Passenger Trains > FL: BrightLine is hiring...

Train attendants, station staff, etc.  Full and part time. Salaries between $15k and $40k per multiple sites.  The company is hosting an open house at the County Center in West Palm Beach today.  They hosted another fair at the county college a few weeks ago.  CBS12 had a short mention of it this morning.

The West Palm Beach area has very low unemployment, and several new hotels (The Ben, etc) have put a lot of demand in the market.  My guess is the very friendly staff at BrightLine have been poached on a regular basis. And others promoted as they build out their business.

https://recruiting.ultipro.com/FLO1008FLECI/JobBoard/fa69458f-9429-4b31-aedc-ac3bd91e4bec/?q=&o=postedDateDesc



 

They are also advertising engineering positions for 173 miles of high speed RR construction to Las Vegas.  Perhaps some retired folks who live in beautiful, sunny Las Vegas would want those positions for this unstable project.
Job ads say this is a multi-billion dollar project and "This project will likely be the first FRA Tier III High Speed Rail project implemented in the United States, operating at speeds up to 180mph."
But CAHSR is already being implemented and I would think Texas HSR is closer to being implemented than Victorville-Vegas.  Both have higher top speeds than 180mph.
The "private sector" can be as full of **** as the government, I guess.

RRTom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They are also advertising engineering positions
> for 173 miles of high speed RR construction to Las
> Vegas.  Perhaps some retired folks who live in
> beautiful, sunny Las Vegas would want those
> positions for this unstable project.
> Job ads say this is a multi-billion dollar project
> and "This project will likely be the first FRA
> Tier III High Speed Rail project implemented in
> the United States, operating at speeds up to
> 180mph."
> But CAHSR is already being implemented and I
> would think Texas HSR is closer to being
> implemented than Victorville-Vegas.  Both have
> higher top speeds than 180mph.
> The "private sector" can be as full of **** as the
> government, I guess.

VT Las Vegas, I believe has all of the permits that they need. Texas is still working on it.

In the horse race, California is pulling up lame, but VT is leading Texas. My bets are on VT.

Perhaps they were found on poachable.com!

Steve

According to the latest news report I saw in January, Virgin Las Vegas still needs to:

• Raise $4.8 billion.
• Get a ROD from the Feds.
• Get FRA approvals.
• Purchase land.
• Build 173 miles of track.
• Build a maintenance facility.
• Build stations.
• Procure equipment.
• Test everything.

They say construction can start as early as mid-2020 and they will be ready in 2023.
I don't think 3-1/2 years for all that is enough time.  I've got 28 years of major infrastructure design and construction experience, so I'd be interested if you or someone else has more accurate information that this is rapidly coming together.
Plus Branson is a promoter by trade and he invested in the laughable Hyperloop, so that doesn't give me confidence that 1) he knows what he is doing and/or 2) he is honest.

SteveThorpe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Perhaps they were found on poachable.com!
>
> Steve

Register that name!

BrightLine has a lot of very friendly and helpful staff. If I was hiring for a high end restaurant or hotel, I would consider BrightLine a good training ground.

Posted from Android

RRTom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They say construction can start as early as
> mid-2020 and they will be ready in 2023.
> I don't think 3-1/2 years for all that is enough
> time.  I've got 28 years of major infrastructure
> design and construction experience, so I'd be
> interested if you or someone else has more
> accurate information that this is rapidly coming
> together.
> Plus Branson is a promoter by trade and he
> invested in the laughable Hyperloop, so that
> doesn't give me confidence that 1) he knows what
> he is doing and/or 2) he is honest.

While I agree that 3-1/2 years for completion is a bit optimistic, I do not see California getting its act together in that time frame. Independent minded Texans still have a few tricks up their sleeves to stop the Texas project.

Indications are that more money besides Branson's is behind VT.

Meanwhile, construction for VT continues in Florida.

How about a friendly bet? I am sticking with seeing revenue service on VT - Las Vegas before we see it with CAHSR or Texas Central.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/13/20 14:28 by ts1457.

ts1457 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Indications are that more money besides Branson's
> is behind VT.

Branson's money behind Virgin Train is mearly a naming rights deal.  About the same as if he put his brand name on a stadium.  SoftBank Group out of Tokyo is the real money - 36th largest publicly traded company in the world, 2nd largest publicly traded company in Japan.  

ts1457 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RRTom Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > They say construction can start as early as
> > mid-2020 and they will be ready in 2023.
> > I don't think 3-1/2 years for all that is
> enough
> > time.  I've got 28 years of major
> infrastructure
> > design and construction experience, so I'd be
> > interested if you or someone else has more
> > accurate information that this is rapidly
> coming
> > together.
> > Plus Branson is a promoter by trade and he
> > invested in the laughable Hyperloop, so that
> > doesn't give me confidence that 1) he knows
> what
> > he is doing and/or 2) he is honest.
>
> While I agree that 3-1/2 years for completion is a
> bit optimistic, I do not see California getting
> its act together in that time frame. Independent
> minded Texans still have a few tricks up their
> sleeves to stop the Texas project.
>
> Indications are that more money besides Branson's
> is behind VT.
>
> Meanwhile, construction for VT continues in
> Florida.
>
> How about a friendly bet? I am sticking with
> seeing revenue service on VT - Les Vegas before we
> see it with CAHSR or Texas Central.

I agree.

Posted from iPhone

scraphauler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ts1457 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > Indications are that more money besides
> Branson's
> > is behind VT.
>
> Branson's money behind Virgin Train is mearly a
> naming rights deal.  About the same as if he put
> his brand name on a stadium.  SoftBank Group out
> of Tokyo is the real money - 36th largest publicly
> traded company in the world, 2nd largest publicly
> traded company in Japan.  

Oh, Softbank - the guys who "invested" billions in WeWork!  Now I have even less confidence that this is a winner!  :)

ts1457 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RRTom Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > They say construction can start as early as
> > mid-2020 and they will be ready in 2023.
> > I don't think 3-1/2 years for all that is
> enough
> > time.  I've got 28 years of major
> infrastructure
> > design and construction experience, so I'd be
> > interested if you or someone else has more
> > accurate information that this is rapidly
> coming
> > together.
> > Plus Branson is a promoter by trade and he
> > invested in the laughable Hyperloop, so that
> > doesn't give me confidence that 1) he knows
> what
> > he is doing and/or 2) he is honest.
>
> While I agree that 3-1/2 years for completion is a
> bit optimistic, I do not see California getting
> its act together in that time frame. Independent
> minded Texans still have a few tricks up their
> sleeves to stop the Texas project.
>
> Indications are that more money besides Branson's
> is behind VT.
>
> Meanwhile, construction for VT continues in
> Florida.
>
> How about a friendly bet? I am sticking with
> seeing revenue service on VT - Las Vegas before we
> see it with CAHSR or Texas Central.

The Texas project is bigger: longer, electrified, three stations, urban areas, property acquisition, technology not used in the USA before, etc...  but they have what appears to be a reasonable business case and it's a top USA infrastructure project according to the current presidential administration.  As for CAHSR, I downloaded their latest business plan but haven't read it yet so I don't know their current schedule, but I would hope they can get trains running on their initial segment by 2023.  With all that said, and admitting I don't know much about VT-Las Vegas, I will still take you up on the bet because I just don't think VT-Las Vegas is a sound idea and their plan doesn't look solid!  
 

RRTom WroteOh, Softbank - the guys who "invested" billions in WeWork!  Now I have even less confidence that this is a winner!  :) Yep - one in the same.  They pissed away a few billion there and didn't miss a beat, so why wouldn't anyone expect them to be able to dump buckers of money into a pet choo choo train project.  Both Vegas and Florida could be utter financial failures and they would still likley be consider successful tax shelters. 

RRTom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> The Texas project is bigger: longer, electrified,
> three stations, urban areas, property acquisition,
> technology not used in the USA before, etc... 
> but they have what appears to be a reasonable
> business case and it's a top USA infrastructure
> project according to the current presidential
> administration.  As for CAHSR, I downloaded their
> latest business plan but haven't read it yet so I
> don't know their current schedule, but I would
> hope they can get trains running on their initial
> segment by 2023.  With all that said,
> and admitting I don't know much about VT-Las
> Vegas, I will still take you up on the bet because
> I just don't think VT-Las Vegas is a sound idea
> and their plan doesn't look solid!  

Sounds good. Maybe we will have a winner before mid-decade.

Scraphauler, I admit you have a point about Softbank, although it could just as easily be an actual "epic fail", as the hip kids say.
My problem is that I have to try not to lose money in day-to-day life, sticking to a budget, paying my taxes fully and on time, knowing I will likely be jailed if I try to bribe anyone.  I forget that not everyone is in my situation.  I guess I need to think out of that box!

"Make no small plans." Daniel Burnham.

RRTom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Scraphauler, I admit you have a point about
> Softbank, although it could just as easily be an
> actual "epic fail", as the hip kids say.
> My problem is that I have to try not to lose money
> in day-to-day life, sticking to a budget, paying
> my taxes fully and on time, knowing I will likely
> be jailed if I try to bribe anyone.  I forget
> that not everyone is in my situation.  I guess I
> need to think out of that box!

Your personal problem is that you dont create jobs, of have the wherewithal to make monster investments that yield tax credits.  Im sure these big operations file their  taxes on time....but the government has decided that they will allow ppl or corporations who invest billions in certain porjects, to have tax relief.   You have to invest money to get tax credits.  All in all, its still cash flow very negative, which you hope to recoupe down the line...

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Salaries between $15k and $40k per
> multiple sites.

Is that a competitive (or even livable) wage in that area for this kind of work? I’m unfamiliar with the labor market there, but those figures strike me as quite low...

Posted from iPhone

pennengineer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Salaries between $15k and $40k per
> > multiple sites.
>
> Is that a competitive (or even livable) wage in
> that area for this kind of work? I’m unfamiliar
> with the labor market there, but those figures
> strike me as quite low...
>
> Posted from iPhone

Good question. Since the range includes both part time and full time positions, it's difficult to tell. There's a benefit package for  full and part time people, with medical, and they pay something toward education, which is unusual around here. The middle of their range is just under $18 an hour, which is good with benefits. They can pick and choose with that number.  You can live, frugally, on that income with employer medical.

Many of the BrightLine service people I've met are part time workers. Often college students. I usually ask, if things aren't too rushed.  My sense is it's a good place to work, and I've seen the same people over the years.

The labor market is very tight in the Palm Beach County area. Under 3%.  One well known private club regularly imports temporary workers from Haiti for grounds keeping and maid service as their offer of $8 doesn't get any takers among the locals. Landscapers who are on the books pay about $14, no benefits. Our association asks about contractor pay, and requests criminal background, and bonding for all employees.


OPINION



(Florida's arch-conservative legislature beat back an effort to mandate the use of federal E-Verify for all employers of 10 employees or more. It was opposed by the powerful ag business and the hotel trades, who prefer to hire undocumented, fake papers folks. Having illegal migrants is OK if they work cheaply.)
 

RRTom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> According to the latest news report I saw in
> January, Virgin Las Vegas still needs to:
>
>

• Raise $4.8 billion.
  >
• Get a ROD from the Feds.
  >
• Get FRA approvals.
  >
• Purchase land.
  >
• Build 173 miles of track.
  >
• Build a maintenance facility.
  >
• Build stations.
  >
• Procure equipment.
  >
• Test everything.
  >
  > They say construction can start as early as
  > mid-2020 and they will be ready in 2023.
  > I don't think 3-1/2 years for all that is enough
  > time.  I've got 28 years of major infrastructure
  > design and construction experience, so I'd be
  > interested if you or someone else has more
  > accurate information that this is rapidly coming
  > together.
  > Plus Branson is a promoter by trade and he
  > invested in the laughable Hyperloop, so that
  > doesn't give me confidence that 1) he knows what
  > he is doing and/or 2) he is honest.
  
  Branson has not investeed much, less than 5% holding in Virgin Trains USA. The investment is mostly of FECI, which is mostly a real estate company with a small railroad attached to it. So what Branson does is a non issue as long as he plays a good advertizing monkey for the company. nd sticks to the terms of the license to use the Virgin brand ;)

scraphauler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Branson's money behind Virgin Train is mearly a
> naming rights deal.  About the same as if he put
> his brand name on a stadium.  SoftBank Group out
> of Tokyo is the real money - 36th largest publicly
> traded company in the world, 2nd largest publicly
> traded company in Japan.

Softbank might do well in Japan (Yahoo! Japan, for example), but venture capital is a tough business with lots of loaded dice to confuse foreign money. If they are the only big money involved in BrightLine, it is NOT a good sign for Softbank, who's real focus is to expand their reach in IT to compete with Google, Facebook, Amazon, and the like. Had Softbank partnered with a profitable Japanese railroad (JR East, Tokyu Corporation, etc.) to purchase and/or manage Fortress and Brightline, then I'd have been more optimistic.

For people who don't know, Softbank acquired Fortress Investment Group in 2017. Fortress owned FEC (Florida East Coast Railway) for 10 years until the merger, then FEC was sold to Grupo Mexico.

Brightline, originally known as "All Aboard Florida" was started by FEC under Fortress's ownership, and it seems the organization stayed with Fortress when Softbank bought them. The shuffling of ownership casts a cloud of skepticism for me.

And the shuffling continued when Brightline purchased XpressWest, the organization responsible for the Las Vegas HSR idea.