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

Could be completely irrelevant, but max speed of Rail Jet equipment is 220kmh or 136mph

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Fri Jan 20, 2023 9:12 pm Could be completely irrelevant, but max speed of Rail Jet equipment is 220kmh or 136mph

Whether RailJet Venture style cars can go faster than 125 mph in Europe is immaterial in the USA. Federal laws limit non-HSR trains to a maximum of 125 mph, no exceptions. Brightline trains will only go that fast over the corridor that has no grade crossings (Cocoa Beach to Orlando), otherwise their maximum speeds is 110 mph (W. Palm Beach to Cocoa Beach). Between W. Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale the trains reach maximum speeds of 79 mph, and south of Fort Lauderdale the trains maximum speeds will be 60 mph.

There are too many unknowns on the desired speeds and FRA mandated requirements.
1. Just on the NEC Amtrak has to test Acelas - 2s to 10% above max operating speed. 160 = 176 tests.. So, Cocoa <> Orlando 125 will be tested to 137.5 MPH.
2. Now does that meet FRA requirements for Cocoa <> Palm beach 110 ? Or will Cocoa - Palm Beach need a test run of 121 both ways both tracks?
3. 150 MPH would require a 165 test run.
4. Now take the locos, would it be in the best interest to change loco gearing for 150 ? The higher speed gearing would be a problem for acceleraing out of the many intermediate east coast stations.

@west point How are they going to do testing at 137 MPH if the engines top speed is 125?

49 CFR Part 213 (FRA Track Safety Standards) requires testing at 5 MPH above the proposed maximum operating speed. Siemens's brochures for the Charger locomotives lists 125 MPH as the "maximum operational speed", which suggests the Brightline trains are fully capable of running at the 130 MPH required for testing (if not more).

125 MPH is the maximum allowed speed for class 7 track. which every reference I can find is the class of track Brightline is intending to operate from Orlando to where Cocoa Junction. South of Cocoa Junction there are grade crossings which limit Brightline to class 6 track at best.

The difference in time of running at 150 instead of 125 for that section is pretty negligible for the extra operational and maintenance costs needed for the higher speed.

From Hilton Downtown Miami--

I'll be aboard to West Palm 248P today


I'll share a trip report with the Fourum

From Hilton Miami Downtown

This evening, The Cleveland Orchestra is performing in Orlando. The will fly MIA-MCO and return in a chartered aircraft.

Wonder if Brightline could bid on this business in future years.

Now aboard Brightline (Bright Green; train # a State Secret) that departed Miami 248P--

So much for Aventura being open; it ain't.

Mouth of the Rat, it ain't.

They are selling tickets for travel today from both those stations. I'd imagine they wouldn't be doing that if those stations were not open. Not all Brightline trains stop at all stations. I'd imagine you got one that does not.

From Ruth's Chris.West Palm--

Mr. Randal W. I stand corrected. My train didn't stop and neither station looked complete to me.

All told. I think there were 150 passenon mine. mine.

IIRC Boca Raton is still to get a second track on its platform and a low level commuter platform installed while Aventura is still getting a second platform (and maybe an additional track) installed. I'm guessing that Brightline thinks that starting revenue activities with IOC less than FOC is preferable to waiting for IOC to equal FOC.

From Hilton Miami Downtown--

Back from the joyride.

Sure it was "pricey" @ $143.20 (Select; now renamed Premium) for 140 miles of transportation, but if you can get NECorridor prices, go for it.

I think the onboard service is superb with the staff "Flight Attendant courteous" ( they assume their customers fly regularly - likely a safe assumption). I think their base has.movrd beyond the Disneyland Joyride with non joyride reasons to go between the two cities (a 30yo girl I talked with has a boyfriend living in the Brickell area of Miami; she is an event coordinator at a hotel in W Palm).

So point; people in A have reason to travel to B.

On my return, there were a good 200 aboard. The Select/Premium car was 75% full on a Bright Blue set leaving WPB 548P.

Bracdude181 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 21, 2023 2:53 am @west point How are they going to do testing at 137 MPH if the engines top speed is 125?

If you had followed the Spriinters going into service you would have seen posts of them being tested not to 135.5 but almost to 140 for the max authorized speed of 125.. Now Acela - 2 tests still going on have had posted some speeds above 160 but do not remember the fastest speed.