Brightline (All Aboard Florida) Orlando - Miami FL FEC fka Virgin Rail

NH2060 wrote:

Noel Weaver wrote:They just applied for a Federa Loan, how can we say the "news is not promising"? They should have as good a shot as any other railroad enterprise or transportation enterprise has for that matter and maybe even better as they will be providing a public service. Please folks lets not be so negative and let it run its course. None of us know exactly what is going to happen here no matter who we are or where we are. Money has already been spent on this and I do not think that would have happened unless the organizers feel that this has a good chance of success. Lets all wait and see, please!!!!

Here is an article from Tuesday's Miami Herald although there isn't much new in it

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/18/3 ... k-for.html

Noel Weaver

THANK.YOU. Seriously the amount of pessimism amongst some has gotten out if hand. From what i see, in spite of my wondering of why FECI would want to enter the passenger rail business, this is no publicity stunt and is moving at a rather swift pace compared to a number of other passenger rail projects in the country. From the beginning IIRC they've said that they would consider seeking such loans, etc. and this shouldn't really come as a big shock to anyone.

Let me clarify; I'm very pro "AAF". The news on applying for a federal loan didn't sound promising to me because I thought they were foregoing the use of public funds, and that the application meant they couldn't obtain the funds otherwise.

All Aboard Florida is gearing up on a comprehensive environmental study of its proposed Miami-to-Orlando express passenger railway with stops in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.

The railway, which is an affiliate of Florida East Coast Industries, aims to have the service running by the end of 2015, an ambitious schedule. Federal environmental reviews can take years and the railway is still negotiating leases with state and regional transportation officials to build a connection from Cocoa to Orlando beside the Beachline Expressway.

A scoping meeting for the Miami-to-Orlando Environmental Impact Statement will be from 3:30 to 7 p.m. May 7 at Gaines Park Community Center, 1505 N. Australian Ave., West Palm Beach. Meetings will also be held in Orlando, Fort Pierce and Miami in early May.

Comments will be taken at the meeting, and people can also submit them directly to the Federal Railroad Administration. The deadline is May 15.

The private railway company will also answer questions about the proposed railway, which will be part of the official environmental impact study.

http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/bus ... pbp_launch

The news on applying for a federal loan didn't sound promising to me because I thought they were foregoing the use of public funds, and that the application meant they couldn't obtain the funds otherwise.

The loan is through the federal RRIF program. One explanation here:

To top it off, last week the Sentinel reported that All Aboard Florida has now filed for a loan from the Federal Railroad Administration. So much for reviving privately funded passenger rail service, right?

Well, not exactly. A federal loan is a contract to use public money, of course, but it's not the same as a government grant. The Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing program, for instance, can help fund capital expenses like tracking or equipment at a low interest rate for up to 35 years. The government protects itself by taking a lien on the company's assets; to date, the program has never had a default that required a federal takeover, according to the Department of Transportation [PDF, p. 5].

In that sense, All Aboard Florida could do the entire rail industry a service by calling attention to the RRIF program, which has struggled for years to attract projects. Private freight lines have found the application process too convoluted and the approval process too lengthy. (The biggest recipient of RRIF loans has been Amtrak, of all service providers.) Congress even held a hearing in 2011 to consider ways to improve the program, and greater publicity would no doubt help.

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commut ... back/5075/

list of railroads which have received financing through this program:
http://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0128

Perhaps AAF sees the benefit of borrowing at lower interest rates than conventional methods of financing.

AAF wrapped up a series of public outreach meetings recently (slideshow included):

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog ... -of-4.html

kaitoku wrote:AAF wrapped up a series of public outreach meetings recently (slideshow included):

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog ... -of-4.html

They just added one in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, May 29th in the PM. If anybody is interested in attending, please post a note here and I will look up the details as to time and location. I went to one in Miami last week before the one here in town was announced.
Noel Weaver

Interesting read (with rough renderings) of alternative proposals for the Miami station
http://miami.curbed.com/archives/2012/1 ... ayouts.php

And on another front, a development proposal that could delay the AAF start-up date
http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog ... could.html

Jeff Smith wrote:Let me clarify; I'm very pro "AAF". The news on applying for a federal loan didn't sound promising to me because I thought they were foregoing the use of public funds, and that the application meant they couldn't obtain the funds otherwise.

Never thought you were against it in general, good sir. Only on how they can pay for this without dipping into the government coffers (i.e. the Taxman's moolah)

I wouldn't be too concerned about the Ranch slowing things down.

Construction on the Miami to West Palm Beach portion should start before the end of the year. Also, the SFRTA (Tri-Rail) is in the process of trying to work with AAF, so the line is ready for commuter rail service when Tri-Rail expands. They don't want "to come back two years later and dig up crossings to add more gates."

Miami Station: MiamiTodayNews.com

Miami rail station to rise this year

Florida East Coast Industries' All Aboard Florida railway station in Miami will be built on land historically owned by the company in Downtown.

"The land was the original site of the old Miami Grand Central Station from the days of Flagler," said Michael Reininger, president and chief development officer for All Aboard Florida.

The station site, just under 10 acres, is currently a series of surfaced parking lots that are to be redeveloped as part of the terminal station for Downtown Miami.

Kudos to FEC, using those parking lots to make something that (potentially) earns more revenue, and improves the downtown environment, among other things.

A good article about the recent public scoping meeting held by AAF. A snippet:

There are more variables to be finalized about the east-west stretch from Orlando to Cocoa.

All Aboard Florida is negotiating with the Florida Department of Transportation and the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority to lease part of the SR-528 corridor for its tracks, it said. It is also in discussions with the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority to acquire access to Orlando International Airport, and it plans to arrange a lease for a rail station and vehicle maintenance facility.

Once the public input from this month's meetings and other data is finished being collected, the FRA will draft the environmental impact statement. It expects to have that ready for public hearings and further revisions by September, with the final version approved by next April, Standley said.

http://www.law360.com/articles/435472/a ... g-on-track" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

According to a member on another forum, the OOCEA Right of Way committee unanimously approved the AAF lease agreement for the Beachline Expressway segment.

Looks like they met yesterday (June 13): https://www.oocea.com/CorporateInformat ... f_way_comm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is an article from the Orlando Sentinel: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/pol ... 1090.story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Weeks of intense negotiations have yielded a 60-page document that likely will be approved later this month by the expressway authority board.

The pending deal also means that opposition to the train by Deseret Ranch, the 300,000-acre tract on the south edge of the BeachLine, could well be waning.

Here is a link to an article in today's Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, it seems to be getting closer and closer.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/os-sta ... 2743.story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Noel Weaver

The latest developments are very encouraging news indeed. It's remarkable how smoothly everything has gone over the past year. And word has it in the FEC forum that an equipment announcement will be made soon. It's nothing short of refreshing to see FECI committing to such a project.

More news about the dealings with Deseret Ranch:
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/201 ... expressway" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

*I wish the newspaper would include a simple map of the area in question, along with the proposals.