What’s it like to ride Brightline on a normal day? | BRAND NEW Orlando Extension

[@brycebundens6866]

Such a cool, reliable rail line!!! No frivolous “pod” technology, just something tried and true that works really efficiently and effectively!! Florida definitely needed this!

[@Thom-TRA]

The first thing I did when I got to Miami was get on a pod! Haha

[@jimresta8638]

The SunRail hold up in getting to the airport is partly because it's still run by FDOT for another 3 years and partly because the ROW for the Brightline extension to Tampa isn't settled yet. In any case, the tracks from the airport to the SunRail mainline already exist. The issue is where the transfer station gets built based on which way Brightline goes.

[@ShaunCampbell-j7u]

Sun Rail needs to be taken over by either Brightline, CFX, or Lynx so jobs can get done faster

[@jimresta8638]

@@ShaunCampbell-j7u That's not how the contract is written. Besides, no one would willingly take over an otherwise unfunded service. We voted on a transit tax last year, it didn't pass. We'll vote on it again in 2024. Eventually yeah, highly likely that Lynx & SunRail merge.

[@ShaunCampbell-j7u]

The only reason people complain about sunrail is because it doesn't run on the weekends

[@gregory596]

@@ShaunCampbell-j7u yup. I wanted to take SunRail to a soccer match and was disappointed to learn that that wasn't an option.

[@enjoystraveling]

@@ShaunCampbell-j7u I wish it would run on the weekend since many people try to find parking places when they go to festivals

[@pickled51]

Thanks for trying Brightline Thom. Having lived in Ft. Lauderdale during the 1980's and 90's, the reason Brightline has so many incidents with cars is due to how the FEC ran prior to Brightline. The FEC freight trains were slow movers. Being stuck at a FEC crossing for 20 minutes was not unheard of. Or a train never passed the crossing you were stopped at because it was shuffling cars onto a siding a couple of blocks up the line. So the old idea of having to beat the slow FEC freight train is still ingrained in the local drivers. And I will bet that if you asked local drivers about the higher speed Brightline trains, probably half of them don't even know it exists. Or they think Brightline operates on the CSX tracks that run along I-95 where most of the road crossings are already bridged from the construction of I-95. I knew these incidents would happen because the FEC did not want to spend the super amount of extra money it would cost to elevate the tracks from Miami up to the new Orlando section that heads west from Cocoa Beach.

[@Thom-TRA]

I hope everyone you know stays safe!

[@alhollywood6486]

Unfortunately, many of the incidents are intentional, which is just tragic. Grade separation would be a huge improvement, especially for those types of situations.

[@dmnddog7417]

Maybe someday they will build a viaduct over the freight tracks. I mean, that viaduct over the streets at the Miami station is what they should've done over the entire length to Cocoa.

[@Thom-TRA]

@alhollywood6486 that is very tragic indeed

[@kennethhanks6712]

@@dmnddog7417 Get out your printing press because that idea is going to take a tidal wave of $ for the next several centuries.

[@NonstopEurotrip]

Great video dude, I completely agree that while it's not true highspeed, it's certainly a big step up in quality and service compared to most of the rest of the US. But fgs train operators... STOP BLOCKING THE WINDOWS!And great to see it pretty well used even this early on, oh and one thing, wtf is 'Brightpink' 😂

[@Thom-TRA]

All the trains have colors they name them by. Had we not had our lovely wrap, you would have seen a big pink stripe over the windows.

[@bryanCJC2105]

The train cars look really nice. It also looks like there was a decent number of passengers for mid-day mid-week, mostly in smart class. Grade separation should be a standard today for "higher" speed and HSR trains. The grade crossings are one big reason (tracks being the other one) why train service is so slow in the US compared to the rest of the world. Yes, it costs more but it saves lives and it adds value to the service. CAHSR will also have 70 grade crossings in the Bay Area which is unfortunate. I agree with you that Brightline West will be the real innovative step forward and that it will be in service long before CAHSR. What I hope is that the success of Brightline West, I think it will be, might increase public support, as many Southern Californians will get a taste of HSR, and accelerate funding and the completion of CAHSR.

[@Thom-TRA]

I share your optimism and your thoughts on crossings completely!

[@MM-fe9mz]

Grade seperation in broward county especially needs to be a priority, as that's where the majority of the brightline deaths have been. That's crazy the California HSR is going to gave grade crossing with the amount of money and time for construction.

[@Thom-TRA]

The CAHSR crossings are on the slow suburban section section shared with Caltrain. Which have removed some crossings, but not enough.

[@akhilkarandikar99]

theyre planning on quad gates for CA HSR which will help but only goes 110 in peninsula, 220 for the valley tho@@Thom-TRA

[@michaeljohndennis2231]

@@Thom-TRAI agree with your point about the security when boarding the train which is bizarre, which is only required when crossing an international border - I live in the U.K. (England) and I pass through Holyhead (in Wales) on SailRail to get home to family in Ireland near Dublin by a 3 hour ferry crossing across the Irish Sea and we don’t have any major security between the U.K. and Ireland (except when flying) as we are in a Common Travel Area, even post Brexit, where my native Republic of Ireland is still part of the EU - what does drive me insane though is that there are very few direct trains from Manchester Victoria or Manchester Piccadilly to Holyhead and we have to change trains at Chester or Crewe (via Stockport) from Manchester Piccadilly (platform 13, that I hate with a passion) to reach the Welsh border and the trains on Transport for Wales are tiny - even in Wales, the tracks are operated by Network Rail in the U.K. - the other thing is that these services from Piccadilly don’t call at Deansgate/Castlefield which offers better connections from Manchester’s Metrolink Trams and on arrival at the Irish Ferries/Stena Terminals in Dublin Port (North Wall) there are very limited onward travel options into Dublin City Centre, even for ferries arriving from Liverpool, despite Dublin Ports expansion to take cruise ships - compared to the River Mersey (Liverpool) Dublin’s River Liffey is very narrow and ships/ferries cannot sail upstream to Dublin’s Custom House because of very poorly designed bridges over the Liffey, plus most lines around the Port are geared to freight, where there is not even the Dublin LUAS Trams to connect the ferries into Dublin Busaras, which is very silly

[@sergeykuzmichev8064]

Youre absolutely right that day to day operations are infinitely more telling of the quality of service than opening day commotion. Thanks for providing a unique perspective on train travel youtube

[@Thom-TRA]

You’re welcome!

[@thefareplayer2254]

Last time I was this early, Brightline didn’t go to Orlando yet.

[@Thom-TRA]

Lol

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

I'm glad you mentioned that he actually had three wives because I've seen others simply assume he had two because of the bar! The story of his wives is so interesting. Mary Harkness Flagler was the mother of his three children. After Mary died, Henry married her nurse-caregiver, Ida Alice Shourds. Ida Alice, called Alicia by her husband, was much younger than Mr. Flagler. After being declared incurably insane, Ida Alice was hospitalized. Flagler obtained a divorce and married Mary Lily Kenan, who was with him at his death in 1913 and inherited his wealth, and she suddenly died in 1917, with people believing foul play was involved. And to be more specific into the Acela's distance vs Brightline's: The Northeast Corridor covers 457 miles or 735 km while the Brightline journey between Orlando and Miami is 235 miles or 378 km. Is it a nice and fast intercity service? Yes! Is it HSR? Not really, but it's still a fast intercity service competitive to driving and that's the point! Not every new rail service in North America has to be HSR! And speed isn't the only thing that makes an intercity service great, it's also frequency, which Brightline still excels at! Rail is part of the US's heritage, and the more transit options that people have as an alternative to driving, whether it's Amtrak or something like Brightline, the better!

[@Thom-TRA]

Couldn’t have said it better myself

[@michaelafrancis1361]

If you look at the board at 8:34 there is a train scheduled every two hours up until 6.54 pm. Only someone who lives in a country that has been starved of decent passenger railways for over half a century could possibly think that that is an exceptionally frequent service!

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

@@michaelafrancis1361 That service IS frequent for that corridor! And that is before they get more trains, so with more trains, it won't be every two hours!

[@thekalosian3098]

@@michaelafrancis1361What an utterly pointless comment, did you think it was going to go from 0 to several times an hour overnight?

[@michaelafrancis1361]

@@thekalosian3098 No I didn't obviously. I was merely commenting that only in a country with an exceptionally bad rail service would a train every two hours be considered "exceptionally" frequent. It is a comment underlining the generally poor state of passenger rail ways in the USA. Perhaps you ought to try reading a comment properly before getting your pantyhose in a twist.

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

So at the time this video was recorded, MCO uses two different types of rolling stock for their People Mover system. Airside 2 and 4 uses Bombardier CX-100s (or now the Innovia APM 100; also used on Miami's Metromover) while Airside 1, 3, and the Intermodal Terminal uses Mitsubishi Crystal Movers, which is what you ended up riding. Crystal Movers are the ones used by the Macau LRT, Singapore's Punggol LRT, Changi Skytrain, and Sengkang LRT, Tampa's SkyConnect, Tokyo's Yurikamome Line, Dulles's AeroTrain, and MIA Mover and MIA Skytrain. The voice heard is Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer. Aventura station exists for the Aventura Mall, which is one of the biggest malls in the US with 2,800,000 square feet of total retail floor area. The station will have a pedestrian bridge to go across to the mall but in this video, they provide shuttle service. And it is definitely interesting that at one point in time, you could've gone all the way to Key West by train, there was once a route called the Havana Special that ran from NYC to Key West and had connecting ferry service to Havana. The Overseas Railroad is an engineering feat, as while 40 miles of track was washed away by a 1935 hurricane, every bridge survived it, and it became the Overseas Highway, which would be replaced and the old trackbed became a trail!

[@Thom-TRA]

I love the Yurikamome. One of my childhood favorites.

[@CrabMan2539]

20:46 I feel like it doesn't really matter how fast the train goes, just don't cross the tracks when the gates are down. It's a stupendously dumb idea. Trains are really heavy and won't get slowed down by any road vehicle. I unfortunately made the mistake of seeing the Mary T. Wojtyla video (don't go looking for it, you'll forever regret it) and even before then I was aware it was dumb but seeing that made me realize it's not just you or the train it affects, it affects everyone who sees it.

[@jfmezei]

The publishing of the videos, there have been many, is actially smart for FEC/Brightline because it is a great edicational tool to help Floridians respect the flaching red lisht, bells and the down gates. However, I saw one criticize a situation where a car was sort of engaged but stuck in slow moving traffic but insisted on waiting for traffic to move to complete crossing. There are situations where the vehicle SHOUDL complete the crossing, even if it means crashing through the gates because you are overtaking cars stuck in traffic). The gates are made to handle this. There is a crossing near where I live that has had many incidents. They connected the traffic lights to the rail systems such that the light at other end of crossing is always green (blockking transferse traffic) to ensure cars stuck in middle fof crossing always have a path to exit when gates are coming down. (and the traffic lights before crossing will turn red prior to the gates/bells activate to help crear cars from crossing.) One problem with crossings is that there is no standard between time coming down and train passing, and car drivers thing there is. One crossing in more rural area on a road that handles some trucks from industrial area will have the lights starts flashing well before the gates start to drop because it gives truck drivers going at speed some distance from the crossing a warning to start to slow down and be ready to stop. But this is not applied at other crossings. Some crossings give longer delays before calculated time of passing of train than others depending on visibility/conditions. (modern crossings send a frequency pulse on one rail such that when a train is coming, its wheels will pass frenqency to other rail. (not 100% sure, but I think some units also look at Doppler shift of that pulse). If one is used to slow freight trains, and a barrier that drops 30 seconds before train passes , you would be used to seeing lights from freight train as the barrier drops, but for Brightline trains, that same 30 secodns of warning happens before the train is visible which would explain why so many cheat and cross with barriers down. One problem with slow moving north american freight trains is that thet are also very long and slow moving, so if you don't cheat and cross the tracks, you may have to wait 10-20 minutes for train to pass.

[@Geotpf]

Dumb ways to die... 🎶 🎵

[@aresivrc1800]

German here, with some additional information you might be interested in: In Germany we for the most part dont have a separate high speed network either. Instead we have a network of higher speed tracks with the occasional high speed section on them. They are usually grade seperated though, so basically no railway crossings happen. So going from Berlin to Munich in 4:30 in fact involves some part of the route going 200 kmh / 125 mph, followed by a long section of going 160 kmh / 100 mph. Then on a newer higher speed ready track the train goes arround 250 kmh / 156 mph for a bit. Then it enters the "Neubaustrecke" (New built highspeed track) and this is the only time where the train really achieves high speed worth the name, going 300 kmh / 187 mph for a bit. Until it leaves the comparable short true high speed track again and has to slow down to 250 kmh / 156 mph - 160 kmh / 100 mph for most of the remaining trip. This helps explaining, why it still needs 4:30 for a comparable "short" distance of only 600 km / 375 miles, it just cannot use its legal topspeed of 300 kmh / 187 mph very much and instead spends most of the trip going much slower. It was mocked as germany most expensive regional train for that reason, but the good news for train lovers like us is still, that besides being a bit on the slow side, it still helped to get a lot of people out of short haul flights. Passenger numbers exceed all expectations and more and more trains have been added as a result. If you want to experience true sustained high speed train, you have to go the France. In fact a german ICE goes to France regularly and after spending a lot of time of going slow paced through the southern west of the german heather, it finally goes over the border straight onto the french highspeed network, where it finally can put the pedal on the metal, going most of the remaining trip to Paris at 320 kmh / 200 mph. So besides the distance being often longer than on the german side, the train still spends less time on french soil overall because it actually goes very fast. From a regional political standpoint, there is still some merrit in the german system. While stops at smaller cities increase the travel time, they also bring in political support from the regions and a new connection in the south of germany actually makes this even better by - two higher speed (200 kmh / 125 mph) tracks in the middle - two lower speed tracks next to those for regional trains, greatly increasing service for the local population. This makes the trains much more popular in the countryside, because now they also benefit which they dont really do from a high speed TGV zooming by. Another cool european high speed train is the Frecciarossa 1000. Maintaining 300 kmh / 187 mph for most of the trip, it already sunk all short haul flights on the same route and also really helped with getting people out of their cars. I think that Brightline will also being comparable slow, does the right thing by offering superior service quality. You can do little about the comparable low speed infrastructure, but you can make the ride as comfortable as possible which will also draw in a lot of people.

[@ClassyWhale]

The announcement coming into Miami really felt more like Southwest Airlines than Amtrak, it's fun to see!

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Now that you mention it, it does!

[@rbrouns9569]

This is by far the best video about Brightline. A joy to look.

[@Thom-TRA]

I appreciate it!

[@seanmichael3410]

I’m glad someone has mentioned the wraps on buses and trains. When you are inside you cannot see out. I personally hate them for that reason.

[@aerohard]

As a Floridian, I can say with certainty that there is nothing worth viewing on that trip unless you enjoy hours of flat swamp punctuated by the backsides of graffiti-riddled commercial buildings. Having the sun on blast in your face for hours at a time is no fun either. Think of the dots as a filter to soften the disappointment of reality vs expectations.

[@enjoyslearningandtravel7957]

The good thing about eating all that food in premium is you don’t have to worry about finding your lunch in the city you arrive and can concentrate on where you stay and your sightseeing first

[@stephernoodle]

Can confirm as a Floridian that Floridians don’t know how to drive near railroad crossings. The only trains we’re really used to in the majority of the state are very slow moving freight trains and people think they can get through the crossings in time 😐 I’m excited about this, it’s so needed here and I hope they can expand it along the west coast as a loop!!

[@bobsykes]

I love this. It looks pretty much like the Amtrak Capital corridor intercity trains I commuted on for over a decade, and they were good, too, although the passenger cars were no where as nice as these brand new ones. The staff, employees of Amtrak, were absolutely the best. No doubt this is a great addition to that route in Florida.

[@Thom-TRA]

Amtrak California staff are great, in my experience

[@alhollywood6486]

Great as usual Thom! Can't wait to see your Zephyr adventure, I had a great time in my family bedroom for 3 days and we were even 30 minutes early into Chicago!😂😂

[@Thom-TRA]

We were definitely not early, but that’s okay!

[@michaelengelhardt5336]

Appreciate the vid and your balanced view. I agree its really nice and great proof of concept between city pairs. However i also agree thats it not HSR. As you pointed out, Acela covers a similar distance much faster. Hopefully the speed can be improved and ticket prices lowered in the future

[@Thom-TRA]

I’m glad it resonated with you!

[@OldSchool-px1xk]

I am a frequent train traveller and imho what passengers do not expect is the railroads cut the schedule for much higher fares. What they need though is acceptable comfort and reliabilty. Comparing the cramped cabin of a B737, the ineviitable fight for space for your hand baggage even to Brightline's smart class, climbing over other passengers just to get to the bathroom, this is quite a difference. Then let's find out how Brightline does after the next hurricane, which will come for sure in Florida. Not running on electric power may be an advantage then, remembering the long power outages we had in the Sunshine State. What they definitely should add on a train running for more than 3 hours is a dining car or at least a cafe car. If you take a train at lunch time or in the early everning, you would want to have lunch or dinner onboard. They might not want to bring back the glory days with Pullman dining cars, food served on china and made by real chefs, but to beat the airlines here is easy. Just serving booze and cookies did on the southern leg, not on this longer route. That could be a pro as well when passengers compare air travel to train travel. If you don't book the expensive business class, today on a one-hour flight you can call yourself happy to get at least a cup of water, if any. Word is Brightline has ordered such equipement with Siemens already.

[@Makingwaves_123]

I’m actually taking Brightline from Boca Station to Orlando this November with the premium. Thanks for the review and looking forward to this

[@Thom-TRA]

Have a good trip!

[@FromtheWindowSeat]

Great review! You make lots of good points, including your analysis about high-speed rail. Really appreciate your reviewing this train on a typical day rather than launch day, which shows what the service is usually like. Cheers!

[@Thom-TRA]

I’m glad you enjoyed!

[@JoeHusosky]

You can get to the tri-rail by taking the metro rail to the airport. I used to get a kick out of passing the bright line while driving to work on US-1 by the Fort Lauderdale airport.

[@Thom-TRA]

I did on my way home

[@JoeHusosky]

@@Thom-TRA excellent, I only found out about Metro Rail going to the airport recently.

[@JoeHusosky]

@@exoressdelivers70 South bound exit of 595 better views. Retired from the city of Dania Beach.

[@dexteralexander2437]

An excellent report. Thanks for all you do.

[@humanecities]

13:52 As an extrovert who loves nothing more than talking to strangers… I would demand a seat on the other side 😂 But I know I’m weird.

[@Thom-TRA]

I had someone across from me! A very chatty abuela

[@enjoyslearningandtravel7957]

@@Thom-TRA oh, that’s funny, do you speak Spanish so you can talk to her

[@enjoyslearningandtravel7957]

I guess if you don’t never want to talk to someone, you can put on your earphones and put go to sleep or work on some thing

[@joserivera-yc5rr]

Love it, so amazing all the beautiful trains coming out, and it seems you are the first to know about it, keep it up, thank you for sharing

[@enjoystraveling]

I really enjoyed riding the train from Orlando airport twice, once from Orlando to West Palm and the other time Orlando to Fort Lauderdale. Both for my first time going, since I hate driving the toll road, so I never bothered to go from Orlando.

[@testaccount1563]

Great job with the video. Brightline takes a little bit longer than a flight but it is ten times better than a flight. Cheaper, you can get work done, faster internet connections, friendly staff, so much food. They are competing against planes rather than driving your car and surely winning.

[@Thom-TRA]

I’d choose this over flying any day of the week!

[@tommarino1056]

Thank you for a very informative video. I agree with you about security checks on trains.

[@gregorylparks5739]

Awesome Video! Thom, keep up the good work!😊

[@Thom-TRA]

Thanks so much!

[@brianhubert8418]

Great video and thanks for the honest review of this exciting step forward. I agree from I've seen, that the he attractive, clean and modern trainst and stations, customer service and frequency seem to be the big selling points even if the top speeds are far from world-beating and it's still diesel and has all those grade crossings. I do wish Brightline all the best in being part of growing our passenger rail network and my favorite form of travel. I can't wait to ride someday and I'm also looking forward to the Airo Sets on the Amtrak side of things and really looking forward to see what Brightline West can do.

[@MegaMillionsMike]

25:48 Thats a Mega Millions Mike on the same train as you 😎

[@ElizaShakiraMassani]

I think the train from Miami to Orlando and vise versa is for sure more for people who don’t drive or for couples/pairs of people going to and from the Orlando theme parks. That won’t have to worry about making sure the driver stays awake when you are both tired. It’s a safe trip you won’t have to worry too much about. You won’t have to stop for bathroom breaks or needing a food stop. It’s something you know will get you where you are planning to go without to much trouble. Is it probably too much money? Yeah but it could be worth it.

[@floridaactor]

Thom...great video, thanks for sharing! I live in Tampa and have yet to try Brightline. Just a couple of comments. First, I will disagree with you on the security. It is unfortunate, but in today's world, I feel this is needed. Second, as to the grade crossings, I feel Brightline and the cities have done all they can to prevent accidents. Brightline has no moral obligation to do more. Some people will continue to drive around barriers to beat a train that takes just a few seconds to cross. Nevertheless, I wish there was grade separation. Finally, I will say that I am spoiled since I had the opportunity to travel from Seoul, South Korea to Busan on the KTX bullet train. This was 15 years ago and we reached a speed of 186 MPH. It was incredibly smooth and quiet. I look forward to seeing more of your videos!

[@Thom-TRA]

You know we live in a safer age than almost ever before right? And I don’t see any evidence that the cities made any effort to prevent accidents. Brightline absolutely should have done more to prevent rail/road interactions. And further educate people.

[@floridaactor]

@@Thom-TRA Agree to disagree. Love your videos!

[@mitchyomayville8165]

This video was a delight. Thank you for making it Thom. Could you please comment on the legroom that you had in Premium? It didn't look like you had very much given the face to face tables seating. Thanks again. BTW I rode the Crescent from Atlanta to NYC a few weeks ago and we hit 112 mph sometime northward in PA.

[@Thom-TRA]

Thankfully the lady in front of me was very friendly so it wasn't too much of an issue. I think the airline style seats have more leg room though.

[@esjay2011]

Thanks for a great video, We had the HST 125 in the 1970's which shows how far behind the American Railroad is behind Europe. Having said that the U. K. is still having problems in building proper high speed lines. Brightline seems to be leading the way and maybe it will catch up. If I was coming to South Florida I would fly to Orlando where the fares are cheaper. due to the theme parks, than to Miami and then take the train.

[@jimresta8638]

Trains in the Northeast US have going +125mph since at least 1969.

[@Thom-TRA]

That sounds like it would be a fun trip!

[@rpf276]

Check over the Brightline West Project, with a planned electrified route using the Siemens newest Electric train that will run from Southern California to Las Vegas, Nevada through the Mojave Desert, this will be true highspeed rail by today's world standards.

[@georgekarnezis4311]

I like how the bathroom doesn’t have loose soap bottles bouncing around. Amtrak Midwest do better. You have the same built in soap dispensers. Use them. Sorry for rambling Thom.

[@Thom-TRA]

No worries. I actually have Amtrak soap at home because they just leave them lying around. Finders keepers…

[@joemotes]

Thom, glad to see you made it, I just did my trip on Saturday, been on it many times for WPM-MIA, sorry I missed you, would have done it with you. I will be taking more trips for the fun of it. Thanks for the video.

[@Thom-TRA]

Definitely enjoy your new toy!

[@joemotes]

Now I just can't wait until it comes out as HO to add to my collection.

[@jasonluckoff3880]

I’ve been on the bright train March 2022, West Palm Beach to Miami soon I will be taking the bright line train West Palm Beach to Orlando

[@SyaoranLiClow]

YOutube show me another dude doing to this line, but I'm glad you'd the chance to visit it too. Someday, maybe I'll take it.

[@neubro1448]

I think Keisei Skyliner express service serving Tokyo to Narita Airport is the only non-Shinkansen train that operates above 80mph. Operates almost nonstop between and is completely grade separate in the Sky Access trunk.

[@Thom-TRA]

I love the Skyliner. The hokuetsu express used to go that fast but not anymore.

[@sbeve7445]

The skyliner unfortunately has terrible ride quality

[@Thom-TRA]

@@sbeve7445 no it doesn’t

[@sbeve7445]

@@Thom-TRA Literally rode it this summer and the train feels like its shaking itself apart when doing 160 kph. At 130 its bearable though.

[@slaughterblade]

Amazing review. Its amazing to see companies like Brightline "lead the rail" for the rail industry in America to prosper. I do agree with you on many points. The fact that Brightline has been involved in a lot of Floridaman accidents is truly the fault of American city designs. Rails are designed to cut right through the city, whereas unlike for example France, rail and road are strictly segregated for the most part and there's rail dedicated infrastructure to keep accidents as low as possible. American trains are far from high speed and amazing, however they're moving towards it. Brightline is what's gonna make Americans love trains. Well done on the review!

[@Thom-TRA]

"Lead the rail," I like that!

[@billtherailfanner455]

Nice review of the Brightline extension to Orlando! I also cannot wait for Brightline West to enter service from California to Las Vegas, NV. The Amtrak San Joaquins is getting the Siemens Ventures to, and a new Siemens Venture cab car for the San Joaquins CDTX 9301 has been built, and will get tested and enter service after testing is completed and if it goes well. I can relate to having the issue of seeing dots on wrapped passenger cars. I remember riding on one of Metrolink’s and Coaster’s wrapped cars and I had that issue of seeing mostly dots instead of the view as well. The Pacific Surfliner also wrapped two cars in the X-Games wrap in May 2023 and they had that issue from seeing them on the outside, even though I did not ride on those two cars, but I can tell it is happening on those 2 cars as well. I would love for Brightline to be electrified, but at least Brightline West is being electrified thankfully. I would love to see Brightline one day and Brightline West when it enters service if I am able to.

[@stephenkeever6029]

I excellent report on this Brightline train. I always enjoy your worldview of USA trains. And thanks for explaining why the bar is called Mary Mary!

[@Thom-TRA]

I appreciate my perspective being appreciated lol

[@adamknott7830]

Thank you! Its really been bothering me to see people call this HSR when its clearly not. We can be excited for this service without lying about what it is

[@Thom-TRA]

Preach

[@rail-ryder7135]

I hate the dots too. I got them when I've ridden a bus once. Hopefully Brightline will get rid of them.

[@enjoystraveling]

I rode the train three times and so far no wraps. :)

[@PatrickLeFloch]

I suspect fewer ppl will run barriers now that trains are seen running frequently, especially at high speeds.

[@paulhurst7748]

Thanks!

[@Thom-TRA]

No, thank YOU!

[@hv1946FLUSA]

Excellent. Thank you for your review.

[@dexterlambert5740]

Thank you, Thom for taking the time to test ride one of Brightline's higher speed dmus. However, when it comes to 16:27--18:17, mainstream media has been very negligent when they continuously misidentify these trainsets as high speed, which they aren't. My other points of contention involve using wraps around the windows which restrict visibility and having one too many road crossings between Cocoa and downtown Miami, especially given the lack of attention some Florida motorists paid heed to. My brother-in-law and I have talked about riding one of these trainsets in the near future. Hopefully, by then the wrappings will have been removed.

[@JoanneCounelis]

Kudos. Thank you.

[@Thom-TRA]

You’re welcome!

[@yikesitsconnor]

I'd love to see the line connect up to Atlanta! I know it's a long shot, but I'd love an easier way to get down to Orlando that isn't plane or driving and is faster than Amtrak!

[@landon176]

There’s one thing I do I now like about bright line, which would be the fact that conductors don’t tell you to sit down on board.

[@NovejSpeed3]

I'd like to see them run between Atlanta and all three cities of New Orleans, Tampa and Orlando. They need to elevate their tracks or build dedicated crossing-less rails like Europe. Can't wait to see your California Zypher video. I was yesterday old when I learned there's a live Amtrak train tracker! Have you covered that?

[@Thom-TRA]

I use the Amtrak train tracker religiously. It crashes sometimes but usually gets the job done.

[@I_just_like_trains]

I’m a Floridian I will say it seems that the more south of Florida you go the more crossing accidents there are I think it’s because a lot of city drivers are used to commuter trains that are running at slower speeds and are stopping at stations to my knowledge, even tri rail doesn’t have as big as a problem as bright line does

[@Thom-TRA]

Maybe, could be

[@dasy2k1]

At the end of the day a 125mph train with a diesel loco at each end is something we kind of invented here in the UK over 40 years ago with the HST or intercity 125... Trains that are all but retired now

[@Thom-TRA]

One of them is in Mexico now!

[@BrennanZeigler]

I was actually just in Orlando to visit my sister who just recently got a job at Disney World. While we didn’t go on the Brightline train, we did pass by the station when she picked me up from the airport. It looked really nice. I hope that one day I can take that train and experience it for myself

[@Thom-TRA]

Does your sister like her job at Disney?

[@BrennanZeigler]

@@Thom-TRAoh she loves it

[@paulmoreno6279]

Awesome my guy! The new extension passes right through my neighborhood here, Northwood Shores, West Palm Beach

[@Thom-TRA]

I should have waved!

[@paulmoreno6279]

@@Thom-TRA lol 😂 yessir! I can see it from my 5th floor balcony 😎

[@michaelb9629]

I’m glad to find out the bright line extension to Orlando is finally complete. I hope it doesn’t take too long to have it complete in Tampa. And as a matter of fact, I’m trying to get to Tampa and Orlando in a little less than a couple of years if possible. If I do travel to both those cities in Florida after the bright line starts running in Tampa, I’ll be very lucky and consider making it my first choice to travel between those cities.

[@Thom-TRA]

I’m very excited for the Tampa extension, since that’s the part of FL that I know best. Wish it was possible to go to St. Pete or Clearwater as well…

[@michaelb9629]

@@Thom-TRA Yeah same here.

[@AdventuresofAwesomeJoe]

0:07 I've not heard of Brightline and this is the first video of them I seen this week.

[@Gert-DK]

Here in Denmark, all crossings on the mainlines were removed in the 80s. ALL OF THEM, no excerptions.

[@lenaweerailfan8162]

"Boarding all guests"-no, they are passengers!!! This is not a hotel.

[@Thom-TRA]

Captain Pedantic over here worrying about the real issues

[@cck6740]

I hope this line gets up to Jacksonville...a route to Orlando and then onward to Miami would be awesome.

[@theconceptualist8626]

Gotta admit, I think the best part of all it this is the punctuality of the trains. Never have I ridden a train, metro system, or bus that had such perfect punctuality.

[@Thom-TRA]

I was very surprised about it as well

[@DaNymko]

Absolutely love the Komachi shirt. Akita representation be lackin'. And also great vid.

[@Thom-TRA]

Here to represent the E6 any day

[@sarahs.6457]

I am a Floridian and never dared a train. So at least that is one that is not a bad Florida driver 😅

[@Thom-TRA]

I applaud and salute you. Spread the word.

[@pinchy08]

I can’t wait to ride this train.

[@brianroman6683]

I enjoyed this video and look forward to riding the extension - probably next year. I have ridden in both classes between Miami and West Palm Beach and agree that it's the addition of good food that makes the higher class worth it! Also true for Amtrak, which only offers "complimentary" food in sleepers and Acela First, along with access to Metropolitan Lounges where available. Ah, but Brightline seems to have a Metropolitan Lounge equivalent at every station! Also, we seem to agree on window wrapping. It does detract from the experience. Personally, I think there should be a Federal law against window wrapping on passenger transit - even on privately-owned ones.

[@kbhasi]

Yes! A review on a normal day! I imagine that with their Tampa expansion, once they are able to build and launch it, they could probably end up being an easier way for tourists to get to the Disney World or Universal Studios Florida resorts, depending on a number of factors including station locations and transport options to and from the station.

[@deaventuraconkikomas4281]

Once again, thank you for sharing your experience on the bright-line service train. Yes, do I understand you perfectly how those dots in the windows bothers your sightseeing experience. As I have heard or reed in other comments, besides the food service, the premium tickets is not worthy. In my opinion is not worthy paying $80 extra for the 3 hours ride premium service, only if you're going to drink the whole alcoholic beverages at lounges bars. Jeje but that all depends on the needs of each one. Besides that the train looks very nice and your video was cool. Thanks

[@wmalden]

For some reason, the name “brightline” brings to mind a dental practice.😁

[@Thom-TRA]

I can see it

[@jfmezei]

It is hard to evaluate the business side of the enterprise bevause FEC also leveraged a lot of real estate assets to allow condos to be built near stations, as well as the Miami station complex itself which is a huge real estate development above and below the actual brightline station. There has been huge capital subsidies from federal/state and municipal governments, but as a private enterprise it is next to impossible to give operating subsidies unless the government buys the service, and then gives a contract to FEC/Brightline to opeprate it. The NE Corridor is profotable to Amtrak. Other routes are not in part because Amtrak has to pay track rights to the railroad. With FEC owning the tracks, then it is much easier for Brightline to be cash neutral/positive in its operations. (unless expansion results in Brightline running on non FEC tracks). Note that internally, Brightline may be paying FEC for track rights and declare operating deficit, but the group itself would be positive when you combine both FEC and Brightline. )

[@kennethhanks6712]

Don't know of any true analysis of Amtrak NE Corridor that shows it break even when you include the capital/infrastructure requirements costs. The Brightline business model, as expressed by both their and FEC executives, is designed to be a separate (tho related) self sustaining operation. Utilizing FEC facilities is a win/win for both entities.

[@jfmezei]

Once again, FEC got major funding from federal, state and municipal governmenst to build out the service. From Wikipedia: In March 2013, All Aboard Florida applied for a $1.6 billion Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) loan, which was administered by the Federal Railroad Administration. It then got actiual grants here and there from Florida and cities as well as FRA (for FRA, it is mostly about railroad crossing safety improvements). @@kennethhanks6712

[@jfmezei]

Look for "The Brightline Saga How a privately owned Florida passenger railway received billions in taxpayer dollars, pretended to be a highway, dismisses safety concerns, and still became a media darling Johnny Renton Apr 25, 2022 It i almost entirely "opther side of coin" story without the positives of the service, but does provide an eye opener on the subsidies it got and its operating model. @@kennethhanks6712

[@iilikeitlikethatii]

I was in Orlando 1 week before the opening. I'm sad I missed this

[@Thom-TRA]

That is a bummer!

[@michaeljohndennis2231]

Looking at this from the U.K. and hearing about how plans for parts of HS2 are about to be scrapped for the North of England including here in Manchester, compared to the rail expansion plans being made by the Irish government back home in Ireland, the Brightline rail project in the US is an important development - I’m aware of other US rail expansion projects, such as in California and the West Coast, but what is crucial is to have a high speed passenger line to connect the East Coast of the US to the West Coast, which will bring the US up to the standards of the railways in mainland Europe and even in Eastern Europe - the Channel Tunnel Eurostar from the U.K. to France is struggling, which is perhaps part of the reason why the plans to build a high speed rail tunnel under the Irish Sea from Holyhead to Dublin keep getting shelved, especially after bizarre extension proposals were added between Scotland, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, with a huge underground tunnel junction proposed for under the Irish Sea S of the Isle of Man - the Taiwan High Speed rail projects, along with those in Japan and in China, show us what is possible, even at local level, but the political will to put in the effort required is simply not there

[@Blueyzachary]

It is moderate frequency, medium speed. BrightLine Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga will be so exciting, since I drive from near Salt Lake City to near Los Angeles about once a month, and I have a few friends that live in Las Vegas that I can leave my car with. I know that by the time it opens, my circumstances will have likely changed, but it will still be exciting regardless.

[@alanzemsky7695]

Also I like to travel facing in direction of the train moving. Is there a way to see which seats go that way online when you purchase your seat?

[@enjoystraveling]

Yes, there’s a way to book a seat in the direction the train is moving, when you buy your ticket online, it gives a seating map and just look at the top for the direction arrow. Very easy.

[@enjoyslearningandtravel7957]

For the people that don’t want to take two people movers, then I believe you can just drive to terminal C, which has parking and take the train

[@Thom-TRA]

Yes there’s a huge parking lot there

[@currawongee1]

Regional rail in Victoria "Vline " costs $10.00 per day or $5.00 concession anywhere in the state plus free travel in zones 1&2 in Melbourne on bus tram or train. Vic is 64% larger than Florida.

[@tonywalters7298]

In one of the roaming railfan videos that shows the orlando airport session says that the speed limit is 35 mph in the "airport zone".

[@mariussagaitis1654]

Is looking very comfortable, compared to plain seating in economy class. Could be one direction seating with some possibilities for joined seating

[@AdventuresofAwesomeJoe]

7:05 have you been to Disney Springs? They require security checkpoints there. When there was never security checkpoints few years ago.

[@rickn501s]

Excellent video. Well done!

[@Thom-TRA]

Thank you!

[@goldenstarmusic1689]

Tbh I think for what it's worth, the Northeast Corridor meets the definitions of "upgraded existing railway exceeding speeds of 200kmh/124mph", specifically between DC and NYC. It may not be revolutionary, but for what it's worth, the Northeast Corridor is still novel in North America for being an actual high speed rail corridor. A properly electrified railway, even if it shares regional and commuter trains, it's still closer to what the rest of the world's developed rail systems have than most of North America has elsewhere.

[@wilfstor3078]

Media be like: "It's pointy on the ends, it must be a high speed train"

[@Thom-TRA]

Pretty much

[@ramonluiscolon87]

Was that lady on the phone the whole ride 😂

[@DC4260Productions]

A lot of buses here in New Zealand (more specifically, the cities of Auckland and Tauranga) suffer from the same problem as the coaches on 'Bright Pink'. I hate seeing advertising wrap over the windows because of that issue where you have to look through the annoying dots. As for the rolling stock itself, the coaches look decent enough, but I think the SCB-40 locomotive looks hideous with that streamlined front.

[@batshevanivylerner8582]

do they check tickets to ensure that the people sitting in premium actually purchased premium tickets?

[@Thom-TRA]

Yes

[@constanttraveler]

Great job on the video. I think any wrapped trains should have heavily discounted tickets to go with the suffering that you are put through to allow them to advertise their train

[@scotty12342]

Do we know if these wraps are permanent or just temporary promotion?

[@constanttraveler]

@@scotty12342 I heard in another video that it is apparently very temporary, a celebration of the opening of the line.

[@ChrisH-1952]

Another very informative video and very thorough with the detail. I would be far more scathing about the 'dots', but you are very gentlemanly in your comments...and commendably so. 🙂

[@Thom-TRA]

I learned that if you put your camera lens on 0.5-mode, you can sort of see outside a little bit...

[@Adpspro]

@22:40 I wished you have recorded the conversation LMAO

[@stevesteffen7001]

I agree with you that it is not "high speed", but it is faster than driving and cheaper than flying. With a Tampa connections I think it will be a real winner. I really enjoyed your honesty about what is right and what you feel is wrong with Brightline. But the reason for the level crossing on the east coast section is cost. If people want to drive stupid that is their problem not Brightlines. Once you go past the gates you are breaking the law and trespassing, so not a Brightline issue. If they could elevate the tracks in the future that would be great, but the cost would be prohibitive. Although most deaths on the line are suicides, so that makes it seem more dangerous than it really is. Again great review, and remember whenever the press can screw something up they will.

[@thepuncakian2024]

Who knows, in the future once they get a good few years of revenue, they might have the funds to electrify the line, though Florida's climate and hurricanes may be an issue to doing that.

[@eelementrixx]

At the minute 6:07 they also stop at the universal and Disney ??? or how can I understand that. lg from Germany frankfurt am main

[@Thom-TRA]

In the future

[@PeteBrandy]

Nice video and very nice train! .. It's a bit unusual for us from continental Europe to see a high-speed train in diesel traction. I hope I'll manage to try this train sometime :-) Greetings from Prague :-)

[@Thom-TRA]

So cool to get a comment from you! I've been subbed for about a year. Being from the Netherlands, the Czech Railways confused me, until I watched your content.

[@PeteBrandy]

@@Thom-TRA Thanks a lot! I found your channel thanks to Nonstop Eurotrip 🙈😎

[@maestromecanico597]

Very well done. Probably the most accurate coverage from someone outside of the project. No, it is not "High-Speed" but the HSR canard has taken firm root into the lexicon and all trains are tagged "HSR" by the great unwashed masses. It's an FRA tier 1 speed railroad. Electrification is $1M/track mile so add another $1 billion to the price tag if you really want it. Spot on about Orlando: that last mile to those places in the metro area still needs to be ironed out. How? Well, the Orange County fathers stuck their thumbs in the pie and now have no idea how to pull them out. In the meantime Brightline will hone their operation to maximum productivity. At that point, if the county still has their heads not screwed on straight, Brightline will figure out how to make it happen...with or without the county. (And the Brightline coaches do not resemble the MidWest Venture cars. The MW cars resemble Brightline's! We were FIRST.)

[@Thom-TRA]

They resemble them to me since I’ve been on the MW cars over a dozen times, and that’s my frame of reference

[@maestromecanico597]

@@Thom-TRA We were still first...and MW Venture wasn't supposed to have happened.

[@coolmasterztv3088]

Nice Video

[@officialmcdeath]

Shinkansen teeshirt? Nice burn! Meanwhile, do the dots mitigate potential glare or merely darken it? And can you smell Charger fumes on the enclosed platforms or are those easily extracted? Thanks for sharing your POV on this project \m/

[@Thom-TRA]

You don’t smell the fumes since it’s all open air. And no, the dots are just for the advertisement, the other trains don’t have them.

[@Andrewjg_89]

The Brightline trains are quite powerful. Almost identical to the Class 43 Power Car.

[@adamdavenport6421]

well thom I have to disagree with you tsa check points for trains and airports it’s all about safety please have a great week

[@Thom-TRA]

It’s about the appearance of safety. If someone wants to hurt people all they have to do is plant a car on the crossings. It’s a waste.

[@07bintangdiandraputra48]

bro you should try first high speed train in southeast asia

[@Voyagerthe2nd]

They should have cops randomly patrol level crossings along the FEC and pull drivers over for crossing the tracks illegally

[@Thom-TRA]

They do, I saw them at a few