Brightline Service To Orlando Starts In Weeks, Tickets Available From September 15

Brightline is getting closer to opening service to Orlando.

A Brightline spokesperson would only say that an opening date is coming soon. Service is to begin within weeks, the spokesperson said.

A CNBC report on August 4 showed that the Orlando expansion was opening in August.

Tickets are now on sale, with service being offered from September 15 and onward. Until last week, tickets had been on sale for dates starting September 1 and on.

 

 

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Not Anonymous
1 month ago

Brightline is showing the US that high speed passenger rail can be successful if well planned and executed. I hope that other companies and state governments take notice and start their own projects soon! In a few years, a person might be able to travel cross country in high-speed rail

Steven Kornya
1 month ago

Brightline has shown nothing of the sort. It isn’t high speed rail, it isn’t successful (unless success has been redefined as losing $250M per year), and it hasn’t been particularly well planned or executed; it’s nearly 2 years behind schedule and they’ve just had to revise the start date for MCO-MIA service by two weeks later…after selling tickets for a 9/1/23 start date.

ERock
1 month ago

Please explain how they could have been better in the planning and execution of the project.

*NAME*
1 month ago

I’m not agreeing with SK above, but there are always things that can be done better in hindsight. Especially when what Brightline did had never been done before.

OP comment isn’t understanding the business model of Brightline, and why it’s so difficult to replicate. All Aboard Florida (original Brightline parent entity) was multiple entities that began acquiring the real estate and the rail right of way in the 90s. So while the train may lose money (we’re in year 2 or 3, so may end up profitable soon), the real estate will net billions. That is and always was the play.

Anyone looking to replicate this better have deep pockets and incredible vision. And better own their rail right of way and the real estate adjacent to it.

Wes Edens and his partners are smarter than anyone on this board and would laugh at how simple you all see things.

Anonymous
1 month ago

I’ve seen posters cite this before—about this being some real estate ploy. How is this figured? Exactly what land does Brightline own, and who have they been selling it to? The right of ways for the extra track aren’t usable for real estate development–they’re for tracks. Did they buy adjacent lots along the track right of ways and does having Brightline service really make those adjacent lots more valuable?

*NAME*
1 month ago

Grupo Mexico buys Rail Right of Way from FECI (One of the original Brightline parent company) – $2.1 Billion
Harbour Group Parkline Miami Central – $400 Million
Supertall A&B dev site – $51 Million
Oceanland Dev Site in FtL – $13 Million
New York Life buys Park Line Palm Beach – $115 Million
Blackstone buys Miami Central office building – $230 Million

This is basically off the top of my head and in the last 1-2 years only. They assembled most of this land and many other parcels all along the tracks decades ago for pennies on the dollar.

Anonymous
1 month ago

ok good info

Sir?
1 month ago

Have you forgotten the pandemic?

Steven Kornya
1 month ago

A. They stopped running trains during the pandemic; they didn’t stop construction.
B. Latest example? Selling tickets for a 9/1 start date (when your CEO announced a year ago that you’d be running trains Q1 2023, so you’re already 6 months late on that), crowing about how well sales are going…and then having to push the date two weeks and refund tickets because you won’t ready. I’d say that’s a failure of planning and execution right there.

Not Anonymous
1 month ago

Im sorry to break it to you, but no major infrastructure project in the US ever finishes on time. Just look at I-69

Anonymous
1 month ago

This project began in 2012 with a $1 billion budget and a 2 year construction interval for a project from Miami to Disney. It has taken over 11 years and over $6 billion for a partial completion. Final completion will take at least 6 more years at a cost of much more than the original cost of the total project.

calivalle'
1 month ago

Chill will buy you a ticket to Disney..

Not Steven
1 month ago

I thought the delays are from the lawsuits from the owners of the Marina in Stuart. It’s my understanding that these guys are doing for the work being done on the bridge, saying having the bridge down for longer than usual will block a navigable waterway…
I’m guessing they couldn’t have properly planned for this.

Anonymous
1 month ago

We know, you’re still butthurt about Rick Scott canceling true HSR to nowhere, which even if it wasn’t and you had your dream politicians, wouldn’t have broken ground yet.

Play
1 month ago

As a former Railroad Conductor who has experienced issues with Drawbridge Delays I expect lots of delays. Gonna close bridge every 30 minutes. It take 10 minutes to open or close approximately

Robert Smith
1 month ago

get your cornea checked, steven, because you are blind as a bat and clueless enough to pass for a local politician

Anonymous One
1 month ago

Well said. These same folks on here would be trashing it if it were a govt entity spending the same for similar returns. They would trash the govt for mismanagement, wasting away $, etc. etc. But suddenly it is remarkable even though it is proven absolutely nothing over 2 years. Run something successfully for at least 5 years with a meaningful impact before you all start delcaring how ‘successful’ a venture it is.

Rodriguez
1 month ago

The secret is real estate. Turns out when governments allow high density near alternate modes of transport that people buy quickly. We yearn for less traffic and more community so the Brightline play to own all the land around their stations is genius.

Anonymous
1 month ago

But all these developments have big parking podiums. Are people really looking to be close to the train or are they just seeking the limited available units in a tight market?

Anonymous
1 month ago

The state is shrinking

Anonymous
1 month ago

Love it!

Anonymous
1 month ago

They should have one going all the way to Jacksonville.

MIami kid
1 month ago

Nothing in JAXville. It should go to Atlanta.

Not Steven
1 month ago

Nothing in ATL it should go to New York or Chicago.

Chyneesha
1 month ago

Weren’t they selling tickets for September 1st before? Already pushed back 2 weeks?!

P Sullivan
1 month ago

I was at the new Brightline terminal at MCO yesterday, August 6. It is large and looks imposing, yet not finished.
Does anyone know if it will go to downtown Orlando?

*NAME*
1 month ago

It’s been finished for months.

JoeJan
1 month ago

I’ve heard some inside knowledge that what’s holding them back is relocating some of their operations from the old terminus at WPB to MIA and training both onboard crews and station crews. They still haven’t hired all the needed workers and of course will need to train said workers. The delay is to account for that

Melo is sigma and chad
1 month ago

Ugh hope they dont pull oct 1st start date

Jess
1 month ago

No intelligent Floridian will take a train that’s only 45 minutes faster than driving. Why would I spend money on parking and an over priced train ticket when i can drive for 1/4 the price. Not too mention I have to use it in their timeline and driving I can go when I want and pay for no Uber around town.

Miami to Orlando over 234 miles-3+ hours and $150…
Venice Italy to Rome 332 miles 3 hours and $60

This train is doomed to fail and a joke.

Anonymous
1 month ago

It’s only $80/ticket base service, but who goes to Disney alone? Kids are only $40/ticket, but still…you can load up 1-3 other people into your car and spend a fraction of that on gas, and have the convenience of having your car.

Not Steven
1 month ago

Well, I could sleep in peace on the train, when I drive to S. FLA from ORLANDO everyone gonna when I doze off. Hate it.

Snail
1 month ago

« High speed »?! Unfortunately this is NOT the case.

Choo Choo
1 month ago

Yeah… higher speed is the proper classification I think. Its fast but should’ve been faster, but thats what you get with non-electric and at grade crossings

Anonymous dead guy
1 month ago

It felt pretty fast when it hit me.

Snail
1 month ago

So it’s time for you to travel the work and try REAL high speed trains. You gonna love it.

Rob
1 month ago

It is start. If it is successful other places will follow. And those projects might be true high speed.

Anonymous
1 month ago

It’s slow at dense areas. Once it clears the tri county area it picks up speed. We also need to educate drivers not to cross when the barriers are down.

Fred S. Millan
1 month ago

Please show the price to travel between cities first and compare with actual air travel prices from and to Miami.
FSM

Anon
1 month ago

Please log out.

MIami kid
1 month ago

lol

Blackhole
1 month ago

dummy booking on september 20 coming back the next day.

Train – 3:25 hours – 148$
Plane – 1:10 hours – 238$ Delta Airlines (no bag)

considering you have to be at the airport ahead of time the difference isnt that big.

For 148$ (no bag) by plane with Spirit you have a flight with a 4 hour layover in atlanta. total travel time 8:35 hours