A first look inside Brightline’s $100 million train maintenance facility in Orlando

Brightline, the Florida-based railroad company that currently operates high-speed trains between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, has had a busy few months.

Two new stations — in Aventura and Boca Raton — open in December 2022, and the company continues to run test trains before it is scheduled to launch its long-awaited service to Orlando International Airport (MCO) later this year. One of those trains even reach 130 mph along the newly built track in Central Florida.

Today, a completely different aspect of Brightline’s operations has taken center stage, as the company welcomes several members of the media to peek inside its new $100 million maintenance facility. on an MCO basis.

Dubbed “Basecamp” (in reference to the area where many high-altitude climbing expeditions are held), the modern complex spans 62 acres and contains several buildings with 135,000 square feet of space. to perform all types of repairs and routine maintenance on Brightline vehicles.

Basecamp was built in partnership with the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, as the facility is located on the airport grounds. The departing jets flew overhead during the morning carnival.

Incredibly, just four years ago, this land was covered with a swamp, with water up to chest in some places. You would never know that was the case today.

Two full trains — including front and rear locomotives and four passenger cars (Brightline’s standard operating configuration, as of today) — are displayed in the massive main building. The trains, however, can expand to up to 10 cars, and company representatives say these cars will grow as the number of passengers along the busy corridor increases.

Brightline currently has two classes on its trains: Smart and Premium. The second category includes access to lounges at stations and free food and drinks on board.

However, I can tell you that, from my own experience with cars, both are quite spacious and comfortable. Each passenger has access to free Wi-Fi and power sockets in each seat.

Back outside the ship, we had the chance to check out the impressive spare parts warehouse just off the main building. Occupying 11,000 square feet, the space features an air conditioner for more sensitive materials, along with a “real wheel” machine that functions as a lathe to handle wheel wear.

Just outside the main door is a dual vessel refueling system and a ship wash facility. Although we could not see the cleaning process in action, the company recently released a video that details how it works.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this facility is the pair of underbody pits, both of which allow technicians to climb underneath the wheel pits to service everything on the underside of the vehicle. This will happen for up to eight trains per day once service to Orlando launches.

Of course, the question of the timeline takes center stage in the introductory remarks by Patrick Goddard, president of Brightline Trains. While he couldn’t commit to a specific date, a local reporter asked him if Q2 or summer looked viable and he indicated that it was “in the ballpark.”

That said, he and Brightline representatives were quick to note that tests are ongoing to comply with regulatory requirements and that they will not pressure the team to complete them faster. If any issues are found, the launch date is subject to change. They reiterate that safety comes first — and not just in regards to the new track.

Since first hitting the tracks in 2017, Brightline trains have caused at least 88 deaths, according to a recent article from Related press. None of the deaths were due to the company’s fault – the majority involved suicide, along with pedestrians or vehicles bypassing crosswalks and overturned warning lights. However, Brightline continues to invest millions of dollars in safety along Florida’s east coast.

The company has also launched a website devoted to the topic. There you will find a Commitment to customer safety — with the goal of reaching 50,000 signatures.

Related: Florida’s new high-speed train makes its first test run to Orlando airport

Company representatives have been silent about additional expansion plans beyond Orlando as they remain focused on the final steps of service rollout to the MCO. However, Brightline’s website points to Tampa as a future expansion point. Additionally, a search by the Brevard County Property Appraiser indicated that “Brightline Trains Florida, LLC” currently owns more than 70 acres of land in Cocoa near the intersection of U.S. Route 1 and state Route 528.

The location is particularly interesting, as it happens to be where trains will slow down before turning west on their way to Orlando — and it’s also just a short drive to Port Canaveral, which used to be World’s busiest cruise port in 2022.

For now, however, it looks like Brightline’s popular black and gold trains are on their way to the brand new terminal in Terminal C at the MCO in a few months.

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