November's bombshell news about the partnership between Virgin and Brightline has now yielded ambitious plans for private investment in intercity rail service.
"A passenger railroad backed by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group named the 250-mile Atlanta to Charlotte route as a potential expansion opportunity in its IPO filing," reports Jessica Saunders.
Also included in the IPO for Virgin Trains USA LLCare plans for several other expansion corridors. "These cities “possess what we believe are key attributes for a successful intercity rail network using existing infrastructure," according to the words of the IPO.
The rail line formerly known as Brightline had already announced planned expansions between Orlando and Tampa, as well as Las Vegas and Victorville. Other expansions listed in the IPO are Houston to Dallas, Atlanta to Charlotte, Chicago to St. Louis, Los Angeles to San Diego, Vancouver to Seattle to Portland, San Antonio to Austin to Dallas, Houston to San Antonio to Dallas, and Washington, D.C. to New York to Boston.
The article by Saunders includes more insight into the business case for intercity rail made by the IPO.
FULL STORY: Richard Branson-backed passenger rail venture names Atlanta-Charlotte route in IPO proposal
House Bill Would Provide $41 Billion for High-Speed Rail Grants
The "American High-Speed Rail Act" would provide $41 billion in grants and incentives for an additional $38 billion in funding for high-speed rail projects in the United States.
Deadline for Brightline Plan Comes With Strings Attached
Officials from Brightline recently signed an agreement that dictates terms for the study of an extension of the private rail system between Orlando and Tampa.
Brightline and Virgin Trains Splitting After 17-Month Partnership
Among the collateral damage of a quick divorce between Brightline and Virgin Trains USA is the name for the planned high-speed connection from Las Vegas to Southern California.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
Brightline West’s future may rely on $6 billion federal loan
The company has until Nov. 2 to make a $400 million equity investment into its proposed high-speed rail line.
LA Metro’s ultimatum: no extra buses for LA28 if federal funding isn’t imminently secured
If Metro does not provide additional buses, LA28 organizers will have to find a new way to manage Olympic traffic. LA28’s budget does not include a line item for transit.
Colorado’s Largest Data Center Could Rise Next to Homes — Without a Public Hearing
The proposed campus would consume 11 times the power of Denver International Airport; as it has across the country, opposition mounts.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association