One year after the Brightline commuter rail line unveiled its downtown MiamiCentral station amid music, politicians’ speeches and related fanfare, an Unveiling 2.0 is scheduled Thursday as the company formally rebrands itself as Virgin Trains USA.
This time, British billionaire and Virgin Group founder Richard Branson will be the focus of attention, and MiamiCentral will be rechristened “Virgin MiamiCentral.”
Branson, who last year launched an adults-only cruise line called Virgin Voyages based in Plantation, has vowed to “shake up the cruise industry” with trips that will start sailing out of PortMiami starting in 2020. And he appears intent on doing the same to the moribund passenger rail industry, which long ago was eclipsed by cars and commercial aviation.
His scheduled appearance in Miami on Thursday comes at a significant juncture for the rail line, which is seeking to raise $1.5 billion in bond funding to build an extension to Orlando.
Here’s a look at how a network of Virgin Trains USA, coupled with the Tri-Rail service, could offer the public more transit options in the coming years.
Picking the right time
Boosting the number of transit options comes at a time when commuters are pining for alternatives to roads that are choked by cars on South Florida streets and highways.
It so happens that transportation-industry shakeups are a Branson trademark: When his Virgin Atlantic Airways opened its Miami-London route in 1986, the company regaled passengers with onboard entertainment that went unmatched by the more formal British Airways.
At Virgin Voyages’ headquarters opening last year, visitors were greeted by thumping music, splashes of the Virgin brand’s familiar red, purple and silver colors, and replicas of red phone booths from the United Kingdom. And Branson’s Virgin Galactic is preparing to take tourists into outer space.
Branson is joining the South Florida rail fray with plans to help shore up transit options. The Brightline trains that now serve the downtown areas of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach would extend to Orlando, Tampa and even Disney World, according to company announcements.
The fanfare in Miami, a Virgin Trains spokesman said, will “mark the first significant moment” of the business partnership between Brightline and Virgin Trains as management showcases new commercial visuals of the rebranding and a preview of Central Fare, a collection of restaurants and bars.
Linking to big transit hubs
Virgin Trains envisions stations on the east side of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, and at PortMiami, where Branson’s cruise operation would operate.