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

kaitoku wrote: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.

Here's Deseret Ranches: http://www.openstreetmap.org/?relation=1205058" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The rail line would follow 528 Toll through the north part. The FEC mainline is next to US 1 through Titusville-Cocoa-Melbourne.

Managers for All Aboard Florida, the project to build an Orlando-to-Miami passenger train service, are about to begin negotiations with Miami’s Community Redevelopment Agency to acquire two parcels in downtown Miami as part of the plan to build a massive train station and transportation hub downtown.

The goal is to persuade the CRA to sell the parcels across from the Lyric Theater in Overtown to All Aboard Florida for $5.5 million, according to Michael Reininger, president and chief development officer for the train project.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/20/3 ... ntown.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Interesting summary of the AAF project from the business perspective:
http://www.floridatrend.com/article/160 ... ida?page=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

of note at the end of the article:

And what FECI hopes to accomplish with all of its divisions — whether moving cargo or moving people — is the same: A hefty return on investment. FECI doesn't disclose its revenue or profit margins, but Signorello says the company's aim always is to at least double its money with each investment. "We like to use that as a floor, not a ceiling," he says.

Like the other three FECI units, All Aboard's final stop could be the selling block. A feature of FECI's structure is that every unit stands independent — even the Miami land where All Aboard will have its station is underwritten as a separate investment — with its own management team and its own capital structure, ready to be spun off cleanly to buyers.

"We're constantly measuring the moment in time when our capital investment should end and someone else's should begin," Signorello says. "We are in the early days for a couple of these projects so we'll continue to invest a lot of capital."

Exclusive: All Aboard Florida's train, real estate build cost is $2.4B
Oscar Pedro Musibay
Reporter- South Florida Business Journal

Passenger rail company All Aboard Florida expects to spend a total of about $2.4 billion to connect Miami to Orlando by private train and to develop the real estate along the track.

That total includes about $320 million spent on real estate development alone, according to sources who asked not to be named. The commercial development is expected to include offices, retail, residences and entertainment.

more:
http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida ... l?page=all" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

kaitoku wrote:

Exclusive: All Aboard Florida's train, real estate build cost is $2.4B
Oscar Pedro Musibay
Reporter- South Florida Business Journal

Passenger rail company All Aboard Florida expects to spend a total of about $2.4 billion to connect Miami to Orlando by private train and to develop the real estate along the track.

That total includes about $320 million spent on real estate development alone, according to sources who asked not to be named. The commercial development is expected to include offices, retail, residences and entertainment.

more:
http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida ... l?page=all" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hmm...$2.4b is the total spend. The cost of the HSR right of way improvements still appears to be only $1.5b--for which FECI/AAF are seeking a federal loan. The rest appears to be real estate development, working capital and other stuff.

It is also interesting to note that FECI contemplates putting up only $125m of its own cash and the rest would be sold to investors who specialize in the asset being financed (rail, rolling stock, and real estate)

more Quiet Zone news. FECI to pick up the costs:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/busin ... ts-/nZ2jn/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A message from All Aboard Florida to their E-mail list gives this link http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-b ... 4760.story to a story about connecting FEC and Tri-Rail for the benefit of motorists, passengers, and freight trains.

JimBoylan wrote:A message from All Aboard Florida to their E-mail list gives this link http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-b ... 4760.story to a story about connecting FEC and Tri-Rail for the benefit of motorists, passengers, and freight trains.

It does seem that if FECI intends to earn its AAF profits from real estate development that it would pay for them to figure out how to get Amtrak and Commuter Rail using the same passenger stations as AAF uses--then you get real, super-prime real estate, like the MetLife building atop Grand Central.

Arlington wrote:It does seem that if FECI intends to earn its AAF profits from real estate development that it would pay for them to figure out how to get Amtrak and Commuter Rail using the same passenger stations as AAF uses--then you get real, super-prime real estate, like the MetLife building atop Grand Central.

As far as real estate is concerned, you're probably correct, the more the better. But FEC is not planning on building a triple or quad track main line. There's only so many trains you can run on a double track mainline.
It might be a greater idea to keep two independent double track rail corridors servicing both passenger and freight trains, by keeping the two different passenger type services on different corridors.
The idea that triple or quad tracking an existing rail corridor will be easy to accomplish is slightly naive, look at the political difficulties Caltrains and CHSR are experiencing on the peninsular in the Bay Area. Just because it can be done physically doesn't mean it can be done politically. Don't forget, FEC is trying to accomplish their passenger train as cheaply as possible....

Latest news:

People who now drive from Central to South Florida could within two years hop on a train for a three-hour trip instead, thanks to deals being reached this week.

Construction could start next year on the privately financed, $1.5 billion project because the agreements provide a place for the train at OIA, as well as right of way along the BeachLine Expressway for tracks to the airport.

The pact approved Wednesday calls for the Orlando airport to seek a $200 million grant from the state to pay for a station about a mile south of the main terminal.

All Aboard Florida would pay the airport $2.8 million annually for rent, plus up to $1.50 per train passenger who leaves from Orlando. The train company also would spend $50 million to build a maintenance facility at the airport and pay more than $580,000 a year to lease the land for it.

As many as eight trains – each comprised of two locomotives, six passenger cars and a café car – would be kept overnight at OIA. Up to 80 jobs could be created to maintain the trains, an All Aboard Florida spokeswoman said.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business ... 9471.story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

WOGX.com

Similar to above; a win-win I think for all parties involved.

High-speed train between Orlando and Miami on the fast track

ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO) -
The Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority became the final government body to give approval to a fast train from Orlando International Airport to downtown Miami with a unanimous vote.

The Expressway Authority will get nearly $40 million as part of the deal, and the train is completely privately financed. That arrangement was great for board member Marco Pena.

...

All Aboard Florida is giving more than $20 million for a strip of land, small in width but 35 miles long, where train tracks will be built along the Beachline Expressway between Cocoa and the airport. They will also give $12 million towards the reconstruction of an interchange at the Beachline and International Corporate Parkway that will have to be rebuilt, plus $6 million dollars more in lost toll revenue for the agency.

CEO Don Robinson said while the idea of $100 ticket each way for the train has been bandied about, they are not sure yet that is the cost.

...

Tampa wants in on the game, from The Tampa Tribune:

Ted Jackovics wrote:Tampa wants All Aboard Florida rails to run its way

While plans for the new Miami-Orlando trains are on target to begin service in late 2015, local officials worry a second phase of the project could bypass Tampa for an Orlando-Jacksonville route.

If All Aboard Florida ultimately reaches Tampa, it would strengthen Interstate 4 corridor ties, but a competitive factor is involved as well. The new passenger railroad is providing a boost to Orlando International Airport, which will become the state's first airport with a train station and a direct rail connection, in an agreement signed Wednesday.

See more at: http://tbo.com/news/business/tampa-want ... 637JT.dpuf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Interesting article there (above). Have to agree with Rep. Mica re. Tampa getting their act together- FEC doesn't owe them anything- FEC/AAF has to be wooed to the Tampa market, just like any other business. Also, good point made by the NARP VP about competition being good for passengers (vis-a-vis Amtrak).

An event in Fort Lauderdale titled "The Great Days of Rail Travel" had its opening on Wednesday, October 9th, 2013. It is sponsored by the Florida East Coast Railway through the Broward Public Library Foundation. It will run through March 31, 2014 at the Broward County Library in Downtown Fort Lauderdale. The displays alone are well worth a visit with a lot of Florida East Coast items from years past. Wednesday there was a reception in the evening with Seth Bramson who is known here as "Mister Florida East Coast" and has many, many items from its past most of which would have been discarded if he had not rescued them years ago. They were nicely presented in display cases over a large area. We also had two speakers from the Florida East Coast; Robert Ledoux, Vice President and General Counsel and Don Robinson, President and Chief Operating Officer of All Aboard Florida. On the railroad itself they are growing the business in more ways than one. Accomplished or in the works include: A second track in and out of Hialeah Yard which wiill double the ability to move trains in and out of the yard, Re-opening the track to Downtown Maimi and the Port of Miami which is pretty much completed except for the yard at the port itself but they have handled their first revenue moves there, expansion of operations in Fort Lauderdale by building a new facility at Port Everglades to make it easier to transfer IM containers from ship to rail and to make up and break up trains 224 and 123 as well as the locals that work out of Fort Lauderdale and there are more projects in the works.
Don Robinson gave us a lot of background on All Aboard Florida and its plans for good passenger service between Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando. Speeds of 80 MPH between Miami and West Palm, 110 MPH between West Palm and Cocoa and 125 MPH between Cocoa and Orland will enable the trains to make the trip in about 3 hours and 15 minutes. There will be hourly service from morning till late evening in both directions. They are figuring trains of 7 cars with an engine on each end, one car of which will be a lounge/food service affair. Maintenance will be performed at Orlando where they will build a suitable facility. The station in Downtown Miami will be at the location where the Florida East Coast passenger station formerly stood until it was demolished back in the early 60's. It will be an elevated station with multiple tracks for trains and will include facilities for other types of business as well. The station in Fort Lauderdale will be close to the center of town although the exact location has not been publicly announced as yet but it will be north of the bridge and close to the downtown bus terminal. The station location in West Palm Beach has been announced although I did not get the location, I believe it is to be quite close to the present Amtrak/Tri-Rail station and that should be possible as the two lines are not that far apart at West Palm. There will be a terminal at Orlando Airport which I believe will be leased from the airport and I think he said the airport authority will build that terminal.
It made for a very interesting evening and the Florida East Coast Railway is truly "Going Places in Florida" as their motto was a few years ago, it still fits today.
Noel Weaver

Any mention of connecting with Amtrak's silver service at Orlando, or of a Amtrak train , Jackonsville- Miami via FEC ?