Could This be the Future of Intercity Rail Passenger Travel in the USA?
A new era in American rail passenger travel began January 13, 2018.
Nearly thirty-five years had passed since one could ride a regularly-scheduled, privately-operated intercity passenger train in the United States. When the Denver & Rio Grande Western discontinued its tri-weekly Denver-Salt Lake City Rio Grande Zephyr on April 24, 1983 no one believed another railroad would one day introduce private, intercity rail passenger service.
Amtrak's May 1, 1971 startup eliminated most such service. Holdouts included the aforementioned D&RGW train, the Rock Island's Peoria Rocket and Quad City Rocket and the Southern Railway's four remaining trains, including its flagship Washington, DC-New Orleans streamliner, Southern Crescent.
Smaller carriers such as the Chicago South Shore & South Bend, Georgia Railroad (mixed trains only) and Reading System continued to operate such services as well. A seventh holdout, Erie Lackawanna's Cleveland-Youngstown train, was designated a "commuter" train and thus couldn't be dropped upon Amtrak's startup (it succumbed as a Conrail train in 1977).
The first to blink was the Southern, which dropped its tri-weekly Salisbury-Asheville Asheville Special and nameless Washington-Lynchburg local in 1975, followed by the Washington-Charlotte Piedmont in 1976 (the train terminated at Atlanta until 1975). Amtrak assumed operation of the Southern Crescent (dropping Southern from the name) on February 1, 1979. The Rock Island dropped its intercity services at the end of 1978.
The first to blink was the Southern, which dropped its tri-weekly Salisbury-Asheville Asheville Special and nameless Washington-Lynchburg local in 1975, followed by the Washington-Charlotte Piedmont in 1976 (the train terminated at Atlanta until 1975). Amtrak assumed operation of the Southern Crescent (dropping Southern from the name) on February 1, 1979. The Rock Island dropped its intercity services at the end of 1978.
The Reading merged with five other bankrupt carriers on April 1, 1976 to form Conrail. Reading's twice-daily Newark-Philadelphia RDC runs continued as Conrail trains until July 30, 1981, though that carrier was still under federal control at the time.
The Georgia Railroad's charter required passenger service on all its lines, but purchased by Family Lines System (Louisville & Nashville/Seaboard Coast Line) in 1983 allowed trains to be dropped.
The South Shore's intercity service continues in 2018 but was long ago considered a commuter service. It passed to public control (Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District) in 1989.
A new private, intercity service was introduced in the 1970s. December 6, 1971, Eugene Garfield's Auto Train began service between Lorton, Virginia and Sanford, Florida. An ill-advised Louisville, Kentucky - Sanford, Florida service began in 1974 but lasted but three years. Derailments and bad financial decisions (like the Louisville train) eventually derailed Auto Train in 1981. Amtrak has operated the Lorton-Sanford service since 1983.
The Florida East Coast Railway seems least likely to re-introduce rail passenger service. A bitter labor strike begun in 1963 forced the carrier to drop its passenger service. The Interstate Commerce Commission required the carrier to provide local passenger service starting in 1965 but this lasted just three years.
In 2012, FEC's parent announced its intent to introduce rail passenger service to its lines in the form of a new sister company, All Aboard Florida. Highway congestion, growing population and potential for development along the right-of-way drove the plan. Siemens SC-44 Charger locomotives and passenger cars began arriving in December 2016. The new service was dubbed Brightline. After some delays, service between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale began January 13, 2018. Service to Miami is expected to start this month. All Aboard Florida's ultimate goal is to extend service to Orlando, expected in late-2020 after a new line is constructed between that city's international airport and a junction with the existing FEC mainline at Cocoa.
There are five Brightline trainsets - each with four coaches and a locomotive on either end - and are named BrightBlue, BrightGreen, BrightPink, BrightRed and BrightYellow.
There are five Brightline trainsets - each with four coaches and a locomotive on either end - and are named BrightBlue, BrightGreen, BrightPink, BrightRed and BrightYellow.
I made the trip to south Florida the last week of April to ride Brightline. It was worth the long drive. Below are videos I shot on April 26-27.
Hopefully, if Brightline is successful, it will replicated in other areas of the country.
- David P. Jordan
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