Amtrak running on All Aboard Florida?

[norfolkwesternhenry]

Will Amtrak have a deal to run the Silver Service trains on the high speed Miami to Orlando line, because it would really help travel times overall, being able to achieve 110 MPH, which would require locomotives with PTC, but some could be fitted with it, rather than stealing them from other trains.

 

[jis]

No. This is very unlikely since AAF has told STB that no interstate train will operate on the Orlando - Cocoa section of the AAF line.

 

[jphjaxfl]

At the present time, there would be no connection of rail line from CSX that Amtrak uses and the proposed new Brightline extension to OAI.

 

[jis]

When SunRail Phase III is completed to the airport it would be trivial to set up such a connection, but still I don't think there will be any Amtrak through running between Orlando and Cocoa. If any Amtrak runs on the FEC it will be JAX to MIA via Cocoa along the classic FEC main line, and not via Orlando.

 

[MattW]

No. This is very unlikely since AAF has told STB that no interstate train will operate on the Orlando - Cocoa section of the AAF line.

So what's the process in changing that? Let's say in some hypothetical future, Amtrak was able to convince AAF to allow, say, the Meteor to operate ORL-MIA via Cocoa (why? I don't know, but it's the best I can come up with) what happens at the STB level since I believe the um...permit? To operate this line was contingent on there not being interstate traffic. I now wish I had followed the regulatory saga more closely when it was occuring.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Fact check needed.

I believe AAF is / was trying to avoid STB approval for the project by claiming intrastate traffic only, no interstate traffic. This way you avoid a lot of paperwork, permits, and federal laws.

Your asking a very detail question.

 

[Palmetto]

Brightline and Amtrak would be running on FEC. They'd have --or had, at one time--something to say about Amtrak service anywhere on their railroad.

 

[jis]

Fact check needed.

I believe AAF is / was trying to avoid STB approval for the project by claiming intrastate traffic only, no interstate traffic. This way you avoid a lot of paperwork, permits, and federal laws.

Your asking a very detail question.

Yes. They got an STB waiver based on their commitment to not allow any interstate traffic on the Orlando - Cocoa section. They have many good business reasons to desire that. Allowing Amtrak to run does not bring any advantage that would cause them to forget those other reasons and bring in STB supervision. So I'd be very surprised if they'd go for that. They are pretty hard nosed businessmen and such people do not take on additional obligations just for the fun of it.
Let us first see Amtrak run on FEC from JAX to Miami. As it is, even that is not a given at present, specially since the JAX - Miami Central regional service will now clearly be AAF and not Amtrak, and also using integrated train sets and not locomotive plus random set of cars.