Could Brightline be a model for high-speed rail in U.S.?

I would definitely take this train over flying any day. Much more comfortable, less stressful and hassled, and would even be cheaper than flying. The only reason I fly is because there isn’t anything like this linking my hometown with where I currently live

Transit expert here. Some regional trains could follow Brightline's regional model where 125 mph service connects 2 or more kind of close places. This would work in the Albany-Buffalo area, Colorado, North Carolina, and the Midwest. Most places could use long distance and regional France-standard high speed rail (where a big network covers the populated areas of the country) but this is a good start. Privately run as well! Another thing to consider

It's not really HSR.... its almost HSR, but it's a great start. This needs to connect every city.

They said it best - once Americans see how nice of an experience high-speed rail is, demand will come. Would love to see Brightline extend their Florida operation up the East coast to a city like Atlanta or Savannah and reach 220mph speeds in the truly rural areas

I'm going to let the "speed people" argue/complain over the speed. The important takeaway is that Brightline has got more people talking about rail. They offer clean, comfortable, frequent, reliable hourly service. It offers a time that's more than competitive with driving and even flying (when looking at total travel times). Good rail projects tend to raise the tide on all/future rail projects.

There are several existing rail corridors that badly need upgrades such as the Cascades corridor between Portland and Seattle which could be upgraded for 90 mph fairly easily by straightening out curves and replacing some old bridges

We need it here in Texas!

China and Europe even Russia is at least 40 years ahead of America in train travel

Brightline is a model for rail, but not high speed rail. Their corridor in Florida is not high-speed, it’s higher-speed. To get high-speed (150+ mph on a new line), you need an electric train powered by overhead wires, not diesel. Brightline may actually become high speed rail by the end of this decade when their planned true high speed rail line between Las Vegas and an LA suburb. That line will be electric and run at a max speed of 186 mph. (The CEO says in this interview it will run over 200 mph but I haven’t seen that number mentioned anywhere before today.)

We need Brightline in Texas from Dallas to Houston through Austin

This is not HSR but it's good to see a relatively speedy (edit - and more importantly, a frequent and consistent) inter-city/ inter-region rail service... Comparing this to high speed rail is like comparing a B787 to the Concord and then asking why is the Concord not as cheap to buy and run as the B787...

Need this in every state and add large sleeper cars

I'm shocked the America has taken this long, decades late to embrace HS rail. About damn time.

1:30 The difference is that CA HSR is going to be much faster than the Brightline currently is.

I hate flying and driving long distances is sooooo tedious and boring. We need mutiple train routes like this throughout florida and in most states. Would decrease highway and airport traffic and would make life so much easier.

Give Amtrak priority over cargo and increase on time arrivals and rail would double in usage minimum but like the post office we can't have government do well in America

Brightline is NOT hsr.

So, brightline runs along the beach line express. The infrastructure is gorgeous so first class.

For HSR, absolutely not. From the lack of grade separation, to the fact that it shares its right of way with freight, to the fact that it uses slower diesel locomotives instead of EMUs or Electric Power Cars, and the fact that it doesn’t even reach HSR speeds (it only maxes out at 125mph which is considered Higher Speed Intercity Rail like the Northeast Regional and is slower than the Acela). That being said, in terms of higher speed and intercity rail, Brightline is an excellent model in terms of speed, comfort, frequency, construction, and design as it does so much right in these aspects, allowing for a high quality, service on par with the rest of the world. That being said Brightline is still not perfect and has a number of flaws in terms of infrastructure and service. In terms of infrastructure this includes the lack of grade separation and electrification previously stated as well as the lower speeds of the FEC south of Cocoa and especially south of West Palm Beach. Service wise Brightline mainly suffers due to its airline style service using headcounts and security which in turn deincentivizes passengers, good lack of public transit & connections (which is admittedly a problem across the US not just Brightline), its premium fare which makes it a less viable option for many and decreases its reach as a public service , and the fact that it’s privately operated which in turn means that it will always prioritize what makes money as opposed to what serves the general public. As such while there is alot to learn from the success of Brightline, it is important to take a grain of salt and avoid the issues that harm the service. Still Brightline is an excellent service, and I hope for the services future prosperity and growth for years to come.

Brightline is no doubt one of the fastest trains in America, with a top speed that’s only exceeded by the Acela on the NE Corridor, but by the widely-accepted global definition of high speed rail, Brightline is not. That definition classifies high speed rail as greater than 125 mph on upgraded existing tracks, and over 155 mph on new tracks. That said, any new passenger rail in the US is a good thing if it means fewer cars on the freeways, especially one with the level of service they offer compared to the currently only other intercity rail alternative, Amtrak. As for Brightline West, that will hit a projected top speed of 186 mph and will for sure be high speed rail, but it won’t hit it for much of its journey, averaging a little over 100 mph between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, a distance of 218 miles, with a projected trip time of 2 hours 10 minutes. California HSR meanwhile is building true high speed rail, with a top speed of 220 mph and an average of 166 mph on its projected 2 hour 39 minute nonstop trip time between LA Union Station and SF’s Salesforce Transit Center (for comparison, the fastest Beijing-Shanghai HSR service averages 181.4 mph). Both Brightline West and CAHSR are working to bring high speed rail here, as are other proposed HSR projects around the country. America having world-class high speed rail is a matter of when, not if, and the first trains will begin rolling by the end of this decade.