by JimBoylan
The Business section of that link mentions corporate charters. How long until someone tries to charter Brightline to Jacksonville of other points North of West Palm Beach?
Railroad Forums
Moderator: CRail
...will launch introductory service on its passenger trains on Saturday , with round-trip fares starting at $20 for rides between its stations in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.But, like Mr. Bell, I can't get into their site. However, Ms. Sorentrue reports that there remains no resolution of the Quiet Zone matter. The thought of apparently twenty more trains a day blowing at the 200 some X-ings WILL cause disruptions in a lot of people's lives.
During the week, the company plans to run 10 round-trip trains a day between the two cities. There will be nine round-trip trains on the weekends.
Trains will depart as early as 6 a.m. and as late as 11 p.m. The schedules will differ between weekdays and weekends, Brightline said.
Introductory “Try Our Train Fares” will be $10 each way for a seat in one of Brightline’s Smart Service cars. One-way tickets for a Select Service seat will cost $15, the company said
...But as Brightline prepares for its launch, the company continues to draw criticism from some longtime supporters of the project who are upset that it didn’t make good on a promise to create a continuous quiet zone to silence train horns along its route.
The zone will run from 15th Street in West Palm Beach south to the county line. It will silence the horns of both Brightline’s trains and freight locomotives that travel along the FEC tracks
May I commend you, Ms. Sorentrue.
I have been following the "Brightline Saga" since it was first announced during 2012. Admittedly I have been and still remain highly skeptical of this initiative and have shared thoughts at several discussion sites, I am glad to see they are inaugurating service in time for my annual journey "down below" (I reside in the Chicago area). Here is one discussion site, at which I post using my given name, and where thoughts have been shared by both hobbyists and those who are or have been employed within the railroad industry:
viewtopic.php?f=54&t=94565" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
But with the above having been said, I have found your reporting of AAF affairs to be the most objective and informative of any of the South Florida publications covering the story. Thank you for your continued efforts.
Gilbert B Norman
Gilbert B Norman wrote:But, like Mr. Bell, I can't get into their site. However, Ms. Sorentrue reports that there remains no resolution of the Quiet Zone matter. The thought of apparently twenty more trains a day blowing at the 200 some X-ings WILL cause disruptions in a lot of people's lives.I live within 150 yards of the Harlem Division, 1/4 mile from the station in Bronxville and 3/8 mile from that in Tuckahoe. Every single train that goes through on a platform track whistles at both of those. That's >150 trains a day. Doesn't disrupt my life or the lives of my family and neighbors in the slightest so far as I can tell. Granted it's just a short blast or two, not the long-long-short-long for a grade crossing, but still: one gets used to it very quickly.
Ridgefielder wrote:Some of these people agitating for quite zones must live right underneath the final approaches to KPBI!And they probably bitch at that just as much! And it's not like it's the middle of the night.
The private rail service also announced yet another leadership change. COO Patrick Goddard will take over as president, replacing former sports executive Dave Howard, who joined the company in March as CEO. Howard replaced Mike Reininger, who became executive director of Brightline parent FECI.http://www.miamiherald.com/news/busines ... 68174.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"As we launch this new service, Patrick Goddard will lead Brightline as the President and COO. Dave Howard was instrumental over the past year in transforming the company into the vibrant operation you see here today," said a Brightline spokesman via a statement. Howard is no longer with the company, he said.
too long to drive, too short to flyhttp://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/ ... 017612001/
WEST PALM BEACH — The Treasure and Space coasts still are waiting for Brightline, yet the railroad already is looking beyond its original goal of passenger service between Miami and Orlando. It’s eyeing expansion to Jacksonville and Tampa. And even as South Florida service gets underway Saturday, officials are exploring other parts of the country, such as Georgia, North Carolina and Texas, said to Wes Edens, co-founder of Fortress Investment Group, Brightline's parent company "Our vision doesn't stop here," Edens said Friday at a media event. "Our goal is to look at other corridors with similar characteristics — too long to drive, too short to fly."