Brightline train

[tidefan]

Will the new Brightline train extension have a stop in Cocoa? It would be a nice option for those flying into MCO to be able to connect with Port Canaveral.

 

[Marc D]

It is being discussed but nothing has been signed :

https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/l...n-cocoa-and-leaning-toward-stuart/4092824002/

 

[robomeister]

According to the Brightline wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brightline, it is supposed to link MCO to Disney, as well as parallel the Bee Line to Cocoa and then go south to West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale and down to MiamiCentral. Maybe even have a stop near the Miami Cruise Port as well. But this is all up in the air now. The existing stations are West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami Central. Everything else is labeled as planned.

 

[hrhdhd]

The segment from Cocoa to MCO is currently under construction along the Beachline (SR-528 hasn't been called the Bee Line for years). The piece from MCO to Disney is planned.

https://www.gobrightline.com/

 

[Capt_BJ]

no station in or near Cocoa at this time ..... it gets discussed but NOT in the plans beyond "we'll think about it"

 

[robomeister]

no station in or near Cocoa at this time ..... it gets discussed but NOT in the plans beyond "we'll think about it"

Is there a good place to put one? Where will the train tracks go? That would dictate where a station could be placed.

You would think the city would want a station near the cruise port, so to limit traffic on SR-528. They could even have shuttles to local hotels and the beach and Kennedy Space Center. But who knows the politics of public transportation.

 

[Capt_BJ]

You would think the city would want a station .... is there a good place to put one? Where will the train tracks go?

the 'think about it' is NOT from the city ... lack of a station here is just ONE of the factors that makes the whole plan not universally popular here .... we get all the BAD sides and NO benefits.

city wants a station altho the track route is NOT conducive to a particularly 'good' location with regard to the port or KSC .. track route can be found on Brightline site but in short runs up US-1 to 528 then turns west .... route preparation is WELL underway but not moving all that fast .... plenty visible along 528 and especially around the 528 / I-95 interchange where the tracks will cross from east of 95 to west and then follow 528 on the south side.

btw ... you ARE aware the BRIGHTLINE has not run a single train since March .....and VIRGIN dissolved their partnership ...

personally I see a fair probability the company will either fail or seek a government bailout b4 the first train gets NEAR Orlando airport, much less WDW

 

[Marc D]

Is there a good place to put one? Where will the train tracks go? That would dictate where a station could be placed.

You would think the city would want a station near the cruise port, so to limit traffic on SR-528. They could even have shuttles to local hotels and the beach and Kennedy Space Center. But who knows the politics of public transportation.

The main problem I see with a Cocoa beach station, outside of the economic reality linked with travel at this time, is the two bridges over the Indian and Banana rivers. They are not wide enough to fit a train track. The station would therefore need to be on the mainland - beating the purpose of the line in a way - or two new bridges would need to be built, adding a massive cost to the project.

 

[Capt_BJ]

the brightline track being built right now is west of both rivers ... it follows the FEC railroad line up US-1

question/issue is not a Cocoa Beach station .. or a port station ... just a Cocoa station

to deviate east to the port or the beach is inconsistent with 'high speed' ........ which has always (yet) been an issue with Brightline.

ALTHO ...... local folks anxiously await a kill rate in our county as seen in Palm Beach while BL was operating . . . .

 

[robomeister]

After looking at the map on the BrightLine site, I see what you mean about no convenient place to put a "Cocoa" station. That would make trying to use the train from Disney World to Port Canaveral a logistical pain. But you could theoretically use the train to get from Disney World to a cruise out of Port Miami. But not for about 3 years, if everything happens according to plan.

 

[tidefan]

After looking at the map on the BrightLine site, I see what you mean about no convenient place to put a "Cocoa" station. That would make trying to use the train from Disney World to Port Canaveral a logistical pain. But you could theoretically use the train to get from Disney World to a cruise out of Port Miami. But not for about 3 years, if everything happens according to plan.

I don't think that map is quite accurate, this article mentions tunneling on the current lines just to the west of US 1 in Cocoa, which would be MUCH nearer the port.

https://www.floridatoday.com/story/...h-beachline-expressway-near-u-s-1/5908615002/

This study by Brevard County gives a better perspective of the proposed route:

https://spacecoasttpo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/AAF-Station-Report-final.pdf

Also, there was talk earlier of 2 stations between Boca Raton and Orlando, most likely in Stuart and Cocoa, though these are not expected to be in the first phase of completion.

https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/l...n-cocoa-and-leaning-toward-stuart/4092824002/

 

[tidefan]

You would think the city would want a station .... is there a good place to put one? Where will the train tracks go?

the 'think about it' is NOT from the city ... lack of a station here is just ONE of the factors that makes the whole plan not universally popular here .... we get all the BAD sides and NO benefits.

city wants a station altho the track route is NOT conducive to a particularly 'good' location with regard to the port or KSC .. track route can be found on Brightline site but in short runs up US-1 to 528 then turns west .... route preparation is WELL underway but not moving all that fast .... plenty visible along 528 and especially around the 528 / I-95 interchange where the tracks will cross from east of 95 to west and then follow 528 on the south side.

btw ... you ARE aware the BRIGHTLINE has not run a single train since March .....and VIRGIN dissolved their partnership ...

personally I see a fair probability the company will either fail or seek a government bailout b4 the first train gets NEAR Orlando airport, much less WDW

Is there not space north of the Beachline at the intersection of Industry Road?

 

[Capt_BJ]

there's plenty of space for a station

BRIGHTLINE does not want to build one .... remember every station stop increases travel time.

And if primary goal is to save travel time to from the port // Orlando Airport the track does not get within 7 miles of the cruise terminals. Given the distance to the airport is 45 miles in round numbers, you'd need to transfer to a bus or something else to finish the trip .. a significant portion of the trip and negating any time savings as compared to a taxi/bus that makes it in about 45 minutes (they drive 75+)

this 2016 article is about local government trying to get a station ...... https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando...rlando-train-may-consider-future-stop-on.html