Brightline Orlando extension

Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Interesting they have a greater presence on Facebook than their own website. Any murmurings on when they plan to start revenue service to MCO? Official channels are still pretty quiet on a start date.
If tickets go on sale in May, they will have decided a start date by then. Coming up soon - I can't wait!

Last time I went from Miami to Orlando Amtrak was sold out so I took brightline to West Palm and then a Flix Bus. I wasnted Brightline to be running to Orlando SO bad that day! Almost here!
 
West of I-Drive station it will be I-4. East of it it will be whatever the Sunshine Corridor evolves to be between there and OIA.
Last I saw in one of the Beyond the Ultimate EIS documents a few years ago, maybe 2020, was that Brightline would run on the north side of the I-4 median between Disney Springs and a point just west of the US27 interchange. This is due to elaborate Lexus Lanes to be built in the median east of US27. West from there along I-4 it will be all in the median of I-4. If they build near Ybor instead of north of downtown Tampa near I-275, then it will use the median until somewhere around 18th Street where it will fly over the eastbound lanes of I-4 on its way to Nuccio Parkway. A likely Ybor station site would be located along or near Nuccio Pkwy further south near Tampa Union Station. Ask developer Darryl Shaw how he plans to share his land with Brightline. He owns most of the land north of TUS on either side of Nuccio Pkwy.
 
The general location of the curve from the CFRC to parallel Taft-Vineland road shown in the Sunshine Corridor's representative alignment is now occupied by industrial buildings. Any guesses if that will prevent that area from being used for the alignment?
 
The general location of the curve from the CFRC to parallel Taft-Vineland road shown in the Sunshine Corridor's representative alignment is now occupied by industrial buildings. Any guesses if that will prevent that area from being used for the alignment?
The Taft-Vineland route is the same exact route as was planned for the cancelled HSR. It appears that the majority of buildings could be spared. Hopefully it will have less NIMBY resistance since residential is a minor factor, particularly compared to the 417 route. There is also the consideration that now the government is directly involved, as well as multiple large profile companies, not just Brightline.

The double edged sword of the government: having a mighty sabre to wield via direct eminent domain - but also the bureaucracy that BL has shown to be lethargic.
 
I am confused. Where do you see the buildings at the location of the curve from CFRC to Taft Vineland Road?

https://www.google.com/maps/@28.4220155,-81.3720781,907m/data=!3m1!1e3
That is the correct location. The buildings are fairly new so they haven't made it onto the satellite image yet. However, the buildings can be seen on street view.

This other map shows them under construction, after switching to satellite view.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=taft+vine...5742205,28.415793272417776,-81.36187826065178
 
I am confused. Where do you see the buildings at the location of the curve from CFRC to Taft Vineland Road?

https://www.google.com/maps/@28.4220155,-81.3720781,907m/data=!3m1!1e3
Google Maps is not showing the newly constructed warehouses at the location. The street level view does show the buildings.

I was more pointing out that once on the Taft-Vineland road alignment, most buildings are set back and could remain in place.

The curve from CFRC to Taft-Vineland looks tricky and the new warehouses don't help.

IMHO, I have never been a fan of the current plan utilizing the existing OUC Stanton branch to CFRC to Taft-Vineland route. It utilizes the curve we are referencing. In the cancelled HSR plan, the alignment went a new route NW from where the BL Vehicle Maintenance Facility is now located. That route made an elevated perpendicular crossing of the CFRC alignment at Taft-Vineland and Orange Ave. I believe that would be a better solution, both isolating traffic (separating CFRC north-south from BL/Sunrail east-west) and providing a more gentle curve. Of course, it would be more expensive... but in the long run perhaps a better route and well worth the cost. The HSR route went northwest along Boggy Creek to near Ringhaver Drive, which is then a straight west shot all the way to SR 528.
 
IMHO, I have never been a fan of the current plan utilizing the existing OUC Stanton branch to CFRC to Taft-Vineland route. It utilizes the curve we are referencing. In the cancelled HSR plan, the alignment went a new route NW from where the BL Vehicle Maintenance Facility is now located. That route made an elevated perpendicular crossing of the CFRC alignment at Taft-Vineland and Orange Ave. I believe that would be a better solution, both isolating traffic (separating CFRC north-south from BL/Sunrail east-west) and providing a more gentle curve. Of course, it would be more expensive... but in the long run perhaps a better route and well worth the cost. The HSR route went northwest along Boggy Creek to near Ringhaver Drive, which is then a straight west shot all the way to SR 528.
One thing I like better about the route briefly following the CFRC is it allows for, presumably, a simpler transfer station for SunRail riders. I don't think Brightline plans to have a transfer station along the CFRC anymore so that wouldn't really be a benefit for them.
 
Google Maps is not showing the newly constructed warehouses at the location. The street level view does show the buildings.

I was more pointing out that once on the Taft-Vineland road alignment, most buildings are set back and could remain in place.

The curve from CFRC to Taft-Vineland looks tricky and the new warehouses don't help.
I asked some acquaintances in Brightline who know all this stuff beyond just looking at Google Maps and Street Views and they said that there is enough space to make the curve. It is not going to be a high speed curve anyway. So I am happy to trust them, since they have more accurate information than I. There is enough set back space both on the North of Taft Vineland and on the East of the railroad alignment to make an elevated curve well within the parameters required apparently.

Since the old HS alignment is water under the bridge and is not under further consideration, discussing it seems a bit pointless at this point. The reason that CFRC likes this plan is because it automatically fulfills their Phase III allowing through running of trains from the N-S line to the Airport if desired, and in addition opens up the possibility of an East - West line without needing a separate maintenance facility for it.
 
I asked some acquaintances in Brightline who know all this stuff beyond just looking at Google Maps and Street Views and they said that there is enough space to make the curve. It is not going to be a high speed curve anyway. So I am happy to trust them, since they have more accurate information than I. There is enough set back space both on the North of Taft Vineland and on the East of the railroad alignment to make an elevated curve well within the parameters required apparently.

Since the old HS alignment is water under the bridge and is not under further consideration, discussing it seems a bit pointless at this point. The reason that CFRC likes this plan is because it automatically fulfills their Phase III allowing through running of trains from the N-S line to the Airport if desired, and in addition opens up the possibility of an East - West line without needing a separate maintenance facility for it.
Wow jis - this is great information.

I know that the old alignment is a pipe dream of mine and its unrealistic. It is not a real 'higher speed' segment, it would only shave seconds off the travel time, and it would adds property expense. The cost doesn't justify the result. The HSR also utilized the north side of Taft-Vineland where, as you said, there is more set back space.

The segment of combined N/S and E/W (OUC to Taft-Vineland) has several advantages. I hadn't considered Sunrail would need an additional MF. I thought they could lean on BL for heavy lifting they way the do occasionally with the AutoTrain facility for work they cant complete on their own. Another advantage is a simpler transfer station in a better spot (see below).

I had mentioned that the curve would be 'tricky'. (A disclaimer: I am an IT Design Engineer, however my original major was Civil, so I think I know - but really I know just enough to be dangerous). The Sunshine corridor running on the combo segment up the east side makes sense in many ways. It facilitates the aforementioned curve radius and a flyover would still separate traffic from N/S but allow crossover. What is also interesting is just north of the bridge where Orange Ave crosses over CFRC is the James Strates carnival rail yard. This property looks ideal for the transfer station. Access to Orange Ave, room for station, parking, etc. I am sure the people that you know at BL have plenty of research on that possibility.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jis
Local station WFTV says tickets will go on sale this week. I just checked the website, and Orlando is not yet on the booking page.
Meanwhile I discovered that they had managed to lose my previous registration, but that does not stop them from continuing to send endless stream of marketing slop. :rolleyes:
 
Meanwhile I discovered that they had managed to lose my previous registration, but that does not stop them from continuing to send endless stream of marketing slop. :rolleyes:
Same thing for me. I get daily emails but I no longer have an account. 🤷‍♀️
 
If they had put some thought into it, they might have concluded that putting "Train Station" next to Terminal C, rather than Terminal A, would be more logical, since they share the same APM stop.
There are five APM systems at MCO, perhaps it's labeled sensibly on the one that goes between the AB building and the C/train building.
 
Same thing for me. I get daily emails but I no longer have an account. 🤷‍♀️
I'm sure marketing demanded they get the email addresses out of the old system (cheap), but post-COVID-shutdown they didn't want to bother with migrating all the accounts over (passwords might have special or incompatible storage requirements between the old and new systems).
 
There are five APM systems at MCO, perhaps it's labeled sensibly on the one that goes between the AB building and the C/train building.
Right. This is on one connecting AB to one of the mid field pods, where that other proximity information is not that critical. I think they just used an available panel without giving it much thought.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top