Bright line information

[blue streak 1]

Brightline produced video of the Orlando station.

First Look Inside Brightline Orlando Station - YouTube

[blue streak 1]

Final beam installed on Turkey Creek bridge.  This is the last beam for all bridges to get 2 main tracks from Palm Beach to Cocoa.  Still work to get rail installed on bridge..

Brightline Construction: Final Girder Installation at Turkey Creek - January 20, 2023 - YouTube

[blue streak 1]

Orlando to Innovation way almost complete except for the removal of the OUC RR connection and subsequent landscapting.

Brightline Orlando Line Construction: Orlando International Airport to Innovation Way - January 2023 - YouTube

[blue streak 1]

Second section update Dallas Blvd to just east of St Johns river.

Brightline Orlando Line Construction: Dallas Blvd to the Saint Johns River - January 2023 - YouTube

[blue streak 1]

Saint Johns river / I95  to CP  Cocoa.   Seems to be waiting for ballast installed and then surfacing.

Brightline Orlando Line Construction: Interstate 95 to CP Cocoa - January 2023 - YouTube

[blue streak 1]

New concrete mix with Brigtline on RR bridges/

Brightline Construction: Ultra High Performance Concrete on the Sebastian River Bridge - YouTube

 

[blue streak 1]

Last train set delivered to  Orlando.  Also a spare loco.

Delivering Brightline's Bright Orange 2 Train to Orlando - February 18, 2023 - YouTube

[blue streak 1]

The only single track bridge at the St.Lucie river is getting some rehab.  However it  will remain a single track bridge at present.  A new 2 main track bridge is evidently some time in the future.

Brightline Construction: St. Lucie River Drawbridge - February 2023 - YouTube

[CMStPnP]

Brightline West just got rail labor union agreement for running the Las Vegas route.

https://news3lv.com/news/local/union-contracts-signed-for-las-vegas-to-california-high-speed-rail-project-brighline-west-rail-labor-coalition-southern-nevada

 

[D.Carleton]

blue streak 1

Last train set delivered to  Orlando.  Also a spare loco.

Delivering Brightline's Bright Orange 2 Train to Orlando - February 18, 2023 - YouTube

As an aside, the locomotives are built with rear marker lights. As they are part of a trainset those markers will never be used in normal operation. This was the only chance for such a use...instead we got FRED. It's these little ironies that keep it interesting.

[blue streak 1]

Roaming railfan's video of first 125 MPH trips and snipit of one 130 MPH run.

First 125mph Brightline Test Train on the Orlando Line - YouTube

[rdamon]

Boaters vs. Brightline, fighting to divvy up time getting over and under one bridge

https://cbs12.com/news/local/boaters-train-rail-brightline-river-bridge-channel-st-lucie-stuart-ocean-rep-brian-mast

"Water has the right of way. That is a fact,” Mast said, calling for the Coast Guard to respect a rule also used in other parts of the country. Simply put, the water was there before trains, so the water has right-of-way. He added that on land, there were trains before roads, so trains have the right-of-way.

 

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

On the Chicago River, the movable bridges are not manned on a full-time basis.  Per agreement with the Coast Guard, the City of Chicago sets specific hours for when the bridges may be raised.  Three crews of roving bridgetenders leapfrog from bridge to bridge to stay ahead of the collection of masted vessels on the river.

[rdamon]

rdamon

Boaters vs. Brightline, fighting to divvy up time getting over and under one bridge

https://cbs12.com/news/local/boaters-train-rail-brightline-river-bridge-channel-st-lucie-stuart-ocean-rep-brian-mast

"Water has the right of way. That is a fact,” Mast said, calling for the Coast Guard to respect a rule also used in other parts of the country. Simply put, the water was there before trains, so the water has right-of-way. He added that on land, there were trains before roads, so trains have the right-of-way.

 

 

 

Probably should have looked at the date on this  ...  it was 6/22 - popped to the top of my read list somehow.

Sorry

[Overmod]

The comments page:

https://www.regulations.gov/document/USCG-2022-0222-0001/comment

[rdamon]

Workin' at the Train Wash ...

 

 

 

 

[CMStPnP]

blue streak 1

Roaming railfan's video of first 125 MPH trips and snipit of one 130 MPH run.

First 125mph Brightline Test Train on the Orlando Line - YouTube

 

Did Brightline just change their speed limits?    Thought I heard a Brightline PR person state the speed limit on the Orlando line would now be 125 mph and the speed limit on the coast line down to Miami would be 110 mph.    I always thought it was 110 mph for the Orlando line and 80 mph for the coast line.

[MidlandMike]

I have always heard 125 & 110 mph.  A number of earlier posts are about 110mph testing on the existing Coast line.

[Overmod]

The whole rationale for building the Orlando extension with no grade crossings was to get the 125mph rating.

110 on the line south of Cocoa is the maximum permissible with grade crossings -- and that's quad-gated with long actuation, medians, etc.  I do not know where the permanent slower sections and restrictions are, but it shouldn't be difficult to find them.

[PJS1]

Overmod

The whole rationale for building the Orlando extension with no grade crossings was to get the 125mph rating.

110 on the line south of Cocoa is the maximum permissible with grade crossings -- and that's quad-gated with long actuation, medians, etc.  

To what extent are the speed restrictions based on risk assessments vs. political considerations?

[Overmod]

PJS1

To what extent are the speed restrictions based on risk assessments vs. political considerations?

They are based entirely on FRA criteria: the 110mph is the highest permissible speed where there are grade crossings (and this assumes four-quadrant gates, medians and some other security features) and the 125mph is determined by PRIIA HrSR as an economic high speed that can be reached and sustained by diesel-electric power.  (Note that with a given passenger consist, if one locomotive can reach 100mph, 2 will be required to reach 125mph, and the Brightline sets are 'top and tail' to give this.  Locomotives with higher horsepower, such as MP54ACs, would be needed for any higher peak speed).

This is different from the actual speed that Brightline trains will operate day to day.  The concerns you mention may qualify as reasons to limit speed under Federal law, for example if there is a pattern of grade-crossing accidents or trespasser suicide in certain areas.  I would not be surprised to see speeds voluntarily reduced in certain areas, particularly toward the south end of the FEC corridor, for political-favor reasons; there is relatively little actual need for blistering speed until the service 'establishes itself' between major endpoints.

I do not know if the Jacksonville extension, if achieved, will be 110mph standard, nor do I know if the proposed extension west of Orlando to the west-coast points of interest would be 125, 110, or slower.

[rdamon]

One of the videos noted that in Stuart there will be reduced speeds for the drawbridge and sharper curves. 

 

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Not too surprising about those restrictions.  Drawbridges of all types just about everywhere have speed restrictions because of the gap in the rails on each end of the span.

[BaltACD]

CSSHEGEWISCH

Not too surprising about those restrictions.  Drawbridges of all types just about everywhere have speed restrictions because of the gap in the rails on each end of the span.

https://www.railwayage.com/mw/movable-bridge-best-practices/