The Brightline Running Repair Facility began to take shape on Jan. 18, as the first concrete was poured, signaling the start of vertical construction. Located in West Palm Beach, the facility, which is approximately 12 acres, will serve to repair, maintain, clean and store Brightline’s trains. Archer Western is overseeing the construction which began last fall. The facility is scheduled for completion in July and is expected to be operational in August.
More than 120 cubic yards of concrete were poured today for the maintenance pit, the area that will be located underneath the train where required inspections and service will be conducted daily. The pit is approximately 500 feet long; a canopy over the pit will be approximately 800 feet long. The pouring of foundations will continue on site for the next several weeks.
“The Brightline Running Repair Facility has been planned using the best practices from the rail industry. Our experienced team has designed and developed this facility to maximize performance and operations,” said Adrian Share, Brightline’s executive vice president of rail infrastructure. “Today marks another milestone in the arrival of Brightline as this facility will serve a key role in allowing us to deliver exceptional service to our guests.”
An existing warehouse structure is being converted to offices, crew quarters and training rooms. Brightline will have several full-time employees on site, and Siemens, the company contracted to perform maintenance work on the trains, will also have employees on site. Brightline will also work with Siemens on a training program so there will be opportunities for locals to be employed at the facility.
Currently, this facility is also being used to store materials for the track infrastructure, which is progressing. Double tracking is taking place in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, and more than 40 grade crossings have been upgraded.
Brightline’s trains are under construction at Siemens’ solar powered plant in Sacramento, California. The first passenger coach shell is expected to be finished early next week. Initially, there will be five four-car train sets that will each carry 240 passengers with more to follow as the service expands.
