Florida’s New High Speed Train - Brightline.

[Envoy]

Looks like the first phase of Florida’s new high speed train line is about to get up and running.

www.gobrightline.com

Welcome to the new intercity express train service that connects Southeast Florida in about an hour.

 

[Harpers Tate]

Here is a lesson that the UK railway ought to learn:
"Giant windows for a great view from every seat"

 

[MarcVD]

You may also note, from pictures that were published on the internet before, that in this train, seats are perfectly aligned with windows.

Envoyé de mon GT-I9505 en utilisant Tapatalk

 

[55z]

Lots of issues before Brightline starts running. Not least is legal challenges on safety issues on grade (level) crossings and fencing. Not sure how far the legal issues have got. The first part to open is using the Florida East Coast Railroad track hopefully this summer. The really high speed section is brand new to Orlando. Hopefully this privately funded scheme gets going.

 

[Groningen]

Every story with USA and traintravel should be taken with a grain of salt.

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brightline

 

[me123]

Take the word "high speed" with a pinch of salt. Absolute speed on the initial section not to exceed the dizzy heights of 79mph. The new section will reach 125mph, but only on the final stretch from Cocoa to Orlando.

 

[LTJ87]

Brightline has acquired the rights to build a new line from Las Vegas to Southern California. They claim that construction of the first section to Victorville will start next year and will open in 2022.

http://press.gobrightline.com/showPressRelease/100055086

Today Brightline, the nation's only privately owned, operated and maintained express intercity passenger rail system, announced its expansion to the West Coast with the acquisition of XpressWest, a high-speed passenger rail project with rights to develop a federally approved corridor connecting Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. This project would be only the second privately funded express intercity passenger rail in the United States, following Brightline's Florida rail corridor.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Brightline has acquired the rights to build a new line from Las Vegas to Southern California. They claim that construction of the first section to Victorville will start next year and will open in 2022.

http://press.gobrightline.com/showPressRelease/100055086

That's going to be some gradient

 

[Groningen]

The route to Victorville will not be the problem. It is crossing the Cajon Pass. I do not think in the mountains something extra can be done in speed. A tunnel underneath will be expensive.

 

[philabos]

Los Angeles is 84 miles from Victorville. You are already beyond Cajon at that point and less than 3 hours from Las Vegas drive time. Hard to imagine many people pulling off the highway by the time they pass Victorville.

 

[AM9]

Here is a lesson that the UK railway ought to learn:
"Giant windows for a great view from every seat"

There are much more important things to fix on UK railways before addressing frippery like window views, - for passengers who can't even get a seat.

 

[Harpers Tate]

There are much more important things to fix on UK railways before addressing frippery like window views, - for passengers who can't even get a seat.

It is one of a huge number of factors. This morning's damning report on the timetable fiasco indicates (I gather from the news reports) amongst other things that the Railway consistently fails to prioritise passengers first, preferring internal things like operational convenience and logistics. We see that over and over again, not just at times of major change, but in rolling stock design, in ticketing, stopping patterns, train lengths; the list goes on. I hate to cross refer back to it, but 6 hours on a failed train? That ONLY arises because other things besides the passengers take priority.

Drifting way off topic, though......

 

[yorksrob]

It is one of a huge number of factors. This morning's damning report on the timetable fiasco indicates (I gather from the news reports) amongst other things that the Railway consistently fails to prioritise passengers first, preferring internal things like operational convenience and logistics. We see that over and over again, not just at times of major change, but in rolling stock design, in ticketing, stopping patterns, train lengths; the list goes on. I hate to cross refer back to it, but 6 hours on a failed train? That ONLY arises because other things besides the passengers take priority.

Drifting way off topic, though......

Add to that list, never-ending engineering works.

 

[jon0844]

There are much more important things to fix on UK railways before addressing frippery like window views, - for passengers who can't even get a seat.

I rarely look out the window on many journeys (I'm glued to my phone or laptop) although it is useful to see what stop you're at I suppose. I doubt many people care these days. The issue is putting those who want a view in the right seats and I'll confess that I'll likely chose a window seat even if I don't need it.

 

[AM9]

It is one of a huge number of factors. This morning's damning report on the timetable fiasco indicates (I gather from the news reports) amongst other things that the Railway consistently fails to prioritise passengers first, preferring internal things like operational convenience and logistics. We see that over and over again, not just at times of major change, but in rolling stock design, in ticketing, stopping patterns, train lengths; the list goes on. I hate to cross refer back to it, but 6 hours on a failed train? That ONLY arises because other things besides the passengers take priority.

Drifting way off topic, though......

This new US version of a high speed line has none of the the constraints of European or even UK rail, specifically in spacial terms. It does have to lure people away from their cars and air travel to succeed so it's offereing would be almost laughable in terms of speed (and capacity if scaled down to the UK loading gauge).

 

[Groningen]

It is Las Vegas - Victorville - Cajon Pass - Los Angeles (i had Las Vegas as departure point; philabos LA). From 1979 till 1997 there was an Amtrak train from Salt Lake City - Las Vegas - LA with the Desert Wind. They have tried it in 2013, but failed. Below is a link from 2014. Hold your horses if they only depend on gamblers.

Source: https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/las-vegas-rail-service-plans-have-seen-starts-stops/

 

[Skymonster]

This new proposal is for [initially] just Las Vegas to Victorville. That's pretty crazy IMO - for anyone travelling from Southern California to Las Vegas the difficult part of the journey is often the trip out from downtown LA through the Inland Empire and up the Cajon/I15 - it can take two hours when the traffic is good, much longer if there are problems. I've done it many times and I always feel that once I'm at Victorville / Barstow the hard part is over. And there really isn't that much in Victorville and the High Desert. Who's going to change from road to rail at Victorville - not many I'd think.

 

[Groningen]

What do they think?! That people drive to Victorville, park their car and travel by train to Las Vegas. Even Americans need to work so maybe only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday will it really busy.

 

[dutchflyer]

Is that Victorville served by LA-METRO-trains? (but if yes, likely only for mo-fr Peaks and in peak-drection only).
Have done both the then AmTrak and Greyhound LAX-VEGas (not to go for gambol, as they say there, but rather the cheap buffets) the landcape is just plain boring after the pass.

 

[philabos]

Is that Victorville served by LA-METRO-trains? (but if yes, likely only for mo-fr Peaks and in peak-drection only).
Have done both the then AmTrak and Greyhound LAX-VEGas (not to go for gambol, as they say there, but rather the cheap buffets) the landcape is just plain boring after the pass.

The closest Metrolink station to Victorville is San Bernardino, 40 miles distant.

 

[jopsuk]

Victorville has the Southwest Chief, scheduled to roll through towards LA at 0424, reaching LA Union at 0800! the return is 1800-2055 (this, a mere 121 miles according to the timetable)(which is about twice the "as the crow flies" distance)

 

[philabos]

Victorville has the Southwest Chief, scheduled to roll through towards LA at 0424, reaching LA Union at 0800! the return is 1800-2055 (this, a mere 121 miles according to the timetable)(which is about twice the "as the crow flies" distance)

The only passenger train which traverses Cajon. Between Victorville and San Bernardino it averages about 30mph.