline owns their own tracks, no? Sunrail's is owned by our government but don't they connect to CSX's? 

They are not interested because the price will go up and limit working class people from riding it. And they want to control it regardless that FEC could run it better. 

CSX sold their mainline track to FDOT, right?

the BL track at MCO does connect to CSX to the west.  that's where those train sets come in from...