Commentary

Brightline goes Virginal. What next?

Everybody has been watching Brightline, the bold upstart operator of private-sector passenger trains in a nation where every other scheduled train is operated in the public sector, either by Amtrak or by a local transit authority. There has been a lot of news about Brightline lately, and this writer originally intended to focus on the customer experience and the railroad’s plans for the future.

Brightline submits sole Tampa-Orlando HSR proposal

Only one company submitted a proposal to develop a passenger rail line connecting Tampa and Orlando – but that company is well-known in Florida transportation circles.

Asplund new head of Florida East Coast Rwy.

Florida East Coast Railway, the regional carrier operating 350 miles of main line from Miami to Jacksonville, has a new President and Chief Executive Officer.

Narrow gains for U.S. carloads

Traffic on U.S. railroads totaled 486,474 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.8% compared with the same week in 2016.

CSX, NS restart after Hurricane Irma

Railroads restarted some services in Florida following Hurricane Irma, and began to assess damage throughout the southeast region.

Aggregate, minerals lead weekly AAR carloads

The Association of American Railroads said U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Aug. 5, 2017 totaled 554,822 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.3% compared with the same week a year ago.

Brightline safety seminar preps Florida first-responders

Brightline, Florida’s soon-to-open higher-speed passenger rail service, conducted a training seminar for first responders from Broward and Palm Beach counties at Workshop b, the rail operator’s maintenance facility, in West Palm Beach on June 24.

Siemens delivering two Brightline trainsets

Brightline, Florida’s privately-funded passenger rail operator, planned to take delivery today of two new trainsets.

AAR: March sees sand, grain carload marks

Carloads on U.S. railroads grew by 7.3% in March from the same month a year ago, the Association of American Railroads reported.

No vote for bill aimed at regulating Brightline

The future of a bill aimed at regulating Brightline, South Florida’s private passenger rail operation, is in question after a House committee this week postponed a vote on the measure.

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