Brightline not operating due to Covid? Any idea when they might resume operations.

[Qapla]

This may help explain the difference:

In the United States, railroad carriers are designated as Class I, II, or III, according to size criteria set by the Surface Transportation Board in 1992 and adjusted for inflation annually. The annual revenue threshold for Class I rail carriers for 2019 was $504,803,294. According to said classification there are seven US Class I freight railroad companies including two Canadian carriers with subsidiary trackage in the US.

The seven Class I freight carriers are BNSF Railway, Canadian National Railway with its subsidiary Grand Trunk Corporation, Canadian Pacific Railway with its subsidiary Soo Line Corporation, CSX Transportation, Kansas City Southern Railway, Norfolk Southern Railway, and Union Pacific Railroad.

In addition, the national passenger railroads in the US and Canada—Amtrak and Via Rail— would both qualify as Class I if they were freight carriers. Similarly, Mexico would have two Class I railroads, Ferromex and Kansas City Southern de México.

A Class II railroad in the United States hauls freight and is mid-sized in terms of operating revenue. Switching and terminal railroads are excluded from Class II status.

Railroads considered by the Association of American Railroads as "Regional Railroads" are typically Class II. An example of a Class II would be the Florida East Coast Railway.

 

[jis]

What is it then? And what makes a railroad a Class I railroad?

FECR used to be Class I before 1992, when the classification threshold was changed. After the change it became Class II.

Read all about the US (and Canadian) railroad classification system at...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railroad_classes

What is BC Rail as well?

Currently, since it does not exist, it is no Class. It is part of the Canadian National. The last time it existed as an independent operating company (BC Rail Ltd.) it was a Canadian Class II.

The status of BC Rail Co. which was and is a Crown corporation and holding company, on behalf of the BC Government) of the complex lease of trackage, real estate and equipment to CN is interesting. Currently it is apparently a shell corporation with one and a half employee. BC Rail Ltd., which was the operating company under BC Rail Co. was sold to CN as part of the property lease deal, which is considered to be riddled with corruption and underhanded dealings by the BC Government.

 

[McIntyre2K7]

So it looks like Brightline will resume service on November 8th. There's also a free ride in it for you.

 

[chrsjrcj]

You can technically book a ticket for November 1st, but there is a service alert that basically says it is a soft opening.

 

[VentureForth]

Stuck in an infinite loop. Tried logging in: "Something went wrong". Tried to sign up: "Email is already in use".