>>1395073If you want to eat tinfoil, Brightline's plans mirror that of the former Southern Pacific's: build out two large operations on each coast through mergers and strategic builds, then connect the two for a massive transcontinental route. Currently that route, the Sunset Route, is Amtrak's lowest preforming western route and only runs three times per week. It also terminates in New Orleans due to Katrina knocking out service east to Orlando. On that point: Brightline is going to Orlando meanwhile the Federal government is eyeing the eastern SR rebuild as maybe a private project. There's something that could happen here. Meanwhile, Brightline also bought a stake in Texas's HSR project, and New Orleans would be an obvious place to expand for that route.
Meanwhile, besides Branson Brightline's other big owner is German Velasco who owns most of Mexico's copper mines through his monopoly Grupo Mexico. Building a new line through Arizona and New Mexico gives him places to run new track south into Mexico for a fully vertical monopoly.
Only issue is the 1,000 miles between Phoenix (where XPW plans to expand) and Dallas. But if they're making tons of money in California, Texas and Florida it's the natural thing to do.
