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Found a video of a presentation AAF did a few days ago.



Not much more then what we already know. Hourly service from about 6 am to 9 pm. They have their Miami to WPB permits, and ground will break at the end of this year. WPB-Orlando EIS should be done by spring of 2014. Test runs starting at the end of 2015, revenue runs in early 2016.

Interestingly, he does mention at about 28:00 that AAF is the name of the company, not the brand name of the train. Down to two manufactures (almost one) to actually build the trains. Will be built in the USA. Factory possibly in New York or California (any ideas based on that?).
 
chrsjrcj said:
Down to two manufactures (almost one) to actually build the trains. Will be built in the USA. Factory possibly in New York or California (any ideas based on that?).
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New York: CAF or Alstrom?

California: Siemens?
 
chrsjrcj said:
Not much more then what we already know. Hourly service from about 6 am to 9 pm. They have their Miami to WPB permits, and ground will break at the end of this year. WPB-Orlando EIS should be done by spring of 2014. Test runs starting at the end of 2015, revenue runs in early 2016.
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2016 is shaping up to be a busy year for expansion/restoration of passenger rail in the US. We will see if AAF can start Miami to Orlando service by early 2016.

Local news article on the $5.5 million purchase of property in West Palm beach for the railroad station and retail center: All Aboard Florida confirms ownership of 2 acres for downtown West Palm station and development.
 
Anderson said:
Just wondering why the regret...and, of course, the source.

Edit: If they were to try and use a minor change of plans (starting time, number of frequencies, etc.) to try and assert jurisdiction, I suspect they'll end up in court rather quickly. Even a Tampa extension as a reason would likely trigger some sort of legal row.
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The California ruling is controlling precedent now, making the AAF ruling bad precedent. The cases are not really distinguishable, despite some figleafs; to the extent that they are distinguishable, the AAF case (running on shared track with freights, no time separation) points towards STB jurisdiction and the California case does not, which shows you just how stone-cold dead the AAF ruling is as precedent.

And in fact I think it wouldn't trigger any sort of legal row. With the current attitude of the STB (based on the California ruling) AAF would be told "We have jurisdiction. Now we approve of your request to build passenger rail service, in accordance with Congress's statement of intent to promote passenger rail service. And we find that you are a private railroad and not subject to NEPA. Now please go do whatever you like with our blessing." This is what I'd expect to happen upon a Tampa extension request.

Since this position was AAF's backup request if its attempt to avoid jurisdiction failed, and is in practical terms the same result, AAF should be perfectly happy with it. By contrast, if AAF picked a fight in court, it could risk losing a lot worse; since the California precedent is good and the AAF precedent is just bad, the AAF precedent will collapse as soon as it's challenged. AAF doesn't want to poke it.
 
Looking at the link there is also another rail project in the works. Ft. Lauderdale's the streetcar project. This is shaping up to be a Transportation Renaissance in Florida.
 
Siemens Rail Systems and Cummins today announce a partnership to build a new 125mph passenger locomotive in the USA for the USA market. It meets Tier4 emissions requirements and is a lighter weight design.

Could this possibly be the locomotive that AAF chooses? It does appear to match perfectly what AAF has described in their publicly available materials.

The timing of this announcement is also interesting. AAF is very close to announcing their rolling stock manufacturer. Other than AAF, what potential customer would trigger such a new locomotive design specifically for passenger service in the USA market?

http://cumminsengines.com/siemens-and-cummins-team-up-in-the-us
 
Brian_tampa said:
Siemens Rail Systems and Cummins today announce a partnership to build a new 125mph passenger locomotive in the USA for the USA market. It meets Tier4 emissions requirements and is a lighter weight design.

Could this possibly be the locomotive that AAF chooses? It does appear to match perfectly what AAF has described in their publicly available materials.

The timing of this announcement is also interesting. AAF is very close to announcing their rolling stock manufacturer. Other than AAF, what potential customer would trigger such a new locomotive design specifically for passenger service in the USA market?

http://cumminsengines.com/siemens-and-cummins-team-up-in-the-us
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I was looking at this, and was just about to post that here. Siemens will build them in California, so it is a possibility I think.
 
chrsjrcj said:
Brian_tampa said:
Siemens Rail Systems and Cummins today announce a partnership to build a new 125mph passenger locomotive in the USA for the USA market. It meets Tier4 emissions requirements and is a lighter weight design.

Could this possibly be the locomotive that AAF chooses? It does appear to match perfectly what AAF has described in their publicly available materials.

The timing of this announcement is also interesting. AAF is very close to announcing their rolling stock manufacturer. Other than AAF, what potential customer would trigger such a new locomotive design specifically for passenger service in the USA market?http://cumminsengines.com/siemens-and-cummins-team-up-in-the-us
Click to expand...
I was looking at this, and was just about to post that here. Siemens will build them in California, so it is a possibility I think.
Click to expand...
Yes they will build in CA. I suspect this might be what AAF has in mind, due to AAF over the past year talking about using a European trainset manufacturer. I don't think they will pick GE or EMD as the locomotive manufacturer. It is true this could also be for the Amtrak/CA/IL/WA state combined design/order. But that isn't due for another 2 years before actual production. I would not think Siemens would announce a newly designed loco for that program when the government has not even announced who won the bidding! This locomotive model is for something different, in my opinion.
 
A video of the presentation made by Rusty Roberts of AAF to the city council meeting in Ft Pierce, FL this past Monday (Dec. 2nd, 2013).

Items to note:

1. They have evidently nailed down the schedules for first and last trains from/to Miami and Orlando. First trains will leave at 6am and last trains will leave at 9pm.

2. AAF has hired consultants and engineers from several countries (not just the USA) to assist with the design of the train sets. They will be of foreign (European I think he said) design and be unlike anything in the USA.

3. AAF would consider adding Ft Pierce as a stop in the future after initial route is running for several years if the ridership numbers are there - probably not with hourly service. They could conceivably run certain trains that make more stops??

4. Construction will not begin on the south segment (MIA to WPB) until first quarter of 2014 - they are currently wrapping up contract negotiations with engineering and construction contractors.

5. Construction on WPB to MCO segment will be 3rd quarter (July-Sep) timeframe of 2014.

6. Will announce new name for service in mid-2014.

7. Beginning process with FRA in early 2014 to determine safety design requirements for every roadway crossing. This will allow for the engineering estimate and design to proceed and also let the cities understand what will be required to implement "quiet zones".

Link to video of his presentation:

http://fortpiercefl.swagit.com/play/12022013-566/#14
 
Brian_tampa said:
chrsjrcj said:
Brian_tampa said:
Siemens Rail Systems and Cummins today announce a partnership to build a new 125mph passenger locomotive in the USA for the USA market. It meets Tier4 emissions requirements and is a lighter weight design.

Could this possibly be the locomotive that AAF chooses? It does appear to match perfectly what AAF has described in their publicly available materials.

The timing of this announcement is also interesting. AAF is very close to announcing their rolling stock manufacturer. Other than AAF, what potential customer would trigger such a new locomotive design specifically for passenger service in the USA market?http://cumminsengines.com/siemens-and-cummins-team-up-in-the-us
Click to expand...
I was looking at this, and was just about to post that here. Siemens will build them in California, so it is a possibility I think.
Click to expand...
Yes they will build in CA. I suspect this might be what AAF has in mind, due to AAF over the past year talking about using a European trainset manufacturer. I don't think they will pick GE or EMD as the locomotive manufacturer. It is true this could also be for the Amtrak/CA/IL/WA state combined design/order. But that isn't due for another 2 years before actual production. I would not think Siemens would announce a newly designed loco for that program when the government has not even announced who won the bidding! This locomotive model is for something different, in my opinion.
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I am guessing that the new Siemens diesel locomotive is evolved from the ACS-64 in the same way they evolved the Vectron diesel from their electric platform for the European market. By re-using many components, they are building on a tried and tested platform while permitting the same production line to produce both types seamlessly. So maybe as the ACS-64 production winds down, they are hoping to seamlessly transition into diesel production, first for AAF, then for the state orders plus for whatever else may appear on the horizon between now and then (including commuter systems). Of course if Amtrak is sufficiently impressed with the ACS-64, that may be a door opener to whatever will replace the P42 (although I think both GE and EMD are going to push hard for that order, which will squeeze Siemens hard).
 
They will be of foreign (European I think he said) design and be unlike anything in the USA.
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That's a tad unsettling. We have Talgo so that's out. What's left really? A completely articulated trainset with no real divisions between cars? Cars propelled by a thousand hamsters?
 
MattW said:
They will be of foreign (European I think he said) design and be unlike anything in the USA.
Click to expand...
That's a tad unsettling. We have Talgo so that's out. What's left really? A completely articulated trainset with no real divisions between cars? Cars propelled by a thousand hamsters?
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I like the hamsters!
 
All joking aside, Talgo would still be on the list. They have a US facility, but they're ultimately a European company (Spanish IIRC). This would also hint at Alstom (French), AnsaldoBreda, Siemens, and/or Bombardier (which has extensive European operations in spite of being Canadian). In short...lots of names we're familiar with.
 
IIRC AAF said they would announce the maker(s) of the train sets by the end of the year. :)

:eek: Time is running short :eek:

:excl: So any day now :excl:

But then again they've not made most of their self imposed deadlines. :p
 
^^ Davy Crockett -

From what I understand they have been delayed due to their efforts to obtain a waiver or an agreement from the FRA in order to run "European" design/style train sets. AAF has been working with the FRA for the better part of 2013 on this, if not longer. I think the plan is to announce the builder and the operator sometime before summer 2104 2014. By the way, they are also behind on their construction start date down in the MIA to WPB corridor as well. That was supposed to begin by end of 2013 - they have more control over construction I would suppose than the train set selection (too much government red-tape with that!). Otherwise, I have not heard much at all in the past month.
 
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Very interesting job posting on the Siemens website today:

http://usa.siemens.jobs/sacramento-ca/commercial-project-manager-small-projects=cpmsp-for-all-aboard-florida-project/42751402/job/

AAF has been very mum about the rolling stock supplier up to this point. However this appears to not apply to any potential manufacturer. With the new job posted being based in Sacramento (site of where they build train sets for the N American market), this is most likely an indirect way of saying AAF has awarded the work to Siemens. No confirmation from AAF or FECI - just my best educated guess!
 
It's already been removed. Looks like AAF might have got wind that Siemens was inadvertently leaking and asked them to pull it.
 
Dang, you guys are good!

Edit: Did anyone manage to get a screencap?
 
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Anderson ^^^, yes I was able to save the webpage as a pdf document. I was expecting it would not stay up for long!
 
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