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5/29/2020
Brightline/Virgin Trains USA is discussions with Miami-Dade County in Florida about building five train platforms between Miami and Aventura and launching a $425 million commuter-rail system, The Miami Herald reported Wednesday.
The proposed deal was revealed Tuesday, the newspaper reported. Under the arrangement, Miami-Dade would pay the company $350 million to construct stations after Brightline spent $75 million building platforms that could be used to launch the commuter service.
The commuter line would be separate from the express trains Brightline plans to launch in 2022. The company is continuing to pursue those plans even though it has shut down its rail service completely because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Brightline plan also would shift a long-term goal of having the government-run Tri-Rail system launch a coastal line. Instead of spending public money on Tri-Rail's coastal link, the county would pay Brightline to build the stations, provide the tracks and run the new commuter-rail line, the newspaper reported.