Passenger Trains > Brightline woos SunRail to share an east-west rail route

The high-speed, upscale Brightline Trains wants to partner with Central Florida’s SunRail commuter train to open an east-west corridor through the region for both rail services.
 
Brightline is building a $2.7 billion extension from South Florida to Orlando’s airport and is in the planning stage of extending rail from the airport to Tampa. Some of the Tampa corridor, according to Brightline, might also serve as a significant segment of a SunRail corridor that would cross east and west across Central Florida.
 
“Our planned expansion to Tampa presents a unique opportunity to accomplish that," Brightline spokeswoman Katie Mitzner said in an emailed statement. "Together, with local elected officials and FDOT, we are exploring a public private partnership that would expand SunRail and meet the growing transportation needs of the region.”
 
Officials of the privately owned Brightline otherwise are saying little about their offer to form a partnership with SunRail, an idea they will formally pitch next week to the SunRail commission of local leaders. Brightline and SunRail leaders have long discussed some manner of cooperation, particularly for passenger service to Orlando’s airport.
 
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/transportation/os-ne-sunrail-brightline-expansion-talks-20201026-i3uz46tc5rdsjbksmdhultx25q-story.html
 
 

This proposal makes good common sense to me.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

Higher speed rail and frequent-stop commuter rail on the same exact tracks ? 

Before Brightline, everything in Florida was low platform.  Amtrak, Tri-Rail and Sunrail are all low-level.  Brightline has the only high-level stations in the state (however Tampa is being rebuilt with high-levels at this time).  I always thought that Brightline would have made it much easier for everyone if they went with the standard platform height down here to allow possible cross-pollination.  Now they are talking about commuter services on their tracks north of Miami and this new one near Orlando (Meadow Woods).  The station situation in Florida is a bit convoluted to begin with with Hialeah, Miami Central at the airport, Downtown Miami, and proposed new stations at Boca Raton, Aventura and the Port of Miami.  Allowing combined operations at these various locations would be a lot easier if they were using the same low-level platforms.  Would have been much cheaper to build too. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/20 06:04 by FloridaTrainGuy.

SunRail could refleet with cars like LIRR C-3 bi-levels, which do not have traps at all, and then everyone could use the same high level platforms. 

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Higher speed rail and frequent-stop commuter rail
> on the same exact tracks ? 
Apparently you are not familiar with the Northeast Corridor of Amtrak.  Even before Amtrak the Pennsylvania Railroad operated 90+ mile per hour trains and commuter trains.  This can be done if you build it with more than 2 tracks.  On the Northeast Corridor of Amtrak we have all kinds of commuter trains running including MARC Trains in Maryland, SEPTA Trains in Pennsylvania and New Jersey Transit in the New York area.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

ClubCar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Higher speed rail and frequent-stop commuter
> rail
> > on the same exact tracks ? 
> Apparently you are not familiar with the Northeast
> Corridor of Amtrak.  Even before Amtrak the
> Pennsylvania Railroad operated 90+ mile per hour
> trains and commuter trains.  This can be done if
> you build it with more than 2 tracks.  On the
> Northeast Corridor of Amtrak we have all kinds of
> commuter trains running including MARC Trains in
> Maryland, SEPTA Trains in Pennsylvania and New
> Jersey Transit in the New York area.
> John in White Marsh, Maryland

Yes I am familiar with it. I live in NJ. It is a 4 track right of way. Is that planned in Florida - yes or no ? 

I haven't seen any proposals about BrightLine speed btw the airport and Walt Disney World. I am guessing it will be 79 mph.

Posted from Android

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Yes I am familiar with it. I live in NJ. It is a 4
> track right of way. Is that planned in Florida -
> yes or no ? 
I do not know how many tracks they plan to have in Florida.  In Maryland, south of Baltimore heading down to Washington, D.C. the Amtrak line is 3 tracks most of the way with an extra track at the Halethorp, Maryland MARC Train Station in the north bound direction.  Maybe someone who lives in the Florida area where this line is being built will know the answer.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

As someone who can no longer climb stairs I appreciate high level platforms which also speed up boarding for everyone.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

MojaveBill Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As someone who can no longer climb stairs I
> appreciate high level platforms which also speed
> up boarding for everyone.

In Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach There are high level platforms. All changes of level have elevators and escelators.

Posted from Android

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Higher speed rail and frequent-stop commuter rail
> on the same exact tracks ? 

With passing tracks and commuter rolling stocks that have better acceleration, HSR and commuter trains can share ROW without much trouble.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Higher speed rail and frequent-stop commuter rail
> on the same exact tracks ? 

It can be done with proper scheduling. I recall an example from either Japan or somewhere else in Asia where the express train left minutes ahead of the local train. At certain stops, there is a siding for the local to pull off the main to allow the following express train to pass while the local makes its station stop.The headway between express trains was tighter than anything in the US.

General practice is to schedule a local train to leave originating station 10-15 min behind the departure of an express.  And density wont be that high.  1 or 2 trains an hour for movements in the same direction would be a lot

Orlando to Jacksonville is almost certainly on the planning boards.  SunRail has been talking about it since the days of its patron saint, John Mica (R-FL).