Peoria Station

I'm glad I rode it when I did.  Brightline, the privately-operated rail passenger company which operates between West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, announced Friday that it has become a partner with Virgin Group.  London, England-based Virgin Group is owner of Virgin Atlantic Airways. The most visible change will be re-branding of Brightline passenger trainsets and stations to "Virgin Trains USA." Virgin becomes a minority owner so Brightline management will continue to run the operation.  Virgin Atlantic Airways serves Miami. Brightline intends to extend its service to Orlando International Airport by early 2021, and Tampa at a later date. Virgin Atlantic Airways also serves Orlando, so passenger train service to South Florida and the Tampa Bay area will offer excellent connections to those areas.  Brightline recently announced plans to develop passenger train service between Las Vegas and Southern California. The Virgin connection works w...

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-Youngst...