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FECI touts planned Miami to Orlando service
Let’s see, so Amtrak is proposing to spend 7 billion on Washington union station alone. Yet, FEC is proposing to spend 14% of that to establish hourly service between Miami and Orlando within 3 years. And with likely future expansion to Tampa and Jacksonville which will cover the vast majority of the nation’s fourth most populous state. Where is the logic in this? I mean, I support Amtrak and they do fulfill a need. But come on, this wasteful spending of tax money really has to stop! Also, and this is directed to the editors of Trains magazine, why does it appear that the developments with All Aboard Florida are being under reported by this magazine? In print and online as well. This is probably one of the biggest news stories for passenger rail in the USA in over a generation. Yet there has been minimal coverage of this project so far. I have been a reader of this publication since 1975, and would definitely welcome more coverage of railroad news outside of the Midwest and northeast.
I’ll believe this when I see the actual construction start! Being as I live near Cocoa, FL, where the new tracks to Orlando will leave the present main, I will be able to report back! Don’t hold your breath!
Will the service be departing Miami from near the Miami airport and will it terminate in Orlando near Disney World or Universal Studios Theme Park?
Well I think this is a great step forward. I also think of a huge missed opportunity when Gov Scott turned down HSR between Tampa and Orlando. This service and Sun Rail will help but neither will have the impact that could have been accomplished with a coordinated rail system connecting Tampa, Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami via a hub and spoke via Orlando.
The money that the state is spending on Sun Rail could have easily been the link that connected HSR with FECI and a 100 plus inter city connection to Jacksonville.
These are savvy businessmen who own and operate FECI, so they must have run the numbers and concluded that such an entirely private passenger rail service can be profitable. I wonder what they’re seeing that no one else in the world sees? I sure hope they’re right. If they are right, this could be the start of a major new trend in RR service.
lets get the rail options going and cut the crap, tired of it move
forward- we have a long way to go…
lets get the rail options going and cut the crap, tired of it move
forward- we have a long way to go…
This would be great provided tickets are not more than two or three people would spend on gas/tolls sharing a car and service could actually be hourly.
Just checked my calendar. It’s not April Fools Day. Even if there’s any real demand for such service (questionable), at a billion bucks plus operating costs it wouldn’t turn a profit for…well really never. From what I remember of Orlando that 40 miles of new track will be a mighty tall order too.
what i wonder about - aside from the daunting task of
preparing the railroad for hourly passenger service, and
building the extension to orlando - is where the equipment
for the service will come from. who will build this stuff?
to what specifications? commuter agencies have long
wait times - three years or more on cars already designed
and tested. presumably fec will use new designs - after all,
they are projecting 110 mph speeds. just the test period for
such cars couldn’t be less than six months. or maybe they plan
to use refurbished older cars: this HAS to affect reliability.
while i am not claiming it would be impossible for them to
get the service up and running within their projections, it seems
very agressive in the face of actual conditions in modern day
u.s. passenger railroading…
what i wonder about - aside from the daunting task of
preparing the railroad for hourly passenger service, and
building the extension to orlando - is where the equipment
for the service will come from. who will build this stuff?
to what specifications? commuter agencies have long
wait times - three years or more on cars already designed
and tested. presumably fec will use new designs - after all,
they are projecting 110 mph speeds. just the test period for
such cars couldn’t be less than six months. or maybe they plan
to use refurbished older cars: this HAS to affect reliability.
while i am not claiming it would be impossible for them to
get the service up and running within their projections, it seems
very agressive in the face of actual conditions in modern day
u.s. passenger railroading…
A very risky investment. I think most people would prefer to drive so they can set their ‘own pace’ —and some will prefer the bus or flying.
Invest the money elswhere…
How does this effect the on going plan for Amtrak to run on these rails?
The Cubs will win the World Series before this happens. I’d rather see Amtrak operating over the entire FEC first.
There are other private operators coming up, notably in Europe to compete with the state, such as the Hamburg-Koeln Express in Germany (US investor involved) and Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori in Italy, with financial support from the shareholders of Ferrari. If done right, with sensible regulation and minimal other government interference (which helped kill trains here in the 1920’s-1960’s), it can be profitable.
This is some of the most encouraging RR inception news I’ve read in the last four decades. Hooray, hurry, and hope it’s a howling success!
I wish FEC success, but I wonder. Would I be willing to invest in this venture? Orlando is already served by Amtrak Silver Star/Silver Meteor from WPB. There have already been considerations for Amtrack service from WPB to JAX via 25th. St. crossover by FEC. Isn’t that more practical? Let Amtrak do the worrying.
I wish FEC success, but I wonder. Would I be willing to invest in this venture? Orlando is already served by Amtrak Silver Star/Silver Meteor from WPB. There have already been considerations for Amtrack service from WPB to JAX via 25th. St. crossover by FEC. Isn’t that more practical? Let Amtrak do the worrying.
I wish FEC success, but I wonder. Would I be willing to invest in this venture? Orlando is already served by Amtrak Silver Star/Silver Meteor from WPB. There have already been considerations for Amtrack service from WPB to JAX via 25th. St. crossover by FEC. Isn’t that more practical? Let Amtrak do the worrying.