More Floridians will be able to ride via passenger rail when Brightline opens its rail line connecting south Florida to central Florida in 2023. Right now, it’s actively constructing a line to connect stops in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando.
“The City of Orlando is excited to welcome Brightline to central Florida,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer on the Brightline website. “This new higher-speed rail service will serve as an important connector between south and central Florida as we continue to expand our transit options and work to ensure reliable transportation is available for everyone who wants to live, work, or visit Orlando.”
When the rail line is complete, the trip from Orlando to West Palm Beach should take around 2 hours, with the train topping speeds of 125 miles per hour.
Brightline’s South Terminal
Brightline’s new South Terminal at the Orlando International Airport is part of the Phase 2 expansion into central Florida. It is a massive infrastructure project with four zones including the area of the Orlando International Airport and the Brightline Vehicle Maintenance Facility.
This phase also includes a Tampa extension.
Details Of The Project
The project will use 225 million pounds of American steel, including laying 490,000 tiles and transporting 2.35 million tons of granite and limestone by 20,000 railcars. About 2 million spikes and bolts will be hammered and put in place over the next 36 months.
Brightline says it will also create $6.4 billion for the economy of the state, creating more than 2,000 jobs after the line is constructed, 10,000 jobs through rail-line construction, and more than $653 million in federal, state, and local tax revenue.
New Stops
Brightline has announced two additional stops in Aventura and Boca Raton. The first day of service for these stations will be on December 21, 2022. You can get a one-way ticket for as low as $10 on the website or app.
The schedule will run during peak hours in the morning and evening during weekdays. On non-peak hours and weekends, Brightline will run northbound and southbound about every other hour. Regular hourly and commuter service will continue in West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami.
About Brightline
Brightline is a modern, eco-friendly, intercity rail line. It serves Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach with stations opening in Aventura, Boca Raton, and Orlando. The company has plans to bring its service to more cities around the country. There are immediate plans to connect Las Vegas to southern California.
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