Passenger Trains > An almost smooth Brightline ride

Having missed the opportunity to sample a ride on Brightline last year, I made it a point to do a West Palm Beach to Miami round trip this year. After photographing a few of the morning moves around the WPB station I purchased a ticket for the 11:40 departure to Miami. I'll say right off the bat the Brightline people were some of the most helpful and friendly of any I've encountered anywhere using airlines, trains, or bus. As a first timer I was helped through the ticket buying process (not hard at all) and then directed through security (smooth) and boarded my train. Granted all this is pretty new, but things were spotless both in the station and on the train. I don't have a passenger count of course, but my Smart coach was about 2/3 full on the trip south. Aside from a short slowdown to let a FEC local get out of our way it was smooth sailing to an on time arrival in Miami. An announcement was made that explained the reason for the slower running, a nice touch. Miami station was again both a busy yet spotless facility that I unfortunately didn't have time to explore much as I was booked on the 1:50 train north to WPB. We departed Miami right on the advertised, my Smart coach was nearly full, we passed a northbound FEC freight that was also moving, and rolled right along...until we got to the drawbridge in Ft Lauderdale. We stopped just shy of the bridge and the announcement was given that the bridge was having issues (wouldn't lock down) but we would be on the move shortly. Shortly turned into a long wait- we were still sitting when the clock hit 3:03 (our planned arrival in WPB) and we hadn't even made the Ft Lauderdale stop yet. Every so often an announcement was made to inform us of the (lack of) progress in repairing the bridge. In due time we started moving, passed a southbound Brightline right on the bridge, and of course there were workers all around that had been addressing the problems. Things returned to smooth after a quick Ft Lauderdale stop but we were close to an hour late getting into WPB. Complimentary snacks and non alcoholic beverages were offered on the last leg of the trip along with many apologies. All in all handled quite well considering this wasn't Brightline's fault. Once I exited the train I headed for my car in the parking garage and went south a few miles to catch my trainset as seen in the first attached photo. The only complaint I would have is the parking garage setup- allow some time to get it set up (it's a pay by phone system) if you are a first timer.

Roger Durfee
Akron, OH

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...Miami shots

Roger Durfee
Akron, OH

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Smart coach interior

Roger Durfee
Akron, OH

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It will be interesting to see if Amtrak can pull off a similar experience when it gets roughly the equivalent equipment.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Great pictures and a nice description of your trip.  Thank you!  (If only......)

Similar experience to mine with some freight delay, southbound. So why can't Amtrak hire competent friendly employees like this? Of course some are,  but the dining car attendant on the northbound Meteor was about as grumpy as they come. No greeting, no smile, now thank you. Nothing. Where does Amtrak find these people and how does Brightline manage to find just the opposite for their stations and trains? 

BrightLine also offers free beer and wine, fruits, soda,  in its first class lounge and waiting area.  Along with snacks, etc.  Coach waiting area is nice, but no free booze.

If you buy a first class ticket, they also provide free parking at West Palm Beach. So, that's another $8 "freebie"

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> Similar experience to mine with some freight
> delay, southbound. So why can't Amtrak hire
> competent friendly employees like this? Of course
> some are,  but the dining car attendant on the
> northbound Meteor was about as grumpy as they
> come. No greeting, no smile, now thank you.
> Nothing. Where does Amtrak find these people and
> how does Brightline manage to find just the
> opposite for their stations and trains? 

The same reason(s) Costco employees are much different then those at Sam's Club. 
Rich S

Everything looks nice. Sounds like a good trip.

I hope someone can explain the difference, if any, in the two interior coach views.

While I have not sampled Brightline, I do visit Canada every chance I get for another excellent VIA experience.  It is possible to locate and hire excellent staff......two more examples, in my experience, are Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

agentatascadero Wrote:
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> I hope someone can explain the difference, if any,
> in the two interior coach views.
>
> While I have not sampled Brightline, I do visit
> Canada every chance I get for another excellent
> VIA experience.  It is possible to locate and
> hire excellent staff......two more examples, in my
> experience, are Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.
>
> AA



Agree with TJ's and WFs. Add In-N-Out Burger. And it sounds like Brightline.

Amtrak needs to clean out the lazy & what seems like resentful legacy employees and hire the kinds of people found at TJ's and Brightline.

 

I do not consider one hour late to be a good trip.

RRTom Wrote:
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> I do not consider one hour late to be a good trip.

In other words, you blame Brightline for the bridge problem?

King_Coal Wrote:
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> It will be interesting to see if Amtrak can pull
> off a similar experience when it gets roughly the
> equivalent equipment.
>
> Thanks for sharing your experience.

Are Brightline employees union members more concerned with earning a paycheck than actually providing service?

Indeed.com employee comments are all over the board.  Some people hated the pace, dishonest management, lying HR, stress, dealing with rich people. Others liked the dental, medical, 401k, pay levels, etc.

https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Brightline/reviews?start=20

jst3751 Wrote:
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> King_Coal Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It will be interesting to see if Amtrak can
> pull
> > off a similar experience when it gets roughly
> the
> > equivalent equipment.
> >
> > Thanks for sharing your experience.
>
> Are Brightline employees union members more
> concerned with earning a paycheck than actually
> providing service?

Brightline employees are non-union contractor as the operation is an Interurban and not a passenger train per the STB.
Amtrak  employees are a railroad employee under the Federal Employee Liability Act. (FELA) and the RRR and can sue for a hanged finger nail. A railroad section man slipped on snow and sued on the train platform he was assigned to clean off for passengers.

Duna Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> agentatascadero Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I hope someone can explain the difference, if
> any,
> > in the two interior coach views.
> >
> > While I have not sampled Brightline, I do visit
> > Canada every chance I get for another excellent
> > VIA experience.  It is possible to locate and
> > hire excellent staff......two more examples, in
> my
> > experience, are Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.
> >
> > AA
>
>
>
> Agree with TJ's and WFs. Add In-N-Out Burger. And
> it sounds like Brightline.
>
> Amtrak needs to clean out the lazy & what seems
> like resentful legacy employees and hire the kinds
> of people found at TJ's and Brightline.
>
And I would throw in Wegmans, which operates in the "people unfriendly" Northeast.

I enjoyed a trip on Brightline last year, and was impressed by the nice stations, lounge areas, and helpful employees.  The train itself was nice mainly because it was new.  However, in the final analysis it is just another passenger train on a US freight railroad where track maintenance, drawbridges, freight train operation, and other agendas continually interfere with on time operation of passenger trains.  I experienced a delay due to one of the two tracks being out of service for MOW work, and had to wait for the opposing Brightline train.   In an optimum world running the passenger trains on time would be the number one consideration, and MOW would have to work around the passenger train schedules.  On FEC, as with most freight railroads, this is not always the case, since the cost of MOW sitting idle is also considered.  The original post has examples of drawbridge problems (which I understand they are working on a new bridge), and also waiting for a local freight to get in the clear.  It will take continued vigilance by Brightline to operate on schedule, especially as their route gets longer, and the potential for the typical freight railroad problems make late trains more common.   BSB 

njmidland Wrote:
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> Duna Wrote:
e.
> >
> And I would throw in Wegmans, which operates in
> the "people unfriendly" Northeast.



I've been to those! Yes, nice. Are they also non-union? Sensing a pattern.

Fairway is a New York area union represented grocery chain with very favorable customer scores.

Also filed for bankruptcy...

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/28/20 04:29 by Lackawanna484.