Brightline Trains Florida update

[jis]

Brightline deploying Starlink on their trains...

Riding the Rails: SpaceX's Starlink Coming to Trains for First Time

Florida-based train service Brightline will offer free Starlink access on five trains between Miami and West Palm Beach to start.

www.pcmag.com

 

[bonzoesc]

Brightline deploying Starlink on their trains...

Riding the Rails: SpaceX's Starlink Coming to Trains for First Time

Florida-based train service Brightline will offer free Starlink access on five trains between Miami and West Palm Beach to start.

www.pcmag.com

Seems like a reasonable way to do it; the wifi at Toorcamp 2022 was backhauled by one Starlink dish, and although transfers were pretty slow any time between noon and midnight, the performance was way better than what I got on my phone at any point during the rest of the trip. Small hardware too! It's the little white wedge in the distance to the left of the couple (who I haven't asked for permission to share here)

 

[Ziv]

'cause I'm not up on South Florida geography.

I used to live in Miami and most of my local friends were kind of vague about everything outside of Dade County.
Kind of like that New Yorker's map of the world but with alligators and swamps.

 

[Qapla]

 

[George Harris]

The political clout of the various Weekend Admirals is amazing, but remember, these are people with serious money who can probably call most of those in political power any time they so choose. A yacht was once described by one of the 19th century wealthy more or less as, "A hole in the water you throw money into."

 

[Qapla]

A yacht was once described by one of the 19th century wealthy more or less as, "A hole in the water you throw money into."

That applies to most any boat - not just yachts

However, it is true, those with money and influence usually don't hesitate to use it to get their way ... thus, one of the reasons Brightline is 10+ years behind schedule

 

[jis]

Brightline planning 110 mph test runs in June - Vero News

Brightline conducted 110 mile per hour test runs in northern Indian River County last week after announcing that the anticipated June 30 rollout of high-speed rail passenger service between Orlando … Read More »

veronews.com

 

[daybeers]

I don't understand why it's so delayed last-minute. I guess I should buy tickets for 9/1 assuming it's the inaugural?

 

[west point]

Brightline has to test every track it runs on. FRA has to be there and probably has someone monitoring every crossing signal and every block signal. Cocoa t Orlando went fast probably because of no grade crossings. Cocoa - West Palm still has a few sections and until all bridge work substantially complete the bridges cannot be tested. Roaming railfan might know the status of the testing.

Rounding up enough FRA persons might be a problem. Just imagine how many got assigned to monitor East Palestine.

 

[joelkfla]

Tampa Bay Business Journal:

Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund acquires Brightline's parent company

That's all I can see; the rest is paywalled, as is Bloomberg, but I found this:

Fortress Management and Mubadala to Acquire Fortress Investment Group

Fortress Investment Group (“Fortress”) and Mubadala Investment Company, through its wholly owned asset management subsidiary Mubadala Capital (“Mubada

www.businesswire.com

 

[jis]

Tampa Bay Business Journal:

Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund acquires Brightline's parent company

That's all I can see; the rest is paywalled, as is Bloomberg, but I found this:

Fortress Management and Mubadala to Acquire Fortress Investment Group

Fortress Investment Group (“Fortress”) and Mubadala Investment Company, through its wholly owned asset management subsidiary Mubadala Capital (“Mubada

www.businesswire.com

Softbank was hawking Fortress for the last six months or so together with a whole bunch of other Real Estate plays it was involved in. Being owned by Abu Dhabi is not the worst of things. It is probably more stable than Softbank at least in the medium term. Unlike with Branson, I don't think it will lead to branding as Etihad (means Union or Alliance and is the name of Abu Dhabi's airline, one of the Middle East Three) or anything like that.

Ultimately Brightline has to swim or sink on its own. So the ridership numbers are what matters more than who owns Fortress.

 

[blueman271]

Brightline planning 110 mph test runs in June - Vero News

Brightline conducted 110 mile per hour test runs in northern Indian River County last week after announcing that the anticipated June 30 rollout of high-speed rail passenger service between Orlando … Read More »

veronews.com

Everything Brightline has done has been delayed, so this shouldn’t be a surprise. Hopefully they can make the 9/1 date.

 

[JWM]

The political clout of the various Weekend Admirals is amazing, but remember, these are people with serious money who can probably call most of those in political power any time they so choose. A yacht was once described by one of the 19th century wealthy more or less as, "A hole in the water you throw money into."

George, your post is very much appreciated by this Florida resident. I remember when a hurricane warning was announced and the public informed of bridge lockdowns for evacuation there was more than one of the persons noted above using a loud hailer to yell obscenities at the bridge tender. An advisory warning to get your boat to safe harbor went our 24 hours earlier.