While Biden and the new administration are promoting their $Trillion dollar infrastructure program, and an improved Amtrak would supposedly be a benefit, the Republic Of Florida has its own program, with no cost to the taxpayers.
The privately owned high speed train has been operating since 2018 between Miami and West Palm Beach. Richard Branson, who spent this past weekend near outer space, envisioned a high speed Virgin Train brand between Orlando and Miami. While Virgin is no longer involved with the project, the extension from West Palm Beach to Orlando is being built. The Brightline extension requires seventeen new bridges and 170 miles of track. The new track is next to the old existing single track, now in use for freight.
The project is not without controversy. While very few towns would have a station or benefit from the high speed line, the train will be speeding through them. A concern is the danger imposed by such high speed at all the crossings.
The new bridges are a massive undertaking. Shown above is the bridge construction over the Crane Creek in the Space Coast area. A temporary bridge was constructed to hold the massive equipment necessary to build the new bridges.
Florida was developed a century ago by Henry Flagler and his train company. Private enterprise does still exist.
photocredit/molovinsky
Have there been a lot of fatalities?
ReplyDeleteI made an earlier comment asking if there were a lot of fatalities. You can disregard that question as I did some research on my own.
ReplyDeleteThe Miami New Times ran an article in October called “Death Train: A Timeline of of Brightline Fatalities” detailing the many incidents on the route.
That said, it appears many of the incidents are suicides or the outright stupidity of people driving around the gates at railroad crossings, and as you note the trains are traveling much slower (80 mph vs. 130 mph) when going through towns.
Fatalities aside, if the privately owned Brightline was built as you say at no cost to the taxpayer, it would seem that the project is a match made in heaven for both taxpayer advocates and rail enthusiasts (assuming that there are also no government subsidies for Brightline operating costs).
anon@5:08: I leave your first comment up as a reminder to readers to please use google before asking a question. More and more I'm not putting the questions up.
DeleteUnderstand that 80mph is still incredibly fast for a gated crossing in the center of a town. In Florida the trains do not have over and under passes. There is no beating the train once the gates start to come down. Also adding to the danger is that the tracks are very close to busy US 1, backing traffic up on the highway. Add in a large percentage of elderly people...
MM - Good advice on Google, but if I can I'd like to make a case for putting the questions up anyway.
DeleteI learn so much from this blog. This morning it was that there are indeed privately-funded passenger rail lines in the US. That said, part of what I learn often comes from the comments made, including the questions. Even when a question seems off-base or opposite to my way of thinking, I find that the answers of others (or me and my own research/answers) often leads to either being able to articulate my own position, or sometimes to reconsider it.
Today I had a little bit of time to research my own question and post it here for others to review. I see that as my own (very small) contribution to furthering the discussion that you started. Many days, however, I am unable to find and/or post an answer for a myriad of reasons. On those days you or other readers often pick up my slack and round out the discussion of a topic with an answer.
And since we're up on the Thanksgiving holiday, I wanted to let you know how grateful I am for your blog. I read it daily, and it's usually the first site I go to in the morning. I can't imagine the effort it takes to administer the blog, much less come up with content for it on a daily basis. Please know that all of it is greatly appreciated.
Happy Thanksgiving to You and All Your Readers!
anon@8:05: thank you for the kind words. Some clarification on Brightline... although it was started and funded with private money, I believe that some infrastructure Biden funds have been since used. i.e., there was a proposal to build another station in Coca, via a grant. (recently not approved)
DeleteI've published the blog every weekday, including holidays, since May of 2007. With a troll since 2009 (who probably should be in jail for harassing many people) the comment section is challenging. Although I printed two from him yesterday, I received another six or so. From the sincere readers, I tend to omit short "I agree" type comments. I also tend more and more to not publish longer replies to other readers, not wanting to moderate a chat room. But for the troll, I could just let comments go up on their own. I believe that the Trump administration will be run from Palm Beach. With Musk (Space X) dominating Cape Canaveral, and his current influence with Trump, I plan on more Florida based posts.
Lest anyone get the idea that any proposals for train service to New York from the Lehigh Valley will be like the Brightline...fuggetaboud it. At best we are looking at a 3+ hour trip on freight tracks with a change of trains in Hoboken, or some other Jersey town on the Hudson. Think about it: the trip will have about 15 miles in PA, 80 in Jersey, and 4 blocks in Manhattan. Ya think it won't be controlled by the Gov of New Jersey?
ReplyDeleteAmtrak to Florida yields to CSX freight on the tracks south
DeletePeople who push for train service between the LV and Manhattan forget why the service was discontinued 60 years ago.
DeleteLack of ridership.
Yes, I understand 60 years ago Allentown was not a bedroom community for NYC. The question today is that what we want Allentown to be in the future? I can tell you that if it does happen, it won't be Allentown, but more likely the townships surrounding the city.
Why move to Allentown when the commuters can live in the expensive townships, in which the prices for real estate and many other things will be driven up by those used to paying New York prices for homes, and services.
They will cause additional road congestion, school congestion, and the real benificiaries will be the criminals that reside in Allentown. Who will go to where the money is.
Exactly! If one wants to make New York money, then pay New York rents and home prices. Don’t stick us with a high cost of living, but with Lehigh Valley salaries.
ReplyDelete