Texas: High-speed rail proposed from Houston to Dallas raises hopes and doubts

By Mayra Cruz, Staff Writer, Houston Chronicle; April 11, 2019 The high-speed rail project that is intended to take travelers…

Continue Reading →

Update on the California Bullet Train

By Boris Lipkin; Streetsblog San Francisco; April 11, 2019 As Mark Twain might have said had he witnessed the past…

Continue Reading →

Opinion: Amtrak isn’t working. Could private rail do better?

By Nick Zaiac, Washington Examiner; April 11, 2019 The story of rate regulation, decline, nationalization and privatization of passenger rail…

Continue Reading →

Florida’s Indian River County files appeal of federal lawsuit regarding Virgin Trains’ sale of tax-free bonds

By Colleen Wixon, Treasure Coast Newspapers, TCPalm.com; April 10, 2019 INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The county officially filed its appeal of…

Continue Reading →

Richard Branson Hypnotized Me and Stole My Watch

By Laine Doss, Miami New Times; April 5, 2019 It’s about 5 p.m. and Richard Branson is visibly tired.  The…

Continue Reading →

Florida Development Finance Corp. approves $950M in bonds for Virgin Trains USA’s Orlando-to-Miami route

By Ryan Lynch, Staff Writer, Orlando Business Journal; April 5, 2019 Virgin Trains USA just received a big boost for…

Continue Reading →

Virgin Trains plans to link with Disney World, SunRail at same time as Orlando International Airport

By Kevin Spear, Reporter, Orlando Sentinel; April 4, 2019 The train that will run from South to Central Florida is…

Continue Reading →

Sir Richard Branson-backed Virgin Trains USA locks up funding for Orlando leg

By Ryan Lynch, Staff Writer, Orlando Business Journal; April 4, 2019 Virgin Trains USA on April 4 announced its $2.3…

Continue Reading →

Billionaire Richard Branson visits South Florida to rebrand Brightline as Virgin Trains (Photos)

By Brian Bandell, Senior Reporter, South Florida Business Journal; April 4, 2019 Billionaire Richard Branson visited South Florida on Thursday…

Continue Reading →

Florida: Brightline trains often seem empty. Is it a sign of trouble, or just growing pains?

Editor’s Note: The story below is representative of reporting on a new passenger rail project when neither the report nor…

Continue Reading →

High speed trains get set for Illinois — but not in Peoria

By Steve Tarter, Journal Star; March 30, 2019 PEORIA — When high-speed rail finally takes off in Illinois, Peorians will…

Continue Reading →

Brightline now will be called Virgin Trains USA. Here’s what to expect next week and beyond.

By David Lyons, Reporter, South Florida Sun Sentinel; March 29, 2019 One year after the Brightline commuter rail line unveiled…

Continue Reading →

Challenges and opportunities as Brightline expands: A conversation with MetroPlan Orlando’s Gary Huttmann

By Ryan Lynch, Staff Writer, Orlando Business Journal; March 28, 2019 The $5 billion Brightline passenger train is expected to…

Continue Reading →

Virgin Trains USA’s Patrick Goddard Wants to Get Americans Out of Their Cars

By Meredith Carey, Conde Nast Traveler; March 27, 2019 ‘Innovators’ chronicles our treks behind the scenes with travel’s disruptors and…

Continue Reading →

Australia: Dreaming of a fast train – we think we can, we know we can

Opinion By Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens, The Fifth Estate; March 28, 2019 OPINION: For decades, Australians have dreamt about…

Continue Reading →

California sells $600 million in high-speed rail bonds

By Kathleen Ronayne, The Associated Press, KCRA 3 NBC; March 26, 2019 Sacramento, Calif. (AP) — California sold $600 million…

Continue Reading →

Florida: Virgin Trains USA reveals more plan details in new prospectus

By Scott Powers, FloridaPolitics.com; March 22, 2019 Virgin Trains USA has issued a new bond sale prospectus parparing for the…

Continue Reading →

I’ll give up booze, Netflix, even sex to avoid traffic jams, South Florida drivers tell new train service survey

By Johnny Diaz, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Mass Transit Magazine; March 14, 2019 Mar. 13–A lot of South Florida drivers,…

Continue Reading →

Texas Central’s High-Speed Train Named Top Global Infrastructure Project

A press release from Texas Central Partners; March 5, 2019: DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mar 5, 2019–The Texas high-speed train has been named…

Continue Reading →

Traveling Around Florida? Ditch the Car and Ride the Rails, Says Virgin

By Tariro Mzezewa, The New York Times; March 7, 2019 Entering the newest train station in Miami is a bit…

Continue Reading →

California: Trump plan to take back rail money ‘disastrous’

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE, Associated Press, Tri-City Herald; March 4, 2019 SACRAMENTO, Calif. Leaders of California’s high-speed rail project told the…

Continue Reading →

Governor Newsom’s shorter California bullet train plan likely to run out of money before completion

By Ralph Vartabedian, Los Angeles Times; March 3, 2019 The California bullet train project will probably run out of money…

Continue Reading →

Florida: Brightline says it’s ready to build its Orlando extension, requests $950M in bonds

By Jim Turner, News Service of Florida, Miami Herald; March 2, 2019 Brightline rail service largely drew praise from businesses,…

Continue Reading →

Even California’s Analysts Are Confused About Bullet Train Fate

By Romy Varghese, Bloomberg; February 26, 2019 Even California’s studiously deliberate bureaucrats are confused by what Governor Gavin Newsom intends…

Continue Reading →

Florida Treasure Coast safety group vows to keep up the battle as Virgin Trains’ Phase 2 expansion gets closer

By Colleen Wixon, Treasure Coast Newspapers, TCPalm.com; February 26, 2019 VERO BEACH — St. Lucie Village resident Anne Sinnott, who travels…

Continue Reading →