Brightline proved America wants trains. Can it survive?

# Brightline Shows Private Companies Still Need Government Help for Trains A sleek Florida train company called Brightline proved Americans actually want to ride modern trains—ridership is up and passengers love the service—but the startup is nearly broke anyway because it borrowed too much money and growth didn't happen fast enough. The company's struggles suggest that even well-run private businesses can't survive in passenger rail without government support, raising questions about whether private companies are really the solution to America's transportation problems.