Virgin TrainsUSA, company that operated the trains of bright line, is an express intercity rail system that is expanding in the state of Florida.
MiamiDiario Newsroom
In November of 2015, All Aboard Florida announced that there would be a new express train service in Miami, which would be called bright line. This would have trains that would offer service -in its beginnings- between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach.
Brightline was owned by the Florida East Coast Railway.
When it began operations - on May 19, 2018 - Brightline's president and chief operating officer, Patrick Goddard, welcomed and explained that it was an express train system that runs from Miami to Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and then it would extend to Orlando.
Video: courtesy Miami Herald
After its inauguration, the demand for tickets for Brightline high-speed trains gradually increased, and thenextmiami, the company responded by increasing the service.
At the beginning of August 2018, the number of round-trip trains from Miami a West Palm Beach grew by about 50 percent. came to perform 16 daily round trips. Ticket prices also increased. A round trip between Miami and West Palm Beach in first class once cost up to $70 A one-way ticket from Miami to West Palm Beach in class select premium was between $30 and $35, depending on the time, and a one-way ticket at the Smart class It was $20 on weekdays.
Brightline, Patrick Goddard
When this project began, it was predicted that there would be a total of 2,94 million passengers per year. At that moment, bright line said it expected to generate $142 million in annual revenue on the Miami-West Palm Beach route when operations stabilized. miamidiario.com.
Brightline was the only privately financed, built and operated railwayIt was a project of $ 3,100 million, His plans were to reach Orlando International Airport by January 2021.
Modern trains ran 365 days a year and travel at a average speed of 79 miles per hour. It is estimated that 30 minutes are taken between each station.
Brightline changes name
Then in November 2018, shortly after it was inaugurated, Brightline changed its name. A charismatic British millionaire, Sir Richard Branson, decided to partner with the high-speed urban train line, and as of 2019 the company became Virgin TrainsUSASaid sun-sentinel.com
Richard Branson is recognized worldwide as a man multifaceted, a business magnate, investor and philanthropist, is also the founder of the virgin group.
Richard Branson
It should be noted that the group of companies is made up of More from 400 companies around the planet, among other hotels with vineyards, a chain of gyms and a cruise company for adults, now Branson decided to venture into the field of trains.
Investing in a new passenger rail system appears to include one more element in the transportation arena Branson is entering, which also includes the development of a space tourism company, Virgin Galactic.
Virgin Galactic
The group Virgin Group made a minority investment in Brightline, which after the new association was managed by the executive team of the trains and subsidiaries of Fortress Investment Group.
The own bright line explained in a press release that it is "a strategic partnership, in which the train company will take advantage of the brand Virgin and marketing expertise for existing and future projects” and continue to grow the local company.
In the statement, Branson said, "We've had a lot of fun and have managed to create innovative transportation companies that shake up markets and establish a loyal following."
The tycoon added, "Brightline is at the forefront of innovation in this market, and the ideal partner with whom Virgin can work to alter perceptions and travel habits in the United States."
In turn, the Brightline President Wes Edens, he assured, “Our effort to reinvent rail service of passengers in the USA is taking another step forward with the incorporation of the Virgin team».
Brightline President Wes Edens
Edens added “Virgin has built a respected and trusted brand in travel and hospitality. With our shared focus on the customer experience, fueled by a culture of innovation and disruption, we are well positioned to build on our success." sun-sentinel.com.
It should be noted that Virgin Group has extensive experience in railway sector of the United Kingdom, which implies Virgin trains, which is a high-speed intercity passenger rail system that has been in operation for 21 years.
future plans of Virgin TrainsUSA
the new company, Virgin TrainsUSA, Its future objectives are to expand into other markets, and it is also about to close the acquisition of XpressWest—a bullet train project—and culminate in the fulfillment of some federal permits to begin construction of the railway that will connect Las Vegas with southern California.
Likewise, Virgin TrainsUSA is in negotiations with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to lease the right-of-way along the Interstate 4 corridor, the goal is to extend the line from the Orlando International Airport until downtown tampa. The deadline to complete the negotiations was set for March 31, 2020.
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