SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Brightline and Siemens Mobility are celebrating the completion of Brightline’s newest trainsets, which will roll off the assembly line at the Siemens Mobility North American manufacturing headquarters and prepare to begin passenger operations. In the coming days, the newest train will depart the factory on a cross-country excursion to West Palm Beach, Fla., where it will be stationed in preparation for Brightline’s expansion to Orlando.
At the event, executives from Brightline and Siemens Mobility were joined by California Treasurer Fiona Ma to unveil the new passenger coaches and locomotives, part of the Venture series. Manufactured at Siemens Mobility solar-powered plant in Sacramento, the Venture trainsets for Brightline consist of two Charger locomotives, one on each end, and four coaches.
The stainless-steel coaches are made with components from more than 160 suppliers across 27 states. They are designed for luxury and comfort, featuring special ergonomic seating, contemporary communication systems and enhanced Wi-Fi. Thanks to wide aisles, wheelchair storage and fully accessible restrooms, the Venture trainset exceeds ADA requirements from end to end.
“As the nation’s first and only private, operational high-speed rail line, Brightline’s partnership with Siemens demonstrates our company’s commitment to building both a robust domestic manufacturing sector and the future of green transportation,” says Michael Reininger, chief executive officer of Brightline Holdings. “Our partnership should serve as a powerful example of how we can break through the inertia and into an era of high-speed rail in America.”
“Brightline is a pioneer in private rail investment in the United States and we are proud to continue to grow our partnership as we ship the latest trainsets to Florida ahead of Brightline’s expansion. The Venture trainsets are a result of our collaboration and will offer a comfortable and enjoyable passenger experience that was built in Sacramento,” says Michael Cahill, President of Siemens Mobility Rolling Stock in North America.
Construction on Brightline’s forthcoming 170-mile service extension from West Palm Beach to the Orlando International Airport is more than 60 percent complete and is set for completion in late 2022. Brightline will resume its operations between Miami and West Palm Beach in November. Stations in Boca Raton and Aventura are expected to open in the second half of 2022, and discussions are underway with local stakeholders regarding expansions to Disney Springs and Tampa.
Siemens Mobility and Brightline are also in discussions on supplying Brightline’s technology solutions for its future high-speed Brightline West operations. It will utilize fully electric, zero emission trains to connect Las Vegas and Los Angeles through multiple intercity projects.
Now if the Sunset Limited could be restored from New Orleans to Jacksonville, FL and Orlando, passengers could travel on to Miami via Brightline.
If Brightline can figure out how to do it, I’ll bet on them before a borderline incompetent Amtrak.
You’re probably right.
The Ventura-series cars should comprise Amtrak’s national long distance replacement fleet including coaches, sleepers, diners and lounge cars. They would be versatile from the Northeast Corridor to the Pacific coast unlike Superliners. They adopt to both high and low level platforms. And they are more aesthetically pleasing with the their profile matching the new Siemens Charger locomotives. The handicapped and infirmed would have potential access to the whole train rather than be confined to the lower level of one Superliner car.
I was under the impression that they would add more cars beyond the four that is already there for the orlando part of the journey.
It’d be nice to know what’s really going on with the Siemens Midwest cars that have been delivered but aren’t able to be put into service because of some mysterious issues (lead fixtures? falling ceiling panels?). Press releases are nice – but what’s happening with the Midwest order?
Waiting on the subcontractor to go through and replace all the solder used in the water tanking system in all the cars.
The 4 cars delivered in August have been doing test runs on the CN main through Effingham, IL.
“Operational?” Not until November…
High Speed??? Top speed is what, 125mph? Not sure I consider that high speed but whatever. Having ridden ICE, TGV, AVE and Eurostar, I guess I am used to 188mph as being called high speed. Acela is almost high speed, almost. 🙂
It is encouraging to see what can be done when people are motivated to build something. I hope this succeeds and grows.