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

  • 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

 #1454998  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Looks like it will be a "wait until next year (2019)" for me.

I'm going to Miami end of January, but it will be a fly in Saturday January 27, no rented car, fly back Monday. This to attend a Cleveland Orchestra concert Saturday night. Sunday is free, but I think "a bit much" to ride Metro Rail to the Airport, Tri Rail to W Palm, joyride to FtL, and reverse route.

I guess along the lines of an alternative, it could be Metro-Tri Rail to Ft. Lauderdale, walk 2.1 miles East along Broward Blvd (might be hazardous to your health) to 2nd Ave NE where the AAF station is (Mr. Google already knows), joyride to W Palm and reverse route back to Miami 16th and N. Bayshore. A two mile walk is "something I do every day".
 #1455212  by jtbell
 
Gilbert B Norman wrote:it could be Metro-Tri Rail to Ft. Lauderdale, walk 2.1 miles East along Broward Blvd (might be hazardous to your health) to 2nd Ave NE where the AAF station is
Or, unless you're terminally allergic to buses, take the Broward County Transit buses that run along Broward Blvd to the transit center which is right across the tracks from the Brightline station. Route 22 runs every half hour on Sunday and detours off Broward to go right up to the Tri-Rail station. There's also route 9 which runs every hour and apparently stays on Broward, requiring a short hike up the access road.

http://www.broward.org/BCT/Schedules/Pages/default.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm tentatively planning to drive from SC to Florida when Brightline opens, and visit the state's other local rail systems while I'm at it: Miami/WPB, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville. I haven't been down there since my mother moved from Ft. Lauderdale in 2005, so I have some catching up to do. Now that I'm retired from teaching, I don't have to do such an extended trip in the summer. I visited my parents down there every summer for more than 25 years. Railfanning in south Florida's summer heat is not my cup of tea, er, glass of ice tea, thank you!

[added] Now I've read the recent Sun-Sentinel article and checked Brightline's Fakebook page. I hope they get more specific than "week of January 8" soon, so I can start looking for a hotel. I've never had to do that down there because I always used to stay with my parents.
 #1455231  by Gilbert B Norman
 
First Mr. Bell, I must wonder why, save an August 1998 family emergency, I've never set foot in the Sunshine State earlier than Thanx or later than Easter.

I haven't had reason to drive an auto along Broward Blvd since it was "the way" into FLL from the 95; for all I know, there are not sidewalks all the way to 2nd Ave NE where the AAF station is located. I'm sort of alergic to busses; last one I was on was this past August on a guided tour of Hitler's Eagles' Nest. A two mile walk is part of this 76yo's routine. I walked this past February from the Brickell area of Miami to the Marriott at 16th and Bayshore. God has been good to me on that point.

So we will see. Get it up and running with schedules and fares posted (maybe some freebies to start off) before I decide.

Oh, finally back to my Thanx to Easter thought; during the August journey (turned out OK; my Father was discharged before either my Sister or I got down there), I can well remember the blast of hot humid stuff filling up the airplane at KFLL just as it did deplaning at VVTS during July 67 for my "365 and a Wake-Up".

Happy New Year; happy "Brightlining".
 #1456052  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Here is an additional Sun-Sentinel "Q&A" article:

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

Fair Use:
Finally, Brightline higher-speed passenger trains are expected to begin introductory service next week. But many questions remain. We try to answer the most frequent ones in this unofficial consumer guide
Funny how I doubt if the populace will take to "all those horns". Guarantee you my Father would have been bragging around about "who he knew that will do something about it".

I can recall around here in "The Land of the Burlingtons" how the long standing Quiet Zones were rescinded. All trains started to blow for all X-ings. Needless to say, within 24 hours, it stopped thanks to a Judge.
 #1456315  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Here is reporting from Cox Palm Beach Post and their "heads up" business reporter, who to this admitted "newssnob" is as good as they come in Mid-Market journalism, on AAF's apparently imminent "launch".

I'm pleased that they chose to invite the President of the FECHS for the employee training runs. I think they should have extended same invitation to Mr. Weaver in view of his continued optimism regarding AAF.

Me on the list? "don't think so".
 #1456370  by chrsjrcj
 
I heard your invitation is for the inaugural Miami to MCO run :P

As much as I share Mr. Weaver's optimism for the project, we are completing day 2 of "the week of January 8th" and still not even a peep on an official launch date, let alone official schedule or tickets. Apparently they are still doing the friends and families runs. So there's that...
 #1456468  by OrangeGrove
 
chrsjrcj wrote:we are completing day 2 of "the week of January 8th" and still not even a peep on an official launch date, let alone official schedule or tickets.
And now day four of the week.....

Brightline is aware that if they want actual passengers on their trains, they have to let people know when to show up at the station, right? But thus far no schedule, ticket prices, nothing. For a company ostensibly attuned to savvy marketing, this almost looks sloppy and amateurish.

Even announcing one train a day would technically qualify as a (face saving) "launch".
 #1456500  by CentralValleyRail
 
It's beyond pathetic, but it makes sense in a weird way. Dave Howard their CEO worked for all major sports creating new ventures and buzz. In the sports world the key is to keep everything quiet and then surprise look what we've done. The problem is that the infrastructure the fans the team was already there, this is something out of the dirt and he doesn't get it. I'm sure there is more too it.

But I agree you need to spread the word and get it out there not just surprise were running. I think they maybe understaffed big time and that's why they want empty trains to start because they can't handle the demand, not like PBI-FLL is going to create the demand adding MIA will. My source told me Mid January liked I posted about a month ago and I'm sticking too it. Almost there.
 #1456520  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Once again, if they are up and running Sunday Jan 28, I might venture to Ft Lauderdale from Miami and take a joyride. Otherwise, I'll just spend the day getting in a good walk as in down to Brickell and back, and then some "Grape Juice" at Marriott Biscayne Bay's bar - and maybe meet a Cleveland Orchestra musician as I have in the past (I've met more of them than I ever have Chicago Symphony musicians).

Anyone about to call me a "Musician Groupie"?
 #1456533  by Noel Weaver
 
I am a member of FECRS and as most of you know an ardent supporter of this service, we need it. However, I am as much in the dark at this point as everybody else is too.
There is another "big deal of an event" this Friday but again we in the FECRS are in the dark here too. I really wish I could report something positive here but at this point I am at a loss. Believe me it hurts. Having said that, if I do finally hear of something positive I will advise.
Noel Weaver
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