Do we really want trains to be more like airplanes? A good number of travelers complain about the way airlines have crammed people in like cattle to save a few inches.
I don’t see Brightline messing with seat pitch to cram in a few more passengers per car, and I’ll also claim that train operations inherently benefit from longer seat pitch more than it costs. Since trains start and stop, churning passengers in and out, the longer pitch means that passengers can get in and out with less contortions even if you have an aisle seat. Brightline wants to keep their intermediate station stops fast (I think the PA script says “only a few moments” but ask me tomorrow afternoon), and wider pitch supports that. Additionally, the physics of trains makes them turn profitable on a cost-of-goods-sold basis way sooner than airplanes, because the train doesn’t have to burn
two tons of fuel to leave the station. Steel wheels on steel rails are pretty amazing efficiency-wise, the only big improvement would be electrification.
For South Florida service, they’re competing with generally comfortable but slow and dangerous automobiles (someone spending $19 each way between Ft. Lauderdale and Miami probably doesn’t have to rock a rust bucket with broken a/c like my last car), and losing the comfort angle forfeits that. Similarly, on the Orlando service, they’re competing with cars that someone has to drive the whole way, and betting that they’ll sell enough potential drivers on a seat they can bill hours in (
my usual justification), people that want a nicer experience than four hours in a car or TSA and domestic coach, and people that just want to try the train (in-law with my niece and nephew, who absolutely loved it).
Brightline seat pitch is 39” for both coach and first, more than AA narrowbody first or widebody premium economy, and both classes have 16 rows without accessibility accommodations. Going to 36” to fit 17 rows is still better than AA narrowbody premium economy, but now you’ve lost your seats being in lockstep with the windows, which means at least one row gets something even worse than an advertising wrap that blankets the windows.
The question for seat pitch changes is basically will the extra seats be sold enough to justify the costs of the change, including the costs of public perception, on trains that might only be full on a few segments daily? Would the more numerous seats make Brightline more competitive against a future sub-$10 Tri-Rail? Would Brightline benefit from pursuing that market? Would it alienate someone that wants the $100 to Orlando experience? Is it worth it when there are more passenger cars on a delivery schedule already?
