Amtrak Inspection Train on the Florida East Coast this week.

[Engineer Spike]

How is the Amtrak power going to run solo? Is the lack cab signals going to be waived, or is the FEC system compatible with that used elsewhere on Amtrak?

When I worked passenger on BN, the Metra units had a switch to change between Burlington, Rock, And CNW cab signals. I know Amtrak power is set up similarly.

[Noel Weaver]

Please note this trip took place back in 2010. The Florida East Coast received written permission from the FRA to run the Amtrak power on the train as a non-equipped train and they also received clearance to operate at speeds up to 79 MPH which we did a number of different times. I rode in the dome car both ways on the entire round trip and had a speed indicator right next to me. We did 79 and it hardly seemed that we were moving at all the ride was that smooth.
As for FEC cab signals and train control it is not the same as Amtrak or Conrail or any others anywhere. It was intended for Amtrak to modify the train control set up on enough locomotives to operate on the FEC but it never went any further. Politics is awlful and that is most likely what stopped this worthy project before it really got off the ground. At least I got a good ride on a good passenger train on the Florida East Coast.
Noel Weaver

[JimBoylan]

Is the FEC doing anything about Positive Train Control, like getting a waiver to have a system different from every other railroad?

[Bob Roberts]

Jacksonville, some day maybe but Tampa is very unlikely. The FEC doesn't own any trackage in Tampa and has no access to Tampa either. Maybe down the road Jacksonville is a definate maybe and I think it would work quite well.
Noel Weaver

What happened to the I-4 median ROW that was to be used for Orlando-Tampa hsr back in 2009 before gov scott killed it? I have zero local knowledge but it sounds like this setup could mirror the newly constricted FEC tracks into Orlando?

[electricron]

What happened to the I-4 median ROW that was to be used for Orlando-Tampa hsr back in 2009 before gov scott killed it? I have zero local knowledge but it sounds like this setup could mirror the newly constricted FEC tracks into Orlando?

The median is still there. But it's owned by the FDOT, not a semi-private toll road authority or a large church.

Look at all the hoops FEC is having to jump over laying new tracks and running additional trains on land they already own. Imagine all the additional political obstacles they would have to jump over to access land owned by FDOT. It's far easier for a governmental agency/authority to get access to public lands, quite different for a private ran railroad company. It's possible FDOT will only release that median for true HSR trains, and not for the 125 mph Brightline trains.

Remember, All Aboard Florida has to stand on its own without government operating subsidies. Extending it towards Tampa may happen in the future, and maybe it will not. It all depends upon business feasibility. A true HSR train with speeds approaching 200 mph may be able to run profitably between Orlando and Tampa, but a 125 mph train may not. The costs of building a 125 mph rail corridor within the median of I-4 may not be all that much cheaper than building a 200 mph rail corridor.

I can't blame FEC/AAF/Brightline folks taking a wait and see if their original plans works before committing $Billions for other extensions.

My last point, Orlando to Tampa passenger train doesn't have to be ran by FEC/AAF/Brightline, it could be ran by a FDOT, FHSR rebirth, Sunrail, or by a third private railroad company - possibly even CSX. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.