Treasure Coast - Tuesday November 15, 2022: Brightline this week resumed testing its passenger trains through the Treasure Coast at maximum speeds of 110 mph.
That testing is taking place along an 11-mile section of track in Martin and St. Lucie Counties, with flaggers and law enforcement present at the five railroad crossings where trains will operate at those high speeds.
Brightline began high speed testing in the Treasure Coast in October, reaching top speeds of 110 mph, marking the fastest a train has traveled in the state of Florida. Brightline has also completed 79 mph testing through Melbourne, Cocoa and Rockledge in Brevard County. High-speed testing, in preparation for opening to Orlando in 2023, is occurring in phases along the 129-mile rail corridor between West Palm Beach and Cocoa.
Meanwhile, Brightline’s construction team have also resumed the "signal and track cutover" work in Fort Pierce. The work will integrate a new second railroad track into the existing rail corridor. The work includes railroad crossings in Fort Pierce and that means additional wait times for traffic.
While the new rail signal system is being worked on, flaggers will be continuously present at the crossings listed below from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. this coming Friday, November 18. The work resumed this past Saturday following Hurricane Nicole.
Drivers and pedestrians should be aware that once the second track is commissioned, rail traffic could run on BOTH tracks in BOTH directions.
Flagging operations and cutover work in Fort Pierce:
Fisherman's Wharf
Seaway Drive (A1A)
Avenue D
Avenue A
Orange Ave. (SR 68)
Savannah Rd./Waterplant Rd.
Brightline reminds the public, pedestrians, motorists and cyclists to make safe choices around trains and crossings, obey all traffic laws around crossings, never stop on the tracks and don’t drive around crossing gates.
Remain alert and aware when near railroad tracks and only cross the tracks at a railroad crossing. The safety message is simple: look, listen, live.
For more information, visit www.gobrightline.com.