Construction on Brightline’s West Palm Beach repair facility is reaching new heights.
On Monday crews started to pour the concrete for its maintenance pit, it will sit on a 12-acre complex on Division Avenue and 15 Street.
Starting in 2017, Brightline says trains will leave this train depot before making trips from Orlando to Miami.
“This is a transformational transportation project and it really does change the way people live,” Adrian Share, EVP of Rail Infrastructure said. “The whole idea is that you get this urban concentration around the train station where people can live nearby.”
Construction on the maintenance facility started in the fall; it should be ready by August. Tests for the trains are expected shortly after.
An existing warehouse structure is being converted to offices, crew quarters and training rooms.
Brightline will have several full-time employees on site, and Siemens, the company contracted to perform maintenance work on the trains, will also have employees on site.
Brightline will also work with Siemens on a training program so there will be opportunities for locals to be employed at the facility.
Currently, this facility is also being used to store materials for the track infrastructure, which is progressing.
