Brightline is said to have broken the speed record for trains in the region while testing its new tracks to Orlando yesterday.
Brightline trains operated at 130 mph during test runs yesterday, which a company representative told Fox 35 was a record speed for a train operating in the southeast U.S.
The trains will normally operate at 125 mph on the segment, but rules call for an additional 5 miles per hour during testing.
Completion of Brightline’s Orlando station is expected imminently, the Brightline representative said.
Brightline’s next phase is expected to increase speeds even further.
In a bond offering memorandum released to investors today, Brightline said that its express trains are expected to travel at speeds in excess of 150 mph on a planned extension from Orlando to Tampa.
Brightline has already taken delivery of all the trainsets needed to begin service to Orlando, but is already looking to increase capacity.
The company said in today’s memorandum that it placed a new order for additional train cars in the fourth quarter of 2022.
The order is for a total of twenty new passenger cars, with half to be delivered in 2024 and the remainder to be delivered in 2025.
The company also said it has identified opportunities to add additional track on certain portions of the corridor to further increase capacity.
For a video documenting the 130 mph test by The Roaming Railfan, click here.
