MIAMI, FL – April 20, 2016 – In recognition of Earth Day, Brightline is advocating the use of mass transit as an alternative to driving. The rail service—the first inter-city, express train service in Florida – will provide a new mass transit alternative, providing a more eco-friendly and smart way for residents, business travelers and visitors to travel. Through its ridership projections, Brightline estimates its service will remove approximately three million cars from Florida's congested roadways annually by 2030. There are currently more than 500 million trips taken each year between Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando. Of those trips, 95 percent are in private cars.
“In Florida, unlike other parts of the country, we have been solely dependent on automobiles as a way to get from place to place. With that dependence comes congestion as our roadway infrastructure can't handle the influx of vehicles from the fast-growing population,” explains Michael Reininger, president of Brightline. “With Brightline, we are introducing a new form of mass transit that will take people to urban cores utilizing existing infrastructure, all of which represents a smart, efficient and sustainable way to travel.”
Brightline will utilize the existing rail corridor along the east coast of Florida, where approximately 50 percent of the state's population—over nine million people—currently live. Brightline's South Florida stations are located in the heart of the downtown urban areas of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, giving riders access to a range of additional mass transit and other options, such as bike sharing programs, to reach their final destinations.
Existing forms of transportation in these metropolitan areas currently includes Metromover and Metrorail in Miami; Tri-Rail in South Florida; and SunRail in Orlando. Brightline will enter service in mid-2017 with initial service to Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, extended service to Orlando will follow.
Eco-Friendly Aspects
Designed with guests and optimal efficiency in mind, the Brightline train sets are being manufactured in California by Siemens USA, the global powerhouse of innovative train-builders, at their Sacramento manufacturing plant that is powered up to 80 percent by two megawatts of solar energy. A fuel-efficient Cummins diesel-electric engine built in the heart of Indiana will power the locomotive with 16 cylinders pumping up to 4,400 horsepower for optimum reliability and consistency. The lightweight engine is certified to meet the ultra-low emissions required by EPA Tier 4 standards, with additional benefits including reduced noise and excellent response. The train sets also feature energy efficient LED lighting throughout.
Brightline's station buildings will also be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, a rating earned for environmentally-friendly construction using less water, energy and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The majority of Brightline's 235-mile route will use an existing transportation corridor, minimizing the impact on wetland acreage. The mitigation for unavoidable impacts will ensure that there is no net loss of wetland function.
About Brightline
Brightline will redefine what it means to travel by train in America with express inter-city passenger rail service arriving 2017, providing an important transportation alternative to connect Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando. The service will ease the stress of traffic, provide a simple and intuitive experience from door to destination, and foster new opportunities to explore more of Southeast Florida. Brightline is the only privately owned, operated and maintained passenger rail system in the United States. For more information, visit www.gobrightline.com.