First private US passenger rail line in 100 years is about to link Miami and Orlando at high speed

By TERRY SPENCER and DANIEL KOZIN
Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — For the first time in a century, a private passenger rail service will launch new operations in the U.S. and this time it involves high-speed trains. Florida’s Brightline will begin running trains between Miami and Orlando on Friday, reaching speeds of 125 mph along the 235-mile route between the state’s biggest tourist hubs. The line joins the only other high-speed rail in the nation — Amtrak’s Acela line, which operates between Washington and Boston and is owned by the federal government. Some say it’s a chance to transform rail transit in the U.S., but others are concerned about its safety.