BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Brightline, a high-speed passenger train, will conduct another test — at speeds up to 110 mph — through Brevard County.
The testing, which started Tuesday, Aug. 1, and will last about a week, is one of the final tests before Brightline’s official opening to Orlando, according to officials.
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Brightline will conduct 110-mph testing from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day along a 41-mile section through Cocoa, Rockledge, Melbourne, Palm Bay, Malabar, Grant-Valkaria and Micco.
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Like all test runs over the last year, the rail line and police are reminding people to be cautious.
Brightline said it spent millions on safer train crossings in Brevard County, including new signals and gates, and adding a second track to the railroad.
“We’ve done all of the engineering improvements, but really, what it comes down to is it comes down to human behavior,” Brightline Public Affairs Director Katie Mitzner said.
Onboard video of a crash in south Florida last year showed a driver going around the gates while they were down. Mitzner said it takes a mile for a train to stop.
“Once you see a Brightline train coming, it’s too late,” she said.
So far during the testing period in Melbourne, police have said that people stayed off the tracks.
“I’m happy to report they haven’t seen violations so far,” Deputy Chief Dave Waltemeyer said. “The motorists and pedestrians are actually stopping doing what they normally do.”
However, Brightline still isn’t commenting on where a future stop in Brevard County might be.
“I sure hope someday it will stop in Melbourne,” resident Steve Kent told News 6.
Luther Clark added that he’d love to be able to take a trip to Miami.
“I think it will open up a lot of opportunities for people that live around here,” he said.
Brightline recently celebrated the completed construction of the rail line from Orlando to Miami. Brightline has built 170 miles of new track and 56 bridges over the past four years to extend its rail service.
The service is slated to begin later this summer.
One-way fares between Orlando and Miami will start at $79 for SMART Service. Nonstop trains between the two cities will run about two hours and 59 minutes, while regular service, which stops at other South Florida stations, takes about four hours.
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The railway service is also the first to use SpaceX’s Starlink internet. The complimentary internet service is expected to extend to Orlando this summer, serving a total of 10 rail lines between South and Central Florida.
There will be flaggers at railroad crossings where testing is taking place throughout Brevard County and where trains will be traveling from 79 to 110 mph. Here’s where the trains will be traveling through for testing:
Cocoa
- Michigan Ave.
- Dixon Blvd.
- West Highlands Drive
- Peachtree St.
- King St. (SR 520)
- Rosa L. Jones Blvd.
- Barton Blvd.
- Eyster Blvd.
Rockledge
- Rinker Way – Cemex/General Portland (private crossing)
- Gus Hipp Road
- Barnes Blvd. (SR 502)
- Carver St.
- Ansin Road
- Viera Blvd.
Melbourne
- Suntree Blvd.
- Post Road
- Parkway Ave.
- Lake Washington Road
- Masterson St.
- Aurora Road (CR 511)
- Creel St.
- Eau Gallie Blvd. (SR 518)
- Sarno Road (CR 504)
- Babcock St. (SR 507)
- NASA Blvd. (SR 508)
- Hibiscus Ave.
- Silver Palm Ave.
- Seminole Ave.
- Fee Ave.
- Lincoln Ave.
- Palmetto Ave.
- Strawbridge Ave. (SR 192)
- New Haven Ave. (SR 500)
- Prospect Ave.
- WH Jackson St.
- Jernigan Ave.
- University Blvd.
Palm Bay
- Hessey Ave.
Malabar
- NE Palm Bay Road
- NE Port Malabar Road
Grant-Valkaria
- Malabar Road (SR 514)
- Jordan Blvd.
- Valkaria Road (SR 554)
- 1st St.
- Shell Pit Road
Micco
- Senne Road
Sebastian
- Barefoot Blvd.
- Holly St.
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