Brightline train accelerates up to 79 mph during test runs between Melbourne and Rockledge
Wednesday afternoon, a yellow Brightline train started accelerating to highway velocity between Melbourne and Rockledge, ushering in testing for a future era of higher-speed rail travel across the Space Coast.
"This is the first time that we're seeing max speeds of 79 miles per hour traveling along our corridor between Cocoa and West Palm Beach," Brightline spokesperson Katie Mitzner said, addressing the media just west of Suntree Boulevard.
"Trains will continue to test at max speeds of 79 miles per hour throughout this corridor over the next few weeks," Mitzner said.
"And then later this fall, we will begin tests at speeds of 110 miles per hour," she said.
Brightline test runs: High-speed trains to accelerate up to 79 mph during test runs in Rockledge, Suntree, Melbourne
Rail tracks and safety measures: Brightline buys $12.5 million property in Cocoa but says nothing about possible station
Big-ticket land purchase made: Brightline buys $12.5 million property in Cocoa but says nothing about possible station
Brightline has constructed 80% of its $2.7 billion rail expansion route linking Orlando International Airport with West Palm Beach, Mitzner said. Passenger service is scheduled to start next year.
Trains from South Florida will follow the north-south Florida East Coast Railway corridor — which is being double-tracked — to Cocoa, where they will turn west along new tracks paralleling the Beachline Expressway.
Wednesday, Brightline's test train drove up from West Palm Beach to conduct rail-commissioning tests at speeds up to 79 mph along a 9-mile stretch between Rockledge and Melbourne.
Test runs are scheduled to continue through 6 p.m. Friday. Flaggers are stationed at the six affected rail crossings:
Rockledge: Barnes Boulevard, Carver Street, Ansin Road and Viera Boulevard.
Suntree: Suntree Boulevard.
Melbourne: Post Road.
"The public needs to be vigilant when they're around railroad tracks, no matter how fast the train is going," Mitzner said.
"At 79 miles per hour, our trains will be passing through these intersections in between five and seven seconds. So they'll be passing through very quickly," she said.
"When folks see those gates going down, be patient. Stop. Do not drive around the gates. Do not stop on the tracks. The trains will be going through very quickly, and then you can continue on your way," she said.
Brightline trains will travel at 79 to 110 mph in Brevard, Mike Cegelis, Brightline executive vice president of infrastructure, said during a Melbourne Regional Chamber speech in October.
Mitzner said Brightline's rail-commissioning tests at the 110 mph threshold will take place this fall. Operating speeds at specific sites across Brevard will vary depending on engineering and curvature of the tracks, she said.
Melbourne Police Cmdr. Mark Renkens also addressed the media Wednesday at the Suntree Boulevard rail crossing. He retired as Palm Bay's police chief in 2017 after more than 27 years with that department — and he recalled seeing "catastrophic" collisions between trains and vehicles on the Space Coast during his career.
Renkens said Brevard motorists should pay extra attention with Brightline trains using the newly installed double-tracked crossings.
“You could have two-way traffic. So one train could come by, you think it’s clear, but no — there's another train coming the other way," Renkens said.
"The other issue is the closing speeds. Brevard County residents are used to trains going about 50 miles an hour. These are obviously going to double that. And the closing speed is a big issue," he said.
"Because if you look down the track and you see a train, you may think you have time. But at 100 miles an hour, you may not have time," he said.
Brightline's Bright Blue 2 train rolled onto the platform at its Orlando International Airport station in May to begin testing. Mitzner said crews should finish building the station in November, and a nearby 154,500-square-foot vehicle maintenance facility off Boggy Creek Road should be completed in late August.
In June, officials announced Brightline received a $15.9 million federal Department of Transportation grant to extend passenger rail service from Orlando International Airport to Tampa. Brightline will contribute $15.9 million in matching funds, and the project will support preliminary engineering activities and environmental approvals.
Engineers expect to construct the railway built within the Interstate 4 median right-of-way and other transportation corridors.
The original Orlando-to-Tampa plan called for a station at Disney Springs. Instead, the company announced last month that a station will be located at the Orange County Convention Center, while a second station will be built near Disney Springs, but not on Disney-owned land.
In April 2021, Brightline bought 33 acres along the tracks off Clearlake Road in Cocoa, near the U.S. 1-State Road 528 interchange, for $12.5 million. This site near the future rail corridor's "Cocoa curve" could be the home of a future passenger station, but company officials have provided few details.
"It has always been part of our vision to have a station in the Space Coast, and we are having conversations with Brevard County community leaders to look forward to that possibility down the road," Mitzner said Wednesday.
On Friday, Brightline is expected to reopen the Sarno Road rail crossing in Melbourne after an extended eight-week shutdown. The crossing is scheduled to reopen by 7 p.m.
Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brightline: Train tests max speeds between Melbourne and Rockledge
