A Florida Rail Project Breaks New Ground
The intercity Brightline service is privately funded, built and operated—and may be pointing the way to the future
By
Heidi Mitchell
June 21, 2017 2:04 p.m. ET
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When the Brightline opens in Florida late this summer, it will be the first passenger-rail train of its kind built in the U.S. in a century.
What’s so special about it? Where the money comes from. The high-speed intercity line is privately funded, built and operated. None of the $1.3 billion cost of the first phase of the operation—laying track and building bridges, stations and complete trains—is coming out of taxpayers’ pockets. The only government involvement is that the project has permission to sell tax-exempt bonds to fund part of the project through a state agency.
Government planners and companies are watching the project closely. For some, the funding structure could show a way forward for cities, states and counties looking to ease roadway congestion and help reduce carbon emissions without putting a heavy squeeze on taxpayers. But there have been obstacles that may make other cities wary of this kind of undertaking. The project has faced legal challenges, and some activists, claiming the train will disrupt south Florida’s quality of life, still have concerns about some parts of the plan. And not every locale will have access to developers like those behind Brightline, which already owns a network of tracks.
But there is little doubt that how this shakes out could have a profound effect on what happens to rail next. “Once some organization demonstrates that there is value to be generated by [high-speed rail], just like Ford did with the horseless carriage, then others will be bound to follow,” says Anthony Perl, a professor of urban studies and political science at Simon Fraser University and a former director of VIA Rail Canada, the Canadian equivalent of Amtrak.
He is sanguine about Brightline’s chances. “I’ve seen many initiatives come and go, but none have been put forward by an organization that owns the infrastructure, and that puts Brightline in a class by itself,” he says. “As long as there is not some big shock to the global financial markets or another wild card, I’m optimistic.” [...continues at length and in detail with diagrams and photos...]
