USA, the first private train travel service in a century

2023-09-24 20:46:31, Kosova & Bota CNA

This is a $5 billion investment by Fortress Investment Group that can be used by 8 million people a year to travel between Miami and Orlando.

Florida started a new rail line, the first private passenger train service in the United States in a century. The new line, which began operating on Friday, offers a new way to travel between the cities of Orlando and Miami.

The yellow trains that have already started running on the Miami-Orlando line reach a speed of 200 kilometers per hour.

The Brightline is the first private intercity passenger train service in the United States in a century.

This is a $5 billion investment by Fortress Investment Group that can be used by 8 million people a year to travel between Florida's two largest tourist centers.

Thirty-two trains will run daily on the 379-kilometer line between Miami and Orlando.

"The idea that the car is the only means of travel is being challenged by a new product that is safer, more environmentally friendly and at a lower cost. This is a big event," says Mike Reininger, President of the "Brightline" railway line.

He points out that the majority of passengers on the Miami-Orlando line will be people who already regularly drive the route and others who don't want to drive it.

The main target of the initiative will be residents who travel to visit the Disney park in Orlando and those who want to attend sporting events and concerts in the southern part of the state of Florida.

Mark Vargas, a passenger from Texas vacationing in Florida, says he decided to take the train to Miami with his wife.

“I decided to use the Brightline because it seemed like the most beautiful way to get to Miami. The price is lower than that of taxis. Traveling by train is also faster than traveling by car," he says.

John Renne, director of Florida Atlantic University's Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions, says the Miami-Orlando corridor is perfect for high-speed rail.

About 40 million Florida residents and other visitors make the trip annually, about 90 percent of them by car.

"It's very exciting for us in South Florida to be a testing center for a new method of travel that could be seen as a new model of high-speed rail transportation in the United States," says Mr. Renne. .

Because "Brightline" is privately owned, it overcame obstacles, something that a government-run transportation system would have difficulty with, he points out./ VOA