Brightline tickets for the South Florida to Orlando Road train officially went on sale Wednesday morning with an initial purchase date of Friday, September 1.
Officials are confident that intercity rail links to Orlando will be ready by Labor Day weekend. Round-trip tickets between South Florida stops at Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Orlando International Airport can be purchased at gobrightline.com or by downloading the app.
Guests are encouraged to sign up for Brightline emails at gobrightline.com to be the first to know when the inaugural summer flights will go on sale, leading to speculation that the first flight between Orlando and South Florida may be possible sooner than Labor Day.
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“Brightline guests and the travel market have spoken out loudly, and we want to respond by opening ticket sales from late summer through early next year,” said Brightline President Patrick Goddard. “As we finalize the official launch date, guests can now book travel for Labor Day, Halloween, and the holidays through the New Year.”
Brightline is nearing completion of the service, first proposed more than a decade ago, that would connect South Florida to Orlando with trains speeding up to 125 miles per hour, making Brightline the fastest train to operate in the Southeast. Brightline estimates that 35 million people travel between Central Florida and Miami each year.
The train line is trying to accomplish what others have tried to do, both in Florida and elsewhere in the United States. Palm Beach Post reporter Kim Miller delves into Brightline’s origins and where it wants to go. To read that story, go here.
The following is the additional work prior to the start date of the Brightline service:
Railway construction of the St. Lucy River Bridge
Luce River rail bridge continues this month as Bright Line completes this section of the span, one of the last major steps in completing the route to Orlando.
The 98-year-old bridge began to be closed for three weeks around the clock on May 1.
The bridge is scheduled to be closed until 6 a.m. on Monday, May 22. During this time, any ship that needs a hatch will be blocked from passing. The bridge will remain closed overnight from 8pm to 6am, May 22 to May 29. Crews work 24/7 on the bridge to complete the work on time.
The high speed test continues up to 110 mph
Brightline continues to test trains at high speeds, increasing to 110 mph across the 129-mile corridor between West Palm Beach and Cocoa.
The upcoming tests are scheduled for May between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., from Wednesday, May 31 to Sunday, June 4 along a 22-mile section of trail, which includes several rail crossings through Martin and St. Lucie counties.
The refugees will be located at the 14 rail junctions between Midway Road/CR 712 and SR A1A where the high speed test will take place. Brightline works with law enforcement agencies throughout the corridor.
High-speed testing of up to 110 mph will continue in phases along the corridor over the coming weeks. The public is reminded to be vigilant around railroad tracks and follow the law around railroad crossings.
Brightline’s “qualifying train rides” will begin
Brightline will continue to roll out qualified trains between the South Florida and Orlando locations, an essential step before launch.
The eligible train does not carry passengers and its operation will provide Brightline locomotive engineers and conductors with an opportunity to learn and navigate the new 168-mile stretch from West Palm Beach to Orlando.
Qualified train tracks help conductors and engineers recognize road junctions, signals, curves and speed restrictions, according to Brightline.
Once this additional work is complete, Brightline will go through a certification process by the Federal Railroad Administration, the regulatory agency, before it can begin service.
How much are train tickets?
Brightline round-trip fares from Miami to Orlando will start at $79 for the Smart and $149 for the Premium. Smart one-way fares for children start at $39. Smart fare packages for families of four are available for as little as $199 round trip. A Brightline app check Wednesday morning found that a one-way smart ticket from West Palm Beach to Orlando on Sept. 1 will cost $79 while a premium ticket costs $149. The first train leaves West Palm at 8:07 am and is expected to arrive in Orlando at 10:15 am. Fares from Orlando to West Palm are the same.
Passengers can buy tickets at the stations, but they can also buy them online. Discounted rates available with two days advance purchase.
What is the train schedule for South Florida to Orlando?
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The service will have 16 round trips per day with hourly departures between Miami and Orlando.
week days
- Southbound flights hourly from Orlando to Miami from 5 a.m. to 8:50 p.m.
- The first southbound train from Orlando arrives in Miami at 8:30 am
- Northbound flights from Miami to Orlando depart hourly from 6:50 AM to 9:45 PM
- The first northbound train from Miami arrives in Orlando at 10:15 am
weekends
- Southbound flights hourly from Orlando to Miami from 5 a.m. to 8:50 p.m.
- The first southbound train from Orlando arrives in Miami at 8:30 am
- Northbound flights from Miami to Orlando depart hourly from 5:45 AM to 9:45 PM
The company also said it will continue a daily commute schedule between Miami and West Palm Beach. Departure will be early morning at 5am from West Palm Beach with overnight departure until 12:45am out of Miami.
How long will it take to get from the South Florida stations to Orlando?
Brightline will connect riders from Miami to Orlando in about three hours. This is the estimated time from South Florida stations:
- From Miami to Orlando: three hours.
- Aventura to Orlando: 2 hours 45 minutes.
- Fort Lauderdale to Orlando: 2 hours 30 minutes.
- Boca Raton to Orlando: 2 hours, 15 minutes.
- West Palm Beach to Orlando: 2 hours.
Brightline will use a high-tech Wi-Fi system
Brightline will be the only passenger rail service to offer Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency broadband service. Designed and operated by SpaceX, Starlink offers state-of-the-art technology that will pave the way for a better connected passenger rail service.
Starlink provides high-speed, low-latency Internet to users around the world, made possible by the world’s largest cluster of highly advanced satellites operating in low Earth orbit.
Internet service will be complementary to all Brightline guests.
The Golden Spike Gala will be held at the end of June
To celebrate the start of the historic railway, Brightline officials are looking to recreate the “Golden Spike” event.
The gold spike was the final spike of 17.6 karat gold driven into the ground to unite the rails of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States on May 10, 1869.
The rail link from the Central Pacific Railroad was connected to the Union Pacific Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. The spike is now on display at Stanford University’s Cantor Center for the Arts.
James Coleman is a journalist for the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Florida network. You can reach him at jc[email protected]. Help support our journalism. Sign up today.
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