Tracking Florida’s Unexpected Path To High-Speed Rail Domination

Before railroads were installed in the United States, the only Americans who saw much of the country west of the Mississippi were pioneers willing to risk it all on horseback. But trains changed everything and the nation quickly expanded.

Of course, trains are now seen as an antiquated form of transportation in the age of powerful cars and commercial jets — but that seems to be changing.

High-speed revolution

Sure, there are still passenger trains (most notably Amtrak), and consumer goods are frequently transported throughout the country by rail. In order to compete with other forms of travel, however, trains need to be fast.

And although other countries have invested heavily in high-speed rail programs, the U.S. has been notably slow to adopt such technology.

California has been discussing the concept for years, but it’s Florida that is leading the way. It all starts with Brightline, a private rail company that started offering trips between Miami and Orlando this week.

An ideal opportunity

So what makes Brightline unique? Well, there are a few reasons that this company is unlike just about anything else you’ll find in America:

• It’s the first privately funded rail service in the country.
• Aside from a line between Trenton and NYC, it’s the nation’s fastest train.
• The entire trip takes less than half the time of a comparable Amtrak ride.

With a maximum speed of 125 mph, Brightline CEO Mike Reininger said that there’s a good reason for this specific route to be the company’s first.

"It is too far to drive and too short to fly,” he said of the roughly 250 miles between Orlando and Miami. “You can approximate the time of flying significantly, improve the time of driving, and you can offer it at a price point that makes it an economic proposition."

Chris Agee September 23rd, 2023

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