Brightline rebranded as Virgin Trains USA in new partnership
Wave goodbye to the Brightline name as the privately owned passenger-rail company rebrands itself as Virgin Trains USA to reflect a new partnership with the Virgin Group.
The Virgin Group, the British conglomerate formed by Sir Richard Branson, will be a minority investor in Brightline, which is to remain under current management and ownership by Fortress Investment Group.
“The partnership will allow Brightline to leverage Virgin’s industry-leading expertise and customer experience to establish a powerful new brand,” Brightline stated in its announcement this morning.
The companies would not provide representatives for interviews.
Brightline has two lines of business, its rail service and real estate development at its stations.
A base-fare, one-way Brightline ticket from West Palm Beach to Miami costs $17 to $20. The 67-mile trip takes 74 minutes.
The flagship development effort is MiamiCentral, an 11-acre site in an underdeveloped section of the city that features the train station, residential towers, retail, restaurants and a coming food hall.
In a prepared statement, Branson said Brightline is “the ideal partner for Virgin to work with to alter perceptions and traveling habits across the United States.”
The Brightline company will take on the Virgin Trains USA name this month and implement the brand at stations, trains and advertisements in the coming year.
“Virgin has built a respected and trusted brand in travel and hospitality,” said Wes Edens, the chairman of Brightline and cofounder of Fortress Investment Group, also in a statement.“With our shared focus on customer experience, powered by a culture of innovation and disruption, we are well positioned to build on our success.”
Brightline has marketed itself
a “bright’ alternative to other transit systems and has adhered to a theme of colorful trains and stations in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Miami.
The higher speed train is to eventually reach Orlando International Airport
Brightline has previously said it would start construction this year on dual tracks across Orange County to Orlando’s airport, where a strikingly visible station has been built south of the main terminal and next to a new terminal under construction.
Those tracks would accommodate speeds of 125 mph, which today would rank as the second-fastest rail service in the U.S. Brightline’s top speed in South Florida is 79 mph.
The company also proposes to extend service from Orlando to Tampa, with that destination now being considered by the state officials who would have to grant access to right-of-way along roads.
Brightline also said recently it plans to establish passenger rail between the Los Angeles area and Las Vegas.
That service hinges on the acquisition of the proposed XpressWest rail service and federal approvals. Brightline has said construction could begin next year.
Brightline has invested nearly $1.7 billion so far for rail service and real-estate development. Further development and establishing service to Orlando will bring the investment total to nearly $4 billion, according to the company. kspear@ orlandosentinel.com