What’s it like to ride Brightline on a normal day? | BRAND NEW Orlando Extension
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- Опубликовано: 4 июн 2024
- On September 22, 2023, Brightline in Florida opened their long-awaited extension to Orlando. Many people flocked to Florida to try it out and raved about the service. But when it's no longer opening day, do all the commotion and fanfare still hold up? Is what people are saying about Brightline even true at all?
Thom travels to Orlando a week after the grand opening, to take a train all the way down to Miami. He rides in Premium class. Along the way, he addresses some misconceptions about Brightline. And, he takes a look at the many perks Brightline offers that make it an exceptional service.
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Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:13 What is Brightline
3:14 Orlando Airport
5:24 The Location of Orlando Station
6:36 Exploring Orlando Station
8:48 SMART Lounge
9:18 PREMIUM Lounge
11:45 Our Train Arrives
13:48 Seat Tour
15:27 Departing Orlando
16:21 Is Brightline High Speed?
18:18 Testing the toilets
19:54 Railroad Crossings
21:01 On-board lunch
21:56 Slow bridge in Port Saint Lucie
22:21 West Palm Beach
22:57 Fort Lauderdale
23:16 Aventura
24:25 Miami Central Station
26:40 The Final Verdict on Brightline 
Авто/Мото
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!
The first thing I did when I got to Miami was get on a pod! Haha
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.
Sun Rail needs to be taken over by either Brightline, CFX, or Lynx so jobs can get done faster
@@user-ll2nd5mp7x 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.
The only reason people complain about sunrail is because it doesn't run on the weekends
@@user-ll2nd5mp7x yup. I wanted to take SunRail to a soccer match and was disappointed to learn that that wasn't an option.
@@user-ll2nd5mp7x I wish it would run on the weekend since many people try to find parking places when they go to festivals
The announcement coming into Miami really felt more like Southwest Airlines than Amtrak, it's fun to see!
Now that you mention it, it does!
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.
I hope everyone you know stays safe!
Unfortunately, many of the incidents are intentional, which is just tragic. Grade separation would be a huge improvement, especially for those types of situations.
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.
@alhollywood6486 that is very tragic indeed
@@dmnddog7417 Get out your printing press because that idea is going to take a tidal wave of $ for the next several centuries.
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.
I share your optimism and your thoughts on crossings completely!
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.
The CAHSR crossings are on the slow suburban section section shared with Caltrain. Which have removed some crossings, but not enough.
theyre planning on quad gates for CA HSR which will help but only goes 110 in peninsula, 220 for the valley tho@@Thom-TRA
@@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
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
You’re welcome!
It's certainly a better option than driving and hopefully the LA-LV line will open in the not-too-distant future.
I’m moderately hopeful. I think that’s a good posture to have.
I have more faith in that line opening revenue service than any piece of CAHSR in the near future.
When is the LA-LV expected to be operational in your opinion?
Last time I was this early, Brightline didn’t go to Orlando yet.
Lol
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' 😂
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.
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.
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.
Dumb ways to die... 🎶 🎵
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!
Couldn’t have said it better myself
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!
@@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!
I love how the automated onboard announcements have to explain to passengers what happens at intermediate stations 'We will only be stopping at this station for a brief moment'. Bless their hearts....
Yea, unfortunately people are not conditioned on efficient boarding and de-boarding processes in Florida yet. It's not unusual for people to remain seated even as the doors are open.
That's sensible for people who might not be used to proper rail, and is good in anything made for tourists (it stops at the airport)
@@dynasty0019even in cities that have extensive rail networks have this problem. Where I live in Sydney I have seen multiple times where people stand up after the doors open, on double decker trains mind you, and exit right as the doors close
This looks like a good time! I think 2 streamiled diesels with a few brand new shiny coaches on uprgraded track is the way foreward for now on Intercity trains. Sure, there are a lot of problems like you mentioned (not being electrified, not grade seperated) but i like to think of this as a proof of concept and a test bed for their ideas in faster private rail services. I thoroughly enjoyed your video. Thanks!
Exactly. It’s a good experiment and stepping stone forward.
RE: ticket prices (8:50) a bus ticket from Orlando to Miami costs between $25 and $60 on RedCoach. Smart class tickets are not so far out of that range.
The real pain in ticket prices comes when you are traveling in a group. Can't think of a family of four would take the train (or bus) rather than drive.
Still, it seams like a lot to me. In Italy, where I live, you can get a business class ticket from milan to naples (4h20 of proper high speed rail) for as low as 45€ (obviously booked in advance). Now i know this is a bit of a stretch since in Italy prices are generally lower than in the US, but I thing they could really do much better. With prices like these most people here take the train instead of driving 7/8 hrs or taking the plane.
@antoniovitellaro I was taking trains through Italy just this summer. Thank you for putting up with me and my fellow tourists. I know there were a lot of us.
Brightline is definitely catering to upscale customers. The national train service, Amtrak, also provides service from Orlando to Miami. It costs half as much, takes twice as long, and runs only twice a day. It's not even as convenient as the bus.
that isn't the segment there really going for, there targeting business people who often travel or so is my understanding.
Brightline has a 25% discount for 4+ tickets. Other benefits for families: novelty of a high speed train, ability to walk around while travelling, more space for games and internet-connected devices, and not worrying about finding a restroom for miles and miles. Although business travellers would probably prefer a quiet atmosphere.
@joealmoni4018 I just checked the cost of going to Miami by train with the family. Round trip would be $714 for four people with the 25% discount applied. We'll be taking the Camry instead.
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!
I love the Yurikamome. One of my childhood favorites.
I’m so glad you were finally able to ride this Tom! It’s very convenient that this goes to Florida
Edit: I meant Thom, sorry
I had a good time!
I took brightline from Fort Lauderdale to WPB. It was a nice and solid service with great amenities. The included Tesla pick-up/drop-off was a great bookend.
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.
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.
Great video, like the honesty about the service including not being high speed. I regularly travel on the highest speed domestic service in the UK, 140 mph from London which shares the line with the trains to France that go via the Channel Tunnel. There are no surface crossings on this line, and signalling is delivered in the driver's cab, an essential for these faster services. Look forwards to hearing when the Las Vegas service will open, a proper high speed line indeed!
Very excited for the Vegas line as well. I think it will change a lot of people’s opinions on the matter.
@@Thom-TRAAnother view from the UK: I know everywhere has NIMBYs (Not In My Backyards) but we recently tried to build a new high-speed railway and the current ruling party has absolutely cannibalised it, seemingly as a middle finger to the next administration. The bar for a successful project is, comparatively, in the sand surrounding the I-15.
An excellent report. Thanks for all you do.
This is by far the best video about Brightline. A joy to look.
I appreciate it!
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
Excellent. Thank you for your review.
It would be nice if they built a branch going directly west from Miami to the Gulf (Naples, Ft. Myers, Port Charlotte, Sarasota, Tampa). It could branch off at Ft. Lauderdale and parallel I-75.
Especially since that area gets a lot of tourists! Just make it a loop lol
Yeah looking at the map it really should be connected to make a triangle in the state
I have email them about it. It can run in the medium i-75. Stops in Naples, RSW, Sarasota and Tampa.
They do plan on adding a Tampa station. It will be next and run from Orlando to Tampa. I believe it’s anticipated to be completed in 2027 and will run along I-4
no they should not do this and need to remove I75 and US41 from ontop of the everglades we need to stop destroying our natural resources
Thank you for a very informative video. I agree with you about security checks on trains.
I definitely agree with your praises and criticisms of Brightline, it's frustrating how overhyped the new extension is when the Acela is faster and has been running for a few decades now. Looking forward to checking it out for myself the next time I visit Florida!
It’s still super worth riding, just take stuff you read on the internet with a grain of salt
as someone from the NEC i think we're a bit used to public transit being a lot more fleshed out compared to places like florida. from what ive seen brightline can reach a top speed of 125 which is pretty solid but is held to 79 mph in a lot of places bc of saftey restrictions (Floridian drivers trying to beat train crossings/not being used to this kind of infrastructure). Brightline is getting a lot of hype mainly bc they are the new kids on the block with shiny new toys. Prices need to come down a little imo and cities should try to pedestrianize the surrounding infrastructure when wanting to have a brightline station.
@@beedoggs I definitely agree that cities, especially Florida, should try to make areas more friendly to walkers and also make it illegal for cars to turn right in places where there’s many walkers. I almost was hit several times being a walker in a crosswalk, and I had the signal and a car turning right did not stop and look at almost hit me. !!
@@beedoggs The NEC is true HSR only on a few miles on the northern section. The rest is a lot of 79 mph too. Specifically the infrastructure in the Greater New York region often is a 100 years old and requires low speeds. Between Newark and Baltimore it is limited to 125 mph, even with the Acela trains. I rode both Acela from New York to DC and Brighline from WPB to Miami, and Brightline trains have a much better travel experience. There is no direct competition between Acela and Brightline though, and maybe that's exactly what is missing on the NEC. Remember the days when New York System and Pennsylvania Railroad were bitter rivals on the North eastern rail services - they pushed each other to the limits and beyond. That's the very reason why Amtrak gets away with it's poor quality of service and they like never came up with a real successor of the 20th Century Limited, or Broadway and so on. Or why there's no plan to build a HSR line from Chicago to New York, or whatever. Insofar I hope Brightline will be a game changer to US intercity rail
It’s not overhyped. It’s properly hype considering how many years Public agencies would do a proposal and it will finally take 20 years to actually get built. Still waiting for full 2Ave Subway after 70 years
Although high speed networks like in Europe are faster and electrified, the quality of the customer facing experience on this line is really on another level to what we see here, from the ticket machines, the trains, and the lounges - looks great imo 👏 promising, hopefully this will just be the start
I wholeheartedly agree
one of the only advantages I would say American rail generally has over European is customer service, and comfort.
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
I’m glad it resonated with you!
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.
Awesome Video! Thom, keep up the good work!😊
Thanks so much!
US law uses 125mph as the cut off for high speed rail, and the FRA uses 110mph. I understand that you don't want there to be confusion comparing this to the very fast trains elsewhere, but I think it's reasonable for Brightline to advertise "high speed" rail service: they need to make it clear that this is a different thing than the slow and infrequent intercity trains everyone is used to here.
The term high speed serves to classify a product, not distinguish it from competitors. That’s the job of the Brightline marketing department.
Still not as bad as Comcast claiming to have "10G internet "
Reaching 125mph for 2 minutes on a 3 hour journey doesn't qualify the service as "high speed" no matter what the treshold is. In fact, no diesel service should be considered "high speed" on freight lines. The last fast train in North America was the United Aircraft Turbo Train which didnt last long in USA, but lasted over a decade in Canada. It did break the speed record for North America (which I beleive is still standing, but the new Avelias may break it on a trest run). However, on CN/VIA service, it was limited to 150kmh due to tracks and freight traffic. It was replaced by the LRC which while it maintained modern aluminium shell, had conventional bogies and diesel locomotive and didn't brag about speed once in service. (it's active tilting system was quicky turned off after introduction as it didn't allow increased speeds but made people sick, especially when it malfunctioned and made car tilt left and right repeatedly).
The correct nomenclature for Brightline marketing should be "fast and reliable" or "Fast, comfortable, reliable".
I understand your opinion, however 125mph is the comercial speed of high speed rail and not the top speed. The top speed of the hig speed rail in Europe is nowadays about 200mph. And of course a high speed line is a dedicated line with no railwaycrossings at all, and this, not even the Northeast Corridor sastifies the expectations. For european standards, Brightline is a reasonable intercity service. Look at this good exeample of high speed in France: ruclips.net/video/OtotJm-OFdc/видео.htmlsi=7yfqT4rPnlAUzTCV
@@jfmezeiI don’t understand the hate for brightline. You’re hyperbole isn’t relevant. Brightline doesn’t go “125 for 2 minutes”. It goes 125 from Orlando to Cocoa. It’s also not finished. The Orlando to Tampa leg is next which will be 125 for an hour the entire way. So it will be running at 125 across the entirety of Florida from east to west.
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.
I’d choose this over flying any day of the week!
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.
Amtrak California staff are great, in my experience
Thank you for the thorough review! I am booking a ride next month and was trying to determine if I should splurge on the premium and I am pretty sure you convinced me!
It’ll make your journey more enjoyable! Thought there’s nothing wrong with the basic either
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
Great video! I saw myself in your video a lot throughout since I was riding on the the same train as you! The wrap was very upsetting to me as well as I was trying to get a trip report as well, my camera thankfully was able to focus on the outside rather than those annoying dots, but my train back to Orlando wasn’t wrapped, thank goodness! Anyways, great video!
Dude, next time say hi!!! Lmk when your video is done
@@Thom-TRASounds good! My video isn’t nearly as high tech as yours haha but it’s coming out in an hour or so!
@@Thom-TRA I posted my video now!
Kudos. Thank you.
You’re welcome!
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!😂😂
We were definitely not early, but that’s okay!
Thanks!
No, thank YOU!
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.
Definitely enjoy your new toy!
Now I just can't wait until it comes out as HO to add to my collection.
Excellent video. Well done!
Thank you!
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!
I appreciate my perspective being appreciated lol
Great Video!
Thanks!
This is a good start, and we do have a very long way to go before we have anything that resembles HSR in any major way in the US. Spain was able to cover the country in true HSR in about 15 years, and at a minimum, we should be doing the same for the Northeast corridor, as well as dramatic acceleration of the CA HSR build.
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.
I did on my way home
@@Thom-TRA excellent, I only found out about Metro Rail going to the airport recently.
@@exoressdelivers70 South bound exit of 595 better views. Retired from the city of Dania Beach.
25:48 Thats a Mega Millions Mike on the same train as you 😎
Great video, and especially honest about the fact that it is not true high speed. I'm looking forward to riding the service from Orlando to Miami.
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!!
Excellent Review
Thank you!
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.
Awesome my guy! The new extension passes right through my neighborhood here, Northwood Shores, West Palm Beach
I should have waved!
@@Thom-TRA lol 😂 yessir! I can see it from my 5th floor balcony 😎
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.
I had someone across from me! A very chatty abuela
@@Thom-TRA oh, that’s funny, do you speak Spanish so you can talk to her
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
If Brightline expanded up to Jacksonville, I would personally use this service alot! Maybe one day. Even if not high speed, would offer much less stress then driving on I-95
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!
I’m glad you enjoyed!
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.
0:35 Somebody is having trouble playing Geometry Dash.
(thought TBH, so do I)
They were really bad I kept watching 😂
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.
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.
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.
Nice Video
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.
Trains in the Northeast US have going +125mph since at least 1969.
That sounds like it would be a fun trip!
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.
@24:24 Super positive announcer, she made me happy even though I wasn't there!
She was very nice
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.
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.
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
I enjoy the video👍👍
Glad you enjoyed
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.
No worries. I actually have Amtrak soap at home because they just leave them lying around. Finders keepers…
I can’t wait to ride this train.
So, it seems all the train people are triggered by Brightline et. al. calling this high-speed rail, but I think that completely misses the point in regards to why people see this as a game changer. The speed is *not* the game changer her and never really has been. Rather the game changing nature of this is that it's a proof of concept that passenger rail service can be a potentially profitable enterprise in here in the heavily car dependent US, even in a place that's a sprawling as Florida. That's why Brightline is a game changer.
Edit - just wanted to add that I appreciate the "normal day" video - should give a better idea of what regular folks can expect vs opening day.
No one is triggered. My critique is that they shouldn’t use the word high speed if that’s not what they are. It doesn’t really sound like you listened to much of what I said.
And why do trains need to be profitable in order for people to see them as valuable to society?
If neither price nor speed can convince people to abandon their cars, I don’t understand how game-changing it really is.
@@Thom-TRA To a private company, it does need to be profitable otherwise it becomes too expensive to run at a loss. If it was publicly-owned, then it would be considered a service so it doesn't need to be profitable, but should at least try to break even.
@@Thom-TRA Oh, people are definitely triggered - a huge number of comments (perhaps even the majority of what I've seen) on *every* Brightline Orlando video I've watched have been something along the lines of "It's not really high speed!" "Why are they calling it high speed rail"? etc.
Anyway, as far as profitability goes, you're putting words into my mouth that I never said. Trains don't need to be profitable to be seen as valuable, that's true, but it's also entirely irrelevant to the point I'm trying to make. Profitability proves something is a *worthy investment*, and as a result more will be invested. So, Brightline is a game changer in that this will getting the ball rolling on *actually building more rail in the US*! Privately funded inter-city passenger rail in the US is a game changer regardless of speed because it proves false one of the key reasons a lot of people oppose funding rail projects - that they're a waste of money. IMO Brightline overcomes one of the biggest hurdles that US rail expansion faces, and that's why it's a game changer.
@@Spudeaux I agree with you that some people are triggered by the words, high speed when comparing Brightline and I see on other videos that some people spend a lot of time arguing about that.
Course Brightline is not high speed compared to some definitions of it, but it definitely shows a progress being made in Florida with my higher speed compared to the United States of what it normally has. . Progress takes time and may be in the future do United States for meet high speed, real definition.
Trains don’t need to be profitable. They are a public service. Highways aren’t profitable either, and they certainly don’t break even.
I was in Orlando 1 week before the opening. I'm sad I missed this
That is a bummer!
Nice video, really nice without all the Grand Opening stuff! I’d like to see an honest, high speed (possibly Mag Lev, possibly auto train accessible ) from Bangor, ME to Miami FL on private rail. I’d be at least happier to see it from DC to Portland ME.
Cool video, Thom.
Thank you!
I suspect fewer ppl will run barriers now that trains are seen running frequently, especially at high speeds.
Thank you for posting this video... I can't wait for the train from Rancho Cucamonga to Las Vegas ❤❤❤❤. Lately traveling to Las Vegas has been awful.
I also noticed that you are wearing a "Shinkansen - Bullet Train". Do you have a video of the Bullet Train in Japan?
Yes, many!
A very fun and informative video. Du bist Super Thom! Brightline puts Cal Train to shame, with really classy stations and lots of amenities.
Danke Schön! My Caltrain review is coming soon…
I enjoyed this thorough and honest video and appreciate the time and effort you took to give us this. I believe it’s an exciting concept and I hope it spreads nationwide. The festive trains and stations are very appealing!!! Awesome!!!
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?
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.
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. 🙂
I learned that if you put your camera lens on 0.5-mode, you can sort of see outside a little bit...
Hmm, there's no way to force landscape/infinity focus on iPhone?
Thank you very much for this excellent video ! I have yet to ride Brightline, but intend to do so early in the New Year. The hype calling the service high speed rail is just that, but it is still the fastest way on land to travel between Orlando and West Palm Beach ! The trains themselves are wonderful, but I agree how awful the overall adverts are, and the dot effect is tedious !
The esteemed Anthony Warrener is traveling to the US? Will a stop in DC be involved?
@@Thom-TRA My visits to Florida involve a flight from New York to Sarasota to visit family on Long Boat Key. I always return by Amtrak Silver Star from Tampa to Baltimore, and make a point of seeing all the transport action there, and in D.C ! It would be great to meet up, and once my plans and dates are fixed, I will let you know. Very best wishes.
Looking forward to it
I hope this line gets up to Jacksonville...a route to Orlando and then onward to Miami would be awesome.
Any new rail line is a step forward!
Very true
Cool video, are the dots as bad in person as it is on camera? Looking out the window is my favorite part of riding on trains and flying.
Yes, they are as bad
Absolutely love the Komachi shirt. Akita representation be lackin'. And also great vid.
Here to represent the E6 any day
Love it❤
Thanks! Love your profile pic
@@Thom-TRA Thank you!
We NEED a Cocoa stop. There are thousands of cruise passengers a week that struggle to get from Orland to Cocoa, but there is no stop there. I had a bad Lyft trying to get from Orlando to Titusville, was terrified that we would get dumped on the side of the highway because the driver didn't want to go out there. I asked if it was ok and he said yes, then I asked if he was sure and he took my suitcase and put it in his care then he huffed and puffed all the way out there. I would really prefer Brightline.
I love your videos and rely on them when researching travel. I am more likely to use local public transportation when I don't have my kid with me. In Baltimore we noped the heck on out of the light rail service. I might have tried it if I were alone. I really like your attention to detail.
Great video. So in your opinion what’s the best way to arrive in downtown Orlando when getting off Brightline? Also can you assist with getting to Epcot or Disney World from the train station too?
I’m not exactly sure what you’re asking but if you’re asking if you can get downtown from the Orlando airport from the terminal where the train arrives, besides taking an expensive taxi, or Uber, you can also go to terminal A, and take the city bus which is only about two dollars.
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
Preach
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.
I love the Skyliner. The hokuetsu express used to go that fast but not anymore.
The skyliner unfortunately has terrible ride quality
@@sbeve7445 no it doesn’t
@@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.
I hate the dots too. I got them when I've ridden a bus once. Hopefully Brightline will get rid of them.
I rode the train three times and so far no wraps. :)
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!
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.
@@Thom-TRA Agree to disagree. Love your videos!
0:07 I've not heard of Brightline and this is the first video of them I seen this week.
4:17That people mover looks awesome!
Orlando has some cool ones
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
Does your sister like her job at Disney?
@@Thom-TRAoh she loves it
Nice video. One question is the brightline station in terminal C. At Orlando international airport
Yes, Brightline is in terminal C, however a slightly different section than the airport section. You can get there from the other terminals easily with the people mover or you can be dropped off at terminal C.
i agree with you 100% I will never subject myself to search as a Freeman
Is that what I said, though?
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!
"Lead the rail," I like that!
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/
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.
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.
"Boarding all guests"-no, they are passengers!!! This is not a hotel.
Captain Pedantic over here worrying about the real issues
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".
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
One of them is in Mexico now!