MIAMI, FL/USA – JULY 14, 2018: Brightline is a high-speed train service between West Palm Beach, Florida and Miami. This is the West Palm Beach, station. Courtesy: Shutterstock – Photo By Thomas Barrat
Millions of Americans are preparing for their holiday travels as Thanksgiving draws near. According to AAA’s projections, almost 55 million individuals will travel more than 50 miles this Thanksgiving, making it the busiest ever.
This year, a new rail route between Miami and Orlando in Florida represents a major advancement in travel alternatives. Less than two months after its inauguration, the service—the only privately operated multi-city train in the United States—is financially profitable and enjoying an increase in ridership.
The new service is being provided by Brightline, which initially debuted in 2018 with service between West Palm Beach and Miami. Ridership on its trains, which have a top speed of 125 miles per hour, has increased by 116 percent this year. By 2025, the business hopes to carry about 4.3 million people a year between South Florida and Orlando.
Jack Fernandez, who travels by rail every month between West Palm Beach and Miami, expressed his satisfaction with the trains’ efficiency and convenience.
“Work can be completed by you. You are able to call people. You don’t have to be concerned about the anxiety of uncertainty and accidents happening in front of you,” Fernandez added.
Using an existing freight route, Brightline built its debut service between West Palm and Miami in under four years, in contrast to expensive and time-consuming public initiatives like California’s high-speed rail.
The second section of the project, which connects Miami and Orlando, was expedited during construction by running alongside an expressway. Eventually, the rail will reach Tampa.
A competitive option to driving is the high-speed train, which has luxuries like premium leather seats and in-seat food service. According to Brightline Chairman Wes Edens, travelers can save an average of one to two hours by taking the Orlando-Miami route.
Now, a $12 billion project that might be operational in four years by Brightline is poised to connect Los Angeles and Las Vegas. According to Edens, the train will travel at speeds greater than 200 mph.
“There’s no doubt that there are many, many corridors in the United States that would fit this bill where you’re going to save people a considerable amount of time,” he stated.
He stated that the corporation is currently in the “pay for it part” of the Vegas project and expressed great optimism that by year’s end, it will be “in a good place” on that front.
Experts in transportation note that high-speed rails, which have proven successful in Europe and Asia, can effectively connect cities that are 150–400 miles away, but they will need a significant amount of public financing.
$66 billion for rail was allotted in the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who tested Brightline last month, said, “We’re putting our money where our mouth is, but when private enterprise can play a big role in it, then those tax payer dollars go that much further.”
Although American trains are still slower than those in Europe, they nevertheless carry around 100,000 passengers per day between Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C.
According to Amtrak’s long-term strategy, by 2035, the entire nation will have higher-speed routes.
“Before they get excited about additional markets, the traveling public really needs to see how promising rail is,” stated Amtrak President Roger Harris.
It goes beyond simple distance. Congestion is the main issue since nobody wants to be irritated while stuck in their automobile, according to Harris.
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Mike has more than 30 years of experience in marketing and public relations. He once owned his own agency and has worked with some of the largest brands in the world.
