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

There was a debate between an opponent of All Aboard Florida on a TV or radio station, (I don't know which). I just listened to it and our president made the opponent look quite foolish. Here is a link IF it works.

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=6baa4c57 ... m4UTG3pwAA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I hope you all find it interesting. Most interesting is the relationship between the railroad and the society.
Noel Weaver

Noel Weaver wrote:There was a debate between an opponent of All Aboard Florida on a TV or radio station, (I don't know which). I just listened to it and our president made the opponent look quite foolish. Here is a link IF it works.

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=6baa4c57 ... m4UTG3pwAA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I hope you all find it interesting. Most interesting is the relationship between the railroad and the society.
Noel Weaver

Thanks for posting this. I downloaded the file and played it as an mp3 and it worked nicely. The CATS lady (sic) really is a classic NIMBY all about fear and the president of the FEC Society did handle it nicely.

"Basically...you don't have to do research"

This is certainly entertaining

Research or not, Jim was very well prepared and did an outstanding job.
Noel Weaver

Today's Miami Herald has the following article about All Aboard Florida regarding expectations and fares, interesting reading.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/c ... 18546.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Noel Weaver

From the preliminary estimates on the fare structure -as listed in the article- the prices for Miami-Fort Lauderdale ($11-15) are comparable (in distance and price) to NY Penn Station-Hicksville peak fares on the LIRR ($13) and GCT-Port Chester peak fares on Metro-North ($12.50) as well as Boston-Haverhill on the Downeaster. And compared to even NYP-New Rochelle on Amtrak ($22 "Saver" Fare) it's practically a bargain.

I'm surprised there's no mention of an introductory [lower] fare to get people to experience the service. Airlines do that all the time.

I don't think they have reached that point yet.
Noel Weaver

All Aboard Florida is in the news again, here is a link.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/c ... 90908.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://realtime.blog.palmbeachpost.com/ ... ock-bonds/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We were waiting for this good news.

Noel Weaver

A lot of money spent by the counties on this battle. I'm not surprised at the outcome, though. Thanks for the links!

Rockingham Racer wrote:A lot of money spent by the counties on this battle. I'm not surprised at the outcome, though. Thanks for the links!

I lot of money foolishly and unwisely spent by the counties on a loosing cause. Well, at least that money remained in the respective counties on already overpaid lawyers. Hopefully they will spend it in local businesses and spread it around locally.

Incremental progress:

All Aboard Florida is close to naming a contractor that will oversee the construction of the 35-mile Orlando leg of the $2.5 billion Miami-to-Orlando passenger rail corridor.

The Coral Gables-based firm on June 29 expects to award a construction management contract that would include building the new railway and roadway from Cocoa to Orlando and structures within Orlando International Airport for the new passenger train and its related projects.

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog ... ction.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

All Aboard Florida (AAF) awarded Siemens a 30-year contract to maintain and service all aspects of the passenger railroad's trainsets.

The maintenance work includes inspections, corrective and preventative maintenance, and provisioning of parts and labor.

Siemens will perform the work at a new facility south of Orlando International Airport and at a smaller complex to be built in West Palm Beach, Fla., AAF officials said in a press release.

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/p ... ens--44946" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here's more from the local rags about AAF. Good reading at least this time.
http://www.pressreader.com/usa/sun-sent ... 0/TextView" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Noel Weaver

Three stations in South Florida will open months before the planned All Aboard Florida train makes its initial run to, and stop at, Orlando International Airport late in 2017..

Yet the Orlando leg looks to be the most lucrative of the 235-mile system, contends a recently released ridership study commissioned by the privately financed venture owned by Florida East Coast Industries of Coral Gables.

The report, completed in May, shows the Orlando leg is supposed to attract some 2.5 million passengers paying an average of $90 apiece by 2020, which is considered the first "mature" year of operations.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os- ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

*a couple pictures of construction also in the article