Amtrak Silvers vs Florida East Coast vs Ferromex

Just read that Ferromex of Mexico won the bidding war to purchase the Florida East Coast Railroad and is now finalizing details. . Ferromex has a reputation of being a hard nose RR and Copper mine transport monopoly business in Mexico. Can anyone guess how this purchase will possibly effect Amtrak routes and Brightline? IMO, how this unfolds is anyone's guess...

Well, considering Amtrak doesn't even touch FEC rails it will have 0 impact for them. There was a chance back in 2010 for Amtrak to use the FEC, but with a new administration in Tallahassee a year later, that project was derailed. Any further hope depends on who occupies the governors mansion come 2019.

As far as Brightline, check out the post in the high speed rail forum. Basically, the sale has no impact for them (other than their sugar daddy, Fortress, just received $2 bn cash). I'm quite sure FEC Industries (still under Fortress) owns the ROW that Brightline used.

Well, since Amtrak doesn't operate over any Florida East Coast track, I can guess how that one will go.

dlagrua said:

Just read that Ferromex of Mexico won the bidding war to purchase the Florida East Coast Railroad and is now finalizing details. . Ferromex has a reputation of being a hard nose RR and Copper mine transport monopoly business in Mexico. Can anyone guess how this purchase will possibly effect Amtrak routes and Brightline? IMO, how this unfolds is anyone's guess...

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No effect as far as one can tell. But since that is no fun, perhaps we need to spin a more exciting alternate universe here

A Voice said:

Well, since Amtrak doesn't operate over any Florida East Coast track, I can guess how that one will go.

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There are few things that may factor in. The subject of Amtrak using FEC track on the South end has been brought up before. I believe that CSX also owns 25% of the FEC. Ferromex is also a cash rich company and some discussions have taken place with CSX about possible route acquisitions. If that happens it could affect Amtrak but nothing to be concerned with now.

Can you provide a citation of any CSX ownership of "FEC"? Which FEC? Presumably you mean FECR in its current incarnation, which was a wholly owned subsidiary of Fortress Group which FG actually created by separating out the rail operations from the real estate related holdings of the former FECI which they acquired in whole. This left the new FECI with real estate and developing and operating passenger operations along FECR corridor.

So yeah, a citation would be real useful since your claim appears to fly in the face of all that has been published about the Fortress Groups holdings.

Also remember, Fortress Group itself is being acquired by SoftBank with a depth of pocket at least ten times that of Ferromex