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  • Brightline Stations on Miami-Orlando line

  • This is a forum for all operations, both current and planned, of Brightline, formerly All Aboard Florida and Virgin Trains USA:
    Websites: Current Brightline
    Virgin USA
    Virgin UK
This is a forum for all operations, both current and planned, of Brightline, formerly All Aboard Florida and Virgin Trains USA:
Websites: Current Brightline
Virgin USA
Virgin UK

Moderator: CRail

 #1520485  by bostontrainguy
 
Anthony wrote: Thu Sep 19, 2019 1:28 pm
bostontrainguy wrote: Thu Sep 19, 2019 7:42 am
BandA wrote: Thu Sep 19, 2019 1:36 am Is the ROW wide enough to support an express track to eventually bypass local stations?
Although it makes no sense to me . . .

"Brightline Innovation: First Passenger Train in the U.S. to Utilize Retractable Gap Filler" (extends up to 1 foot from train)

which allows freight trains to pass through passenger stations . . .

every station Brightline has built has a bypass!
The bypass around each station will also serve to keep freight trains on the FEC moving because they won't be held up by passenger trains stopped at the stations.
Do you really think a long slower moving FEC freight train is going to pass a higher-speed Virgin passenger train that is making a quick stop at a station? What happens when the slower freight train gets in front?
 #1520530  by ExCon90
 
"Bypass" is a fairly general term, and I'm not sure how it's being used here. My understanding is that the platforms are built far enough from the track to permit freight trains to clear, while the gap fillers extending from the coaches make a gauntlet unnecessary, with considerable savings in interlocking installation and maintenance compared to a gauntlet. If "bypass" means two through tracks flanked by two station tracks, that would permit an express to overtake a local but as bostontrainguy points out, it will take a lot more than that to avoid conflicts with freights.
 #1520531  by Bonevalleyrailfan
 
From what I understand, the bypass tracks in FTL and WPB are for FECR trains that have wide or oversized loads. They are not normally used, although I did see a video of the WPB bypass being used by a freight train since both station tracks were occupied. I would assume any future stations on the FECR route will also have bypass tracks for the same reason.
 #1520573  by electricron
 
ExCon90 wrote: Sat Sep 21, 2019 2:13 pm At FTL and WPB is the bypass track between the two station tracks, with a platform on each side, or is there a center platform with the bypass track on the other side of one of the station tracks?
https://www.wpbnow.com/wp-content/uploa ... 58x505.jpg

Two tracks, only one track lays next to a platform in this photo. So, it appears there is just one platform track and one bypass track. But, not visible in the photo, there is another track on the other side of the platform. So in reality there are three tracks, two lying next to a single island platform, and a third bypass track.
 #1520592  by Bonevalleyrailfan
 
Yes there is a single island platform. The bypass track was used during station construction to allow for freight trains to use the corridor with minimal interruption. That is another big reason why I believe bypass tracks will be installed elsewhere along the FECR. They facilitate construction and afterwards any high/wide loads or unusual situations where both station tracks are occupied. So far the shared dispatching center between Brightoine and FECR seems to be able to keep the pax trains from interfering with the FECR trains. Too bad Amtrak can't afford to do similar. And too bad the states can't afford to contract out maintenance with Siemens on the Chargers. Seems there are issues with parts deliveries. But not sure if that is a maintenance issue or a supplier issue. Preventative maintenance can alleviate a lot of the JIT delivery issues.
 #1521202  by BandA
 
ExCon90 wrote: Fri Sep 20, 2019 3:26 pm "Bypass" is a fairly general term, and I'm not sure how it's being used here. My understanding is that the platforms are built far enough from the track to permit freight trains to clear, while the gap fillers extending from the coaches make a gauntlet unnecessary, with considerable savings in interlocking installation and maintenance compared to a gauntlet. If "bypass" means two through tracks flanked by two station tracks, that would permit an express to overtake a local but as bostontrainguy points out, it will take a lot more than that to avoid conflicts with freights.
By bypass yes I was talking about through vs platform tracks, or even a three-track or four-track railroad.

The gap-fillers on the train coaches nicely solve the freight clearance problem every other passenger railroad has on the east coast. And freights can run through the stations at normal speeds without worrying about platform strikes.

Of course if Amtrak or Tri-Rail wanted to use a Virgin station today they would need to use awkward manual bridge plates.

Freight-interference. The passenger trains generally go around the longer freight trains, not the other way around. If Virgin starts with all island stations the trains can use whichever track is convenient, freights can be scheduled off-peak, etc. This is a big problem for Amtrak vs. host railroads, and the Downeaster thread etc. is full of criticism of PanAm Railroad's practices. Hopefully 20 years from now FEC and Virgin will still be working well together.
 #1521205  by electricron
 
BandA wrote: Sat Sep 28, 2019 9:17 pm Of course if Amtrak or Tri-Rail wanted to use a Virgin station today they would need to use awkward manual bridge plates.
Amtrak could, but not Tri-Rail. Amtrak and Virgin coaches have floors 4 feet above the top of the rail. Tri-Rail Bombardier BiLevel coaches lower floor is 1 foot above the top of the rail, 3 feet or 36 inches lower. That's one huge step!
 #1522276  by chrsjrcj
 
I do not have an article, but Miami-Dade County today agreed to pay for the Aventura station. One additional requirement is that any development on that site must be 100% workforce housing. Miami-Dade County will own the land, so Virgin does not have to be the developer of that housing per se.

It was interesting to see the concerns of the county commissioners. For those that opposed the project, concerns included future access for Tri-Rail (recall that Brightline ended any negotiations for Coastal Link two years ago), the cost to ride the train, and the fact that county tax dollars earmarked for transit are going to a private company and not Metrorail or Metrobus expansion. I mostly agree with the concerns, and believe that this development (in addition to the Boca Raton station) is more or less the final nail in the coffin for Coastal Link.

The vote actually failed at first, but an amendment was added to require any development on the property is 100% workforce housing which ended up swaying enough commissioners to pass. The whole meeting was broadcast on Facebook, although the last 45 minutes may be the more interesting part.

https://www.facebook.com/MiamiDadeBCC/v ... SEARCH_BOX
 #1527693  by Jeff Smith
 
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm ... story.html
Today’s the day Boca Raton leaders vote on the new Brightline station.

City Council members will likely approve the lease for the 1.8 acre of land next door to the city’s downtown library. They’ll also likely approve an ordinance allowing for the construction that will foster the train company’s goals of having the shiny new train station up and running by the end of next year.

For some, it could mean a closer place to board a high-speed train with stops in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Brightline plans to expand the line to Orlando International Airport by 2022 with another stop in the Treasure Coast within five years. It’s also planning a station near Disney World, about 20 miles west of the airport.
...
 #1528143  by NaugyRR
 
My girlfriend and I just got back from a week in Disney flying ALB - MCO, and it is amazing the amount of construction going on around MCO and the area in general. We ended up leaving a day early to beat the prior week's big snow and stayed at the airport Hyatt before catching the Magical Express the following morning for our connection to the resort. Our room had a balcony overlooking the tower and highway access feeding the B-Side of the terminal; WOW, it was a constant stream of bus, taxi, and car traffic all night, I don't think it ever stopped. I'm used to flying out of relatively-chill Bradley (flying out of ALB for the first time was a HUGE difference; I thought BDL was quiet/small! The GF said the only reason it's even considered "international" is because flights go to Canada) It would be interesting to see how much, if any, of that traffic got alleviated by direct (via people mover) rail access to the airport.

Rail service to Disney is another interesting prospect. I don't think it would be able to directly compete with the Magical Express as an airport link, with the bus being no extra charge and running 24/7, but I think for Florida residents it could bring much easier access to the parks. Not having to park at the TTC or pay for resort parking, no toll roads, less stress with driving on Disney property, etc. I think it could ease congestion for the internal Disney buses as well. On the flip side, I'd be curious to see how adversely it would affect park crowding.
 #1528145  by Arlington
 
The Virgin train to a stop near Disney would mostly allow the many many "not Disney" hoteliers to offer a better car-free experience (train +bus) to rival the Magical Express.