Brightline Trains Florida discussion

[jis]

My lips are sealed

 

[user 1215]

Well, the Japanese are extremely knowledgeable about integrating retail and railroad, though Softbank only had a stint with railroad communications early in its life.

 

[cirdan]

This is early days and we don't yet know why Softbank bought Fortress Group and what they want to do with it.

Quite possibly this has nothing whatsoever to do with Brightline and it may not have any effect whatsoever.

 

[jis]

Article on Brightline in Trains Magazine with some nice photos ...

http://trn.trains.com/photos-videos/2017/02/behind-the-scenes-with-brightline

 

[jis]

According to reliable source posting on trainroders, the second Brightline train set will leave Sacramento tomorrow (Thursday 3/2/17) and head by the way of Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Jacksonville to the Brightline West Palm beach facility. Most of the move will be on UP until it is handed over to FEC at Jacksonville, with power change happening most likely at Bowden Yard.

 

[Anderson]

This is early days and we don't yet know why Softbank bought Fortress Group and what they want to do with it.

Quite possibly this has nothing whatsoever to do with Brightline and it may not have any effect whatsoever.

Whether it has anything to do with it or not is a different question than what impact it will have. FIG was, as far as I can tell, comparatively strapped for cash and so their ability to self-finance was limited. As a note, per their last filing period Softbank had about $22bn in cash and equivalents in the bank while FIG never had more than about $400m.

 

[chrsjrcj]

According to reliable source posting on trainroders, the second Brightline train set will leave Sacramento tomorrow (Thursday 3/2/17) and head by the way of Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Jacksonville to the Brightline West Palm beach facility. Most of the move will be on UP until it is handed over to FEC at Jacksonville, with power change happening most likely at Bowden Yard.

Looks like it won't depart until Monday now.

 

[jis]

A neat video ...

https://youtu.be/tlS8IsPuC9c

 

[jis]

Bright Pink, the second consist, is on its way to Florida...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1766080723710350&set=pcb.1345408942186816&type=3&theater

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Bright Pink, the second consist, is on its way to Florida...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1766080723710350&set=pcb.1345408942186816&type=3&theater

Beautiful! And among all this glamour, I'd like to give a thank you to the UP workhorses bringing Brightline across the country They may not be glamorous, but they are doing a lot of work!.

 

[prc]

Forgive me for barging in like this, I've never posted here before (I tend to keep my mouth shut and my eyes/ears open)...

Is there any way to tell when this consist will be brought south from Jacksonville? I'm in Melbourne and would love to watch it pass through.

Thanks.

 

[jis]

Forgive me for barging in like this, I've never posted here before (I tend to keep my mouth shut and my eyes/ears open)...

Is there any way to tell when this consist will be brought south from Jacksonville? I'm in Melbourne and would love to watch it pass through.

Thanks.

Not really, other than following reports from on line railfans reporting passing times at various places. The last time there was a report out of JAX when it arrived there.

BTW, greetings from a fellow Melbourne resident here!

 

[jis]

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2017/03/08-brightline-new-ceo

 

[chrsjrcj]

I think the biggest takeaway from this is that operations are getting close to reality. Mr. Reininger will now focus on Phases 2 and 3 (which appears to be confirmed as Tampa not Jacksonville).

 

[jis]

He will be fully occupied trying to get Phase II done. There are still some significant political challenges to overcome.

 

[Brian_tampa]

I think the biggest takeaway from this is that operations are getting close to reality. Mr. Reininger will now focus on Phases 2 and 3 (which appears to be confirmed as Tampa not Jacksonville).

Great news for us here in Tampa! I feel vindicated in a sense as I was about the only one who kept saying Tampa would (or should) be next after Orlando. Everyone else thought that Jacksonville was next due to the FECR railway ROW and agreement with AAF. But AAF/FECI is a business out to make money. Tampa offers many more potential passengers to other cities along the AAF system compared with Jacksonville. I must keep referring back to the 2006 Florida State Transportation Planning Report (updated in 2010) that detailed their analysis of travel patterns and included the rail template that AAF is following regarding routes, number of tracks, and even level of service!

 

[jis]

The Japanese acquisition of The Fortress Group with the Specific purpose of acquisition and development if American Real Estate changes the entire financial picture and strategy substantially. My guess is they would now be willing to actually make substantial real estate acquisitions even where they currently do not have a footprint, and a railroad might come along with it given the progressively more horrid state of the highway system and traffic.

Tampa is the first beneficiary of this change as TFG now has the money to justify the building and operating of that segment without any outside help provided they can get enough real estate to do the typical development around their station.

 

[A Voice]

Partial service to begin in July:

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/brightline-start-service-july-between-wpb-and-lauderdale/u251adut2TnzPrHpV0YOiM/

 

[jis]

The third set has left the factory and is one its way on UP in California.

The second set is due into New Orleans this (Saturday 3/11) evening. What CSX will do after that is unknown.

 

[jis]

Bright Pink crossing the St. johns River at Jacksonville on its way to Bowden Yard for handover to FEC to West Palm Beach and its AAF home.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10212231182925014&set=gm.1351387444922299&type=3&theater

 

[jis]

Article on Debbie Mayfield's NIMBY Bill in the Florida Senate....

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/commentary/fl-mroped-rail-safety-bill-florida-20170319-story.html

 

[A Voice]

Article on Debbie Mayfield's NIMBY Bill in the Florida Senate....

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/commentary/fl-mroped-rail-safety-bill-florida-20170319-story.html

Obviously All Aboard Florida opposes this bill, but they do go a bit over the top in their arguments:

The collateral damage of this bill for Florida will be no future for passenger rail within the state.

SB 386 is about killing AAF, and passenger rail in Florida dies alongside.

I know the intent is to obstruct Brightline (not really necessary if it fails on its own...), and I'm not saying the new rules are necessary or appropriate, but what specifically about these regulations does AAF find so onerous?

 

[neroden]

They're trying to make AAF pay for city roads across their property (not legal, and a seizure) and they're trying to introduce a lot of bureaucratic hassle to prevent the system from being constructed at all.

 

[jis]

Ferromex is negotiating with the Fortress Investment Group to acquire the FEC Railroad. AS we have discussed here before Fortress has put FECR on the market several months back.

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2017/03/27-ferromex-negotiating-deal-to-acquire-florida-east-coast-railway

 

[CHamilton]

Ferromex is negotiating with the Fortress Investment Group to acquire the FEC Railroad. AS we have discussed here before Fortress has put FECR on the market several months back.

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2017/03/27-ferromex-negotiating-deal-to-acquire-florida-east-coast-railway

Here's the original Reuters article quoted above.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-floridaeastcoastrailway-m-a-ferromex-idUKKBN16Y297