Brightline Trains Florida discussion

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IIRC, there were plans for Tri-Rail to run some local service along the FEC. If so, Brightline could arrange interline ticketing with them, and use them to feed them local traffic at some transfer station, and relieve Brightline from stopping as often perhaps, although I suppose they are committed to at least a minimal amount of service at the aforementioned stations.... 🤔
I believe that's the ultimate goal. However, remember Tri-Rail and Brightline have different platform height requirements, so Brightline is committed to the stations that have been built to accommodate them. There's going to be a need for a lot of 4-track ROW between WPB and MIA on the FEC to accommodate faster trains overtaking slower trains - whether it's Brightline over Tri Rail or both of them over freight.

Eventually, the FEC will need to start replacing grade crossings with separated grades. They've done this in Japan on at least two rail lines that I'm familiar with - all without service interruption (at least long term). Heck, they even converted one into a subway! They've also done this in New York City, but going underground in Florida is a non-starter.

Going back and looking, the lines I'm familiar with in Japan were only a max of 35 miles each, albeit in extremely densely populated areas.. MIA-WPB is much further. Less dense. CSX did it. At least I don't think CSX was always as grade separated as it is today.
 
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A four track mainline could work with island platforms allowing cross-platform transfers between the two, if the center tracks were depressed to match the door heights of high level cars. The other obstacle to that would be that Brightline requires ticket scan prior to their platform access, so the platforms might need a center barrier with multiple access points. That seems to work between NJT and PATH at Newark.....
 
IIRC, there were plans for Tri-Rail to run some local service along the FEC. If so, Brightline could arrange interline ticketing with them, and use them to feed them local traffic at some transfer station, and relieve Brightline from stopping as often perhaps, although I suppose they are committed to at least a minimal amount of service at the aforementioned stations.... 🤔
Yup. TriRail Northeast Corridor between Miami Central and Fort Lauderdale is still in the works. If Palm Beach county steps into the mix it might get extended to a station to be built beyond West Palm Beach in Palm Beach County. For that service many TriRail only stations will be built with only low platforms.

This is sort of the very beginning of a long story of expansion of service, not the final point in the journey.
Eventually, the FEC will need to start replacing grade crossings with separated grades. They've done this in Japan on at least two rail lines that I'm familiar with - all without service interruption (at least long term). Heck, they even converted one into a subway! They've also done this in New York City, but going underground in Florida is a non-starter.
One of the alternatives for the New River bridge replacement and trackage through Fort Lauderdale is the tunnel alternative, which is what the city wants. It costs considerably more than the next most expensive, which is the high fixed structure. Most think that the high fixed structure will be chosen and not the underground. But there really is nothing technical preventing using a subway, just the extra cost of it. If the high fixed structure is chosen then the current Fort Lauderdale Station will be demolished and replaced by a station in the elevated structure.
Going back and looking, the lines I'm familiar with in Japan were only a max of 35 miles each, albeit in extremely densely populated areas.. MIA-WPB is much further. Less dense. CSX did it. At least I don't think CSX was always as grade separated as it is today.
Actually most of the grade separation between West Palm and Miami on the TriRail route was done by TriRail, not CSX. TriRail owns that line, not CSX. CSX just has trackage rights. The old ground level New River moving bridge was retained for freight operations while a new high level fixed structure was built for TriRail next to it.
 
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A northbound Brightline train hit and killed a pedestrian/trespasser this morning (9/28/23) in St. Lucie County.

https://www.tcpalm.com/picture-gall...-brightline-train-in-fort-pierce/70991644007/
Brightline and Florida East Coast Railway employees are seen at the Midway Road rail crossing after a person died after being struck by a Brightline train Thursday morning just north of Midway Road, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office on Sept. 28, 2023, in Fort Pierce.

https://www.wpbf.com/article/florid...-brightline-train-in-st-lucie-county/45358205
The sheriff’s office said its detectives responded at 8:54 a.m. to the 4400 block of South Indian River Drive after a northbound Brightline train fatally struck a person on the tracks just north of Midway Road.

The train was en route to Orlando.
 
When I made my reservations, there were about 16 trains a day (one each hour). The schedule was changed to 8 trains a day (every other hour). Unfortunately, both trains I chose were ones that were eliminated (temporarily, I believe).
I am guessing they will reaccommodate me with either earlier or later trains. I guess I will find out sooner or later. I am very disappointed since the times I chose worked well for my schedule. 🤷‍♀️
Sounds like Brightline's Customer Service Staff is shorthanded and Overworked, and that the Left Hsnd doesn't know what the Right one is doing!

Hope you get rebooked with Good Seats and Times and look forward to your Trip Report!
 
The Orlando Sentinel online story (which may be under paywall)

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/202...m_campaign=os-breaking-news&utm_content=alert
FORT PIERCE — Florida’s high-speed passenger train service suffered the first fatality on its new extension to Orlando on Thursday when a pedestrian was struck in what appears to be a suicide, officials said.

Overall, it was Brightline’s 99th death since it began operations six years ago.

A northbound Brightline train headed to Orlando struck the 25-year-old man shortly before 9 a.m. near the Atlantic Coast city of Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara said at a news conference. He said the man was homeless and appeared to have intentionally stepped in front of the train.
 
The old ground level New River moving bridge was retained for freight operations while a new high level fixed structure was built for TriRail next to it.
IMO FEC will require that the bascule bridge remain. There is no way FEC wants to fight any grade as CSX does not have a grade on the TriRail line. FEC probably has the lowest HP/trailing ton requirement of any route! Tunnel or bridge grades for Brightline and TriRail can be probably up to 1-1/2 % without any slow down.

As for a tunnel = NO WAY. The next hurricane will flood a tunnel(s) from storm surge. There will be some permanent damage from salt water reducing tunnels life. Look what Sandy did to the North river and East river tunnel bores. Then there is always the problem of pump failures due to power outages and/or flooding + mechanical parts getting flooding. The line needs to be useable as long as possible for evacuations for whatever reason.
 
A four track mainline could work with island platforms allowing cross-platform transfers between the two, if the center tracks were depressed to match the door heights of high level cars. The other obstacle to that would be that Brightline requires ticket scan prior to their platform access, so the platforms might need a center barrier with multiple access points. That seems to work between NJT and PATH at Newark.....
A Roaming Railfan video of either the Boca or Aventura station states that commuters will not go through security, and the pedestrian bridge to the platform(s) will be adapted to keep the passengers separate. I don't known if the bridge would be split side-by-side or over-under.

One of the alternatives for the New River bridge replacement and trackage through Fort Lauderdale is the tunnel alternative, which is what the city wants. It costs considerably more than the next most expensive, which is the high fixed structure. Most think that the high fixed structure will be chosen and not the underground. But there really is nothing technical preventing using a subway, just the extra cost of it. If the high fixed structure is chosen then the current Fort Lauderdale Station will be demolished and replaced by a station in the elevated structure.

Actually most of the grade separation between West Palm and Miami on the TriRail route was done by TriRail, not CSX. TriRail owns that line, not CSX. CSX just has trackage rights. The old ground level New River moving bridge was retained for freight operations while a new high level fixed structure was built for TriRail next to it.
Famously, there are only two road tunnels in Florida, in Ft. Laud. under this river, and at Port Miami. It's cool to get more information here than I've seen elsewhere. Skimming the state rail plan, there are many possible grade separation projects, but only three crossing closures. These state rail plans, produced every four years, do not mean the projects will happen. The Florida one does have the costs. But the state's Highway Rail Grade Crossing Safety Action Plan cites hundreds of closures 2002-2020, including those due to rail abandonment.

About some trains skipping Boca and, I think, Aventura, that was true before the extension opened.

I wonder if weekends might be busier than weekdays.
 
IMO FEC will require that the bascule bridge remain. There is no way FEC wants to fight any grade as CSX does not have a grade on the TriRail line. FEC probably has the lowest HP/trailing ton requirement of any route! Tunnel or bridge grades for Brightline and TriRail can be probably up to 1-1/2 % without any slow down.

As for a tunnel = NO WAY. The next hurricane will flood a tunnel(s) from storm surge. There will be some permanent damage from salt water reducing tunnels life. Look what Sandy did to the North river and East river tunnel bores. Then there is always the problem of pump failures due to power outages and/or flooding + mechanical parts getting flooding. The line needs to be useable as long as possible for evacuations for whatever reason.
There is already a tunnel under the New River so no need to look a thousand miles away. All Brightline has to do is look up the engineering plans they used 63 years ago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_River_Tunnel
 
A Roaming Railfan video of either the Boca or Aventura station states that commuters will not go through security, and the pedestrian bridge to the platform(s) will be adapted to keep the passengers separate. I don't known if the bridge would be split side-by-side or over-under.


Famously, there are only two road tunnels in Florida, in Ft. Laud. under this river, and at Port Miami. It's cool to get more information here than I've seen elsewhere. Skimming the state rail plan, there are many possible grade separation projects, but only three crossing closures. These state rail plans, produced every four years, do not mean the projects will happen. The Florida one does have the costs. But the state's Highway Rail Grade Crossing Safety Action Plan cites hundreds of closures 2002-2020, including those due to rail abandonment.

About some trains skipping Boca and, I think, Aventura, that was true before the extension opened.

I wonder if weekends might be busier than weekdays.
IIRC about half the trains skipped both to start with. I think Aventura and Boca were both more successful than they expected, but Boca can't be added to all of the trains because of the track situation.
 
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