Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Shinkansen - the World's First High-Speed Line On October 1st, the Tokaido Shinkansen celebrated its 60th anniversary. Shinkansen translates to “new trunk line” and the Tokaido Shinkansen was the world’s first high-speed trunk...
A test run on the new 35-mile stretch from Orlando to Cocoa, where a Brightline train reached 130 mph for the first time. Photo: Brightline
Brightline Making Progress in Florida and Vegas
Brightline has reached another milestone as they prepare to launch passenger rail service to Orlando International Airport. During a test run on the new 35-mile stretch from Orlando to Cocoa, a train reached 130 mph for the first time. This is a record in Florida and the southeastern U.S. After revenue service launches later this year, Brightline trains will regularly reach maximum speeds of 125 mph on this segment.
“Reaching 130 (mph) isn’t just another milestone to our team, but the continuation of a dream that we’ve been working towards for several years,” said president of Brightline Trains Patrick Goddard. “More importantly, this historic feat brings us one step closer to launching Brightline service between Orlando and Miami.”
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, Brightline West has taken another step forward with the announcement of a labor agreement. The State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, Southern Nevada Building Trades Union and Brightline West signed a memorandum of understanding to construct the high-speed rail project between Las Vegas and Southern California. The agreement ensures that the project will be built with unionized labor, and construction is estimated to create 10,000 jobs.
Brightline West has made significant progress as they prepare to break ground as soon as this year. Major milestones reached thus far include completion of major land acquisition and lease agreements, including a station site on Las Vegas Boulevard, also known as “the Strip.” Agreements have been reached with the Arizona and California highway departments for using the I-15 right-of-way. The bulk of NEPA documentation and approvals for environmental clearance have also been completed.
As Brightline West continues to hit these milestones, there’s optimism that we could be riding an American high-speed train by the end of the decade.
Read More
Brightline Borrows $215M to Finance Rail Construction but Tampa Extension Not Included
High-Speed Rail to Vegas Clears Another Hurdle
Brightline Train Hits 130 mph in Testing (Video)
Brightline West Inks Building Trade Unions Deal With 2027 Start Date in Mind
Brightline Florida (HSRA Page)
Articles We Enjoyed:
F.K. Plous: How Metra Could Build Regional Rail In Chicago (Chicago Tribune)
Amtrak Kicking Off $6B B&P Tunnel Replacement Program
Roundtable: U.S. High-Speed Rail Developments
Nebraska Lawmaker Pitches Return to Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission
Amtrak Announces Progression on Passenger Rail Along I-20 Corridor
The Latest from HSRA
Our Latest Blog Posts
Check out the latest news, updates, and high speed rail insights from our blog!