Why "Florida High-Speed Corridor" is my Sleeper Agent Activation Phrase

or,

How Rick Scott Killed High-Speed Rail and 108 People along with it

So first things first, you may be wondering, what is the "Florida High-Speed Corridor?" Well, I'm just so glad that you asked, unsuspecting tourist who I have bound and gagged to this chair. Allow me to explain :)


this is the Florida High-Speed Corridor:
A map showing the connections for the proposed Florida Hihg-Speed Corridor
Here are some quick stats for the trainheads in the audience:

  • Service between Tampa, Orlando, and Miami; Some 324 miles (521 km) of rail connecting Florida's biggest cities.1
  • Trains with a top speed of 168 mph (270 km/h) to 186 mph (300 km/h) running on dedicated rail lines alongside the state's existing highway network.

Or rather, it would be if construction had ever started on it. "But Sapphire," you might say, if you were so able, "What's the big deal? Planned infrastructure projects get cancelled all the time! There could've been a lack of funding, nobody to pick up the contracts, or any number of practical reasons that led to its cancellation!"

Right, except that's not what happened here. The entire thing was going to be Federally funded, and there was no shortage of contractors who would've jumped at the chance to hoover up some of that sweet, sweet Federal contract money. So then, what did ultimately killed this dear, sweet, innocent baby in its cradle? Someone with a lot of experience, that's who.

An (alleged) writhing sack of maggots that feasts on newborn flesh and walks around calling itself "Rick Scott."

From Wikipedia:

On February 16, 2011, Florida Governor Rick Scott formally announced that he would be rejecting federal funds to construct the high-speed railway, thereby killing the Florida High-Speed Rail project. Governor Scott said the project would be "far too costly to taxpayers" and that "the risk[s] far outweigh the benefits".

The money. Was right there, Ronnie :))))

OK, OK. So, the project is cancelled, sniveling communist babies the world over are left crying in their diapers, and the earth keeps turning, right? End of story?

Oh, my dearest reader. How I wish I could say that this was the end. For you see, our Reptilian Overlord Rick Scott was not some cruel and pitiless tyrant, deaf to the cries of anyone who made less than 200 grand a year2. And being thus, he spoketh unto his subjects: "you will have your inter-city rail." And somewhere, a monkey's paw curled.

So without further ado, it is an unwashable stain upon my honor to introduce you to:
The Brightline logo. it's not good. it's the word "brightline" in concrete gray italic, with a little yellow loop for the 'l' that the ends of extend to underline the word. it's probably meant to evoke lightbulb filament, but perhaps more fittingly resembles the amazon logo, for reasons that will be made clear very shortly.

Florida's shining monument to the triumph of Free Markets, Brightline is the only privately owned and operated intercity passenger railroad in the United States.. How do you like them apples, ya filthy reds? But wait! Before you go, that's not the only thing about Brightline that's first in the United States!

From AP:

Tuesday night’s death was the ninth involving Florida’s privately owned passenger railroad since it resumed operations in November after an 18-month shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s the 57th since Brightline began According to AP analysis, as of February 2022 the train averaged one death per 35,000 miles (56,000 km) traveled, the highest rate in the nation.

The latest reported number is 108 deaths3 connected to the Brightline since 2017, making Brightline by far, the deadliest rail line in the nation. The "risks to Floridians would be too great", huh?

Look, I can't even make wisecracks about this. A lot of reporting, and even presumably well-meaning advocates for high-speed rail will shift the blame for this onto Floridians. But all that obscures the fact that the nation's first ever VC4-backed railroad was constructed with the absolute fewest possible safety measures required to open, all for the profit of anyone who is in good with state politicians. It's as disgusting as it is befitting Florida's reputation as a hell state, and I'm shocked that more people don't know about it, which is why I wrote this.

Um, so anyway, kill the rich? They gladly do the same to you.


  1. Excluding Jacksonville, which is so ridiculously sprawling that it warrants an entire commuter rail project unto itself, but is also too far away from the other stops (on the Georgia border) to be a consideration here.

  2. He absolutely was. His successor and current governor Ron De Santis, (of "taking trans kids away from their parents" fame) is somehow even worse.

  3. And that's with a year and a half of being shut down during COVID-19. Who knows how much higher it would be if it had been operating through that time? Also worth mentioning is the Florida government's well-documented lack of transparency in many matters.

  4. Venture capital. Specifically, real-estate venture capital, since we gotta keep it extra scummy for Florida.


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