Demand For Brightline So High That It Just Earned A South Segment Profit: ‘Never Really Intended’

Brightline’s trains are in such high demand that the company’s South Segment was profitable on an operating basis for the first time ever last month, according to the company’s chairman.

“We never really intended to make money on that segment on a standalone basis,” Brightline chairman Wes Edens told CNBC.

“A year ago we did about 70,000 rides in March, this year we did about 170,000,” Edens said.

The South Segment includes train service operating between Downtown Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach.

The company has said it is moving over newly arrived trainsets meant to service Orlando while testing for the new segment continues.

Current schedules show Brightline trains are departing MiamiCentral every 30 minutes during peak rush hour periods.

Edens said that the real goal of the service is connecting Miami and Orlando, and that will happen “in just a few short months.”

 

Brightline’s new Boca station:

 

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Bandit
7 months ago

Kind of obvious in my opinion… Goes to show how much demand there is to have alternatives to car dependence

Juan
7 months ago

Lord I would do almost anything to not be stuck in car traffic everyday

Socretes
7 months ago

Would you buy a condo one block from your office?

I think that qualifies as “almost anything”.

Enrique
7 months ago

Almost anything. Except that.

Gary
7 months ago

Most see cars as independence from public transportation.

Will Fedder
7 months ago

That’s the beauty of the market, Gary.

You don’t need to appeal to everyone, or even a majority of people.

Socretes
7 months ago

Ummm…..
Most? Can you provide a link to that Polling data?

personally, I see my car as an Independent option for Freedom and Liberty to what the hell I want, when the hell I want.

Of course, I do pay for, and do take public transportation.

Public transportation is perfect for the simpletons who have accepted a Governmental Overlord dictating where to go, where to climb stairs, where to line up, where to wait, and where to board a train with all the other people who do not have the Liberty or Freedom to be truly free.

Dopey Professor’s will convince the easily manipulated how we must “get cars off the road” , how WE NEED bike lanes, and how you must devote your life to ____________Studies.

Fern
7 months ago

Out of curiosity, do you have similar thoughts about airlines?

BTW it's Socrates
7 months ago

Oh my god I think he’s serious lol. He’s like a real life Ron Swanson. Please enlighten me, Mr. Rugged Individualist, how you much you don’t depend on gov’t intervention to maintain your roads that you drive on? To subsidize the gas you use to run your car? Like cmon man at least try to be consistent in your views.

Gunsul Gnormal
7 months ago

The government subsidizes gasoline? Where did you get that notion?

D. P. Lubic
7 months ago

Well, to start with, the road system as a whole only has about a 67% cost recovery ratio. That means you gas taxes and tolls only cover about 67 cents out of every dollar we spend on roads. That amounted to $85 billion in 2019, or about 47 cents per gallon–and that’s just based on cash flow. That doesn’t include deferred maintenance, unrecovered accident costs, and depreciation charges.

Then there are other costs to be considered, among them oil wars–

Yeah, we’ve overdone cars, and they don’t pay their way, either.

http://www.iags.org/costofoil.html

DPM
7 months ago

Hey dummy. People are choosing the train to avoid being locked in traffic. Get it “locked”, as in not at liberty to move around.
The only simpleton here is the dufus who thinks that using the train to avoid traffic is a political statement.
Also, the fact that it is profitable means that it is not costing idiots like you a penny for people to have the freedom to right the train
What a friggin moron!

Pete
7 months ago

And i have seen people say its a “no brainer” to drive when its 8 hours or less…..

Anon
7 months ago

Time to end the road monopoly in south florida

Anonymous
7 months ago

That’s exactly what it is. I hope we do something here to change it. There is room for everyone, let’s bring trains, light rail, etc.

Anonymous
7 months ago

And more separated bike lanes!

Socretes
7 months ago

Any chance that you Gummy saturated dopes can explain how a “road” has an monopoly? It was my understanding that companies form monopolies in industries where consumers have no choices.

Stretching my imagination as much as I can in Dian Fossey style, are you people suggesting that the only way to get from anywhere is anywhere is a car?

There are thousands of bus trips to everywhere. Many are electric.

smarter than socretes
7 months ago

And where do the buses run, genius? + In Florida they don’t even have their own dedicated BRT lanes, they’re stuck in traffic on the ROAD like everyone else.

Socretes is supposed to be smart
7 months ago

you have to be trolling because there is no possible way you read your comment and didn’t realize how insanely dumb it is.
Buses drive on roads (and yes genius that means electric buses too). In most of dade county u can’t get anywhere without a car or bus which means roads have a monopoly

Christopher Parker
7 months ago

It’s not just companies that have monopolies. Highways are the most socialized part of our economy.

Not Anonymous
7 months ago

The FEC corridor will need to be widened in the future (and hopefully grade separated, but that will never happen). Long term, it doesn’t make sense to have a growing amount of passenger rail on the already congested tracks full of slow, log cargo trains.

ParkingHater
7 months ago

You can absolutely run freight at passenger. Just look at what the aurora line has accomplished with just 3 tracks.

With good scheduling they could easily double frequency with the bypass lines the already have at their stations

anonymous
7 months ago

FDOT has always been supportive to roads because a large portion of the state are in major metros. HOwever, now that the population has exploded here it only makes sense to start expanding rail within Urban cores and longer distances like Brightline to keep major cities connected

Anonymous
7 months ago

Car lobby its so strong in Florida. Don’t let expand the public transportation.

Socretes
7 months ago

???
What? “Road Monopoly”

Clearly, you do not know the definition of monopoly.
Clearly, there are a lot of people confident in a non-concept.

Meletus
7 months ago

if youre just being pedantic that’s one thing but you do understand what they imply when they say monopoly right? a bus might exist but is service reasonably provided or is walking infrastructure in place?

MiamiRob
7 months ago

A “Road Monopoly” is when the Road Infrastructure dominates almost all of the means of transport like it does in South Florida. Taking a Bus puts you in same category so you’re subject to the whims of traffic. Stop being obtuse.

Christopher Parker
7 months ago

Monopoly is the absence of a free market. That can happen with companies, but it can also happen (and does) with governments or even non-profit organizations. If all the assets are owned by one party with little alternatives (or perhaps just a few parties), that is a monopoly. Things like the electric power grid, phone lines, roads, police forces, schools can be privately run or public, but it is really the existence of free choice that defines if it is a monopoly. Nor are monopolies always considered bad (for example, regulated utilities), though I do favor a free market.

Anonymous
7 months ago

people hate traffic – go figure

Johnny
7 months ago

Connect downtown to the beach already. Ridiculous. Do it. Now.

Anonymous
7 months ago

Duh. They are treating commuter rail as a cash cow. Lower the fares!!

anonymous
7 months ago

Once Trirail finally gets into Downtown i would expect to see usage substantially increase with them.

Luis
7 months ago

If tri-rail weren’t so slow…

Anonymous
7 months ago

Profits will partially go to building Orlando/Tampa most likely. This is why Florida passenger rail is rising and California’s is stuck in the mud. Quite literally.

Anonymous
7 months ago

B-but… Cali’s is reeeeeal HSR. So what if it goes to nowhere and Chinese trains are filled with stolen technology?

Anonymous
7 months ago

A private rail line trying to make money…Duh.

Victor
7 months ago

I’ll gladly continue to pay the $465 a month for a premium service WPB-FTL commuter pass. Aside from the glitchy app, it’s been well worth it and have run into few issues. No traffic, Uber included, free breakfast at the lounge, and a glass of wine on the way home…no brainer.

James
7 months ago

Rick Scott refused the fed high speed rail money and is a major investor in brightline

Rob
7 months ago

You got it! Private=benefits. Nice, beautiful ,good service. Public, well you know!!!

Anonymous
7 months ago

At least we the taxpayers aren’t investors in that HSR to nowhere, which wouldn’t have even broke ground if it was approved.

Anonymous
7 months ago

Yes he did…all because it was during Obama’s tenure….wanted nothing from Obama. What a clown move smh

IWoke
7 months ago

Rick is a POS who only cares about enriching Rick. He stole from Medicare and never cared about the citizens of Florida when he was governor.

Anonymous
7 months ago

Let me guess, you want Metromover expanded to all ends of the earth and to remain free.

Will
7 months ago

Brightline is not commuter rail, it is intercity rail. Those are different types of service with different markets and responsibilities

Anonymous
7 months ago

The more consumers that ride BRIGHTLINE then fares can drop. It’s the free market that does it

‏‏‎ ‎
7 months ago

I know this will probably never happen, but now with all this “talk” of reactivating the CSX Homestead Subdivision, what if Brightline used those tracks to Homestead and then from there to the keys? And from there, use the US 1/ Old US 1 ROW to the Key West International Airport. Of course, it would cost billions of dollars and probably wouldn’t be worth it, but one could only hope.

Realistically, for the long term, they can go to Jacksonville via the FEC corridor, and from there, they can use I-10 to Pensacola and I-75 to Atlanta.

Anonymous
7 months ago

Would make sense. “Build it and they will come”.

SW30
7 months ago

My brother lives in downtown Miami and has to go into the office occasionally in Boca. He just took the Brightline for the first time and loves it.

Just wishes they had earlier departures times from Miami.

Future Boca Dad
7 months ago

Difficult to do reverse commute on commuter trains – same issue with LIRR – spent over decade in a third rails because of that

transplant
7 months ago

Elevate the track for Brightline. Give Brightline a couple rows and make a couple rows for commuter rail in exchange for elevating the track for Brightline.

Melo is sigma and Chad
7 months ago

elevate where ? they would have to shut down the tracks to build a metrorail like system

Pete
7 months ago

Not necessarily. They can build on top of the current train tracks by building columns on each side of the track.

anon
7 months ago

silence transplant.

Melo #1 fan
7 months ago

everyone in miami is a transplant or child of a transplant. get over it

Anon13
7 months ago

I think it would be more realistic to ask FDOT and Brightline to target high risk crossings and raise the road over the tracks. Part of the problem is the freight component of FECR which likely cannot reasonably be elevated.

Anonymous
7 months ago

“High risk” a.k.a. trespassing mongs Brightline and FECR should have the right to press charges against and if deceased, their estate.

Andrew
7 months ago

Underpasses are more realistic than overpasses even with the challenge of the water table. I remember when underground parking was considered an engineering feat and now they’re all over the city.

Lechozo
7 months ago

there is indeed an underpass on Okeechobee road. Thanks heaven because the freight trains on that stretch are super slow as they are either entering or exiting their yard

Anonymous
7 months ago

Cool, start the process to extend it to Union Station in Tampa and Jacksonville.

Anonymous
7 months ago

I guess no luck of those prices dropping :/!

Anonymous
7 months ago

Not if they’re making profits at the current fares.

Anonymous
7 months ago

The state it self should start funding more mass expansions of brightline and other public transportation options cause we desperately want and need them

Anonymous
7 months ago

That is what I like about BRIGHTLINE . NO DEPENDING ON THE TAXPAYER OR GOVERNMENT.

Speed
7 months ago

The fact trains are restricted to 45mph along the stretch in all of dade county is so archaic – Increasing those speeds would make a significant difference

Se me paró
7 months ago

I wonder if they ever plan to continue the line all the way to Homestead with stops in Coral Gables.

anonymous
7 months ago

its physically impossible to extend Brightline farther south. Those tracks dont connect. Best youll get is extension of the Metrolrail to homestead and thats it

Anonymous
7 months ago

We need Metrorail to South Beach, Marlins Park, FIU, and Doral. Not semi-rural sprawl.

Jeff
7 months ago

Brightline will never go further south.

Someday, after American Dream Mall is done and open, they *might* consider having trains backtrack from downtown Miami north to 79th Street, then head west along their tracks to a final stop at a new station out in Medley by US-27 and the Turnpike or 107th Ave. FEC owns a LOT of land out there, and a promised Brightline station would give them leverage to get the county to approve building skyscrapers there

Anonymous
7 months ago

The American Dream Mall is gonna remain in your dreams only.

Johanne
7 months ago

which was prepaid with the half penny added to the sales tax by Mayor Penellas…where did all this money go? Not to Homestead or Florida City, that’s for sure!

Yaadman
7 months ago

it went to the south corridor BRT system. You can see them building the stations along us1 now.

FloridaMan
7 months ago

Build more!

Anonymous
7 months ago

Rick Scott killing HSR turned out great for FL in retrospect. Im glad I was wrong on that. That system had boondoggle written all over it.

Instead we ended up with a great, clean and efficient HSR that will connect more populations centers and cost far less.

HeatIn5
7 months ago

Did Wes Edens have any comment on what the Heat just did to his Bucks?

Brickell Life
7 months ago

They need to build metrorail further south. Would help connect south florida.

Anonymous
7 months ago

There need to build Metrorail east and west, where traffic is already a nightmare.

Redheadtraveling
7 months ago

Love Bright Line, the ride to Miami from West Palm is very so relaxing, so more of that would be great.

Pistol Pete
7 months ago

On a related note. Tri Rail should extend past Miami Airport Station going west along the 836 stopping at Dolphin Mall. There are already tracks so it shouldn’t be too expensive.

ano
7 months ago

we need rail west into the suburbs

Peter L
7 months ago

I don’t think there is a more well run mass transit system in the country. From the station to destination. Super clean and super safe.
Usually stations are in seedy locations not Brightline.
I live in NJ and our leaders need to copy this formula.

Winston Smith
7 months ago

The goal of EVs is not to have everyone drive an EV. The goal is to make cars so expensive most people can’t afford cars anymore.

Pete
7 months ago

If theyre smart they should start a commuter line just like Tri rail between palm beach and miami. They could have slightly higher prices of course cause of nicer trains and better station locations.

carlos
7 months ago

its already a commuter line what do you mean? Unless you mean more stops like tri rail has.

Fuck Joe Carollo
7 months ago

South Florida is surprisingly perfect for rail based transit. Brightline should open up more commuter stations. A Delray or Boynton station would be instantly popular.

Biclao
7 months ago

zero infrastructure for trains in florida

enjoy smashing cars that try to cross the rail ways cause there fucking stupid.

Gadget
7 months ago

Who would ride in a bike lane next to 45 mph traffic? In Phoenix, AZ the answer is 0. I have never seen a bike rider in a bike lane. What a waste of money.

Billy Bob
6 months ago

Demanded by who?
Exactly what do you think you are saving at 130 mph at the cost of having to rent transportation at either the beginning or destination? 20 bucks on the turnpike then 90 all the way.

Marco
7 months ago

Beautiful train but way to slow and way to much expensive. So far, there is no reasons to not keep using my car when I go to Orlando with my family. I am glad they don’t use the terms fast train / speed train anymore.

Bob
7 months ago

It goes 130 that is high speed in US

Paul
7 months ago

130 is ridiculously slow. You should travel the world. We are in 2023. Hello.

Anon
7 months ago

I believe to do high speed here they’d have to eliminate at grade crossings, so it’s too expensive … but if the demand comes, maybe they will establish it’s workable to invest in overpasses in large stretches.

Anonymous
7 months ago

I didn’t know you could travel over 130 mph on Florida’s Turnpike.

Lechozo
7 months ago

train can’t go more than 79 from Miami to Cocoa, and go faster between Cocoa and Orlando. But Cocoa-Orlando is about 15% of the whole distance

Tobias
7 months ago

False. They’ll be going up to 110 between WPB and Cocoa and 125 there to MCO.