Passenger Trains > Project costs: Brightline vs Acela II

In 2016 Amtrak received from the FRA a $245 billion loan for the Acela II - $200B for the 28 trainsets and $45B for new maintenance facilities.
For $2.7 billion Brightline has built 39 miles of brand new track (Cocoa-Orlando), upgraded 129 miles of FEC between West Palm Beach and 
Cocoa (restoring second main track, upgrading several bridges and upgrading maximum speed to 110 MPH passenger) and built six stations.
Unless I'm missing something, Brightline is getting a lot more for their money than Amtrak.
Andy

Even a cursory search on the internet reveals the Acela/Avelia trainsets cost to be a about 2 billion.  TO Amtrak derangement syndrome in full flower.

caprr Wrote:
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> Even a cursory search on the internet reveals the
> Acela/Avelia trainsets cost to be a about 2
> billion.  TO Amtrak derangement syndrome in full
> flower.

Thank you. Was about to say that the OP's claimed costs were highly inflated. Brightline's extension to the Orlando Airport is expected to cost $1.73 billion alone, and the class of track is lower than the NEC.

The loan from FRA for the Avelia sets was $2.45 billion, not $245 billion.

TO Amtrak Derangement Syndrome ... TOADS! 🤣

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Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/23 10:23 by bioyans.

Someone missed a decimal point.

https://www.cnn.com/2016/08/26/politics/joe-biden-amtrak-loan/index.html

"Vice President Joe Biden announced Friday a $2.45 billion loan to Amtrak"

Typhoon Wrote:
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> Someone missed a decimal point.
>
> https://www.cnn.com/2016/08/26/politics/joe-biden-
> amtrak-loan/index.html
>
> "Vice President Joe Biden announced Friday a $2.45
> billion loan to Amtrak"

My bad - I wrote this quickly and missed the decimal
Andy

Have Amtrak maintain the NEC track & structures, and provide engineers. Let free-market economics dictate who runs where & when. For-profit carriers can bid time slots and provide their own trainsets and customer-facing employees.

Win-win.

I agree, but remember when Warrington was CEO, the NEC almost fell apart!

Highspeed Wrote:
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> Have Amtrak maintain the NEC track & structures,
> and provide engineers. Let free-market economics
> dictate who runs where & when. For-profit carriers
> can bid time slots and provide their own trainsets
> and customer-facing employees.
>
> Win-win.

How is it a win if you are currently an Amtrak conductor or other "customer-facing employee?"

I think partial  privatization is fantasy talk.  But so is the loan.   What is Amtrak going to pay the loan back with other than government money.
Lets just hope the train sets don't end up like the Talgo's.

Bob

twropr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Typhoon Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Someone missed a decimal point.
> >
> >
> https://www.cnn.com/2016/08/26/politics/joe-biden-
>
> > amtrak-loan/index.html
> >
> > "Vice President Joe Biden announced Friday a
> $2.45
> > billion loan to Amtrak"
>
> My bad - I wrote this quickly and missed the
> decimal
> Andy

Why the rush?  It's not like you're competing against Fox or CNN here.

PHall Wrote:
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> Why the rush?  It's not like you're competing
> against Fox or CNN here.

Actually.  Also, I find it hard to believe that the OP actually thought they spent $245 billion on trainsets and $45 billion on shop facilities.  That is a LOT of money.  The "biggest investment in Amtrak ever" from the Infrastructure Act just recently passed was for just $66 billion.  As a point of reference, the military budget is around $800 billion every year.

However, maybe its a ploy like those $500 hammers and $1000 toilet seats, a way to cover up secret projects that they can't let the general public know about.

twropr Wrote:
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> My bad - I wrote this quickly and missed the
> decimal
> Andy

I don't recall Brightline executives giving themselves bonuses. Seems they are more focused on finishing the project and getting the trains running.

Amtrak, like most of TO's lame discussions are strictly about money, especially the laughable executive bonuses. So the priorities of those organizations are (understatement) different.

So missing a decimal point, or crying about $billions really isn't the issue. Fortunately, Amtrak is not as bad as CA HSR, for the Amtrak lovers looking for some good news.