Brightline celebrated completion of the construction of the Orlando route, which will pave the way for a summer launch of the service between Central Florida and South Florida.
Mayors from Brightline stations and the Brightline Orlando route celebrated the completion of the construction with a roundtable discussion on the economic impact of transportation in Florida.
Brightline began working on the Orlando extension in 2019, only a year after the service was launched between Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. In 2022, additional stations opened in downtown Boca Raton as well as Aventura.
Brightline Phase I and Phase II construction created over 10,000 jobs in Florida and generated an economic impact of more than $6,4 billion. The construction teams spent more than seven millions hours fighting the COVID-19 epidemic and supply shortages in order to complete the 170-mile extension.
Brightline, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and members of the Brightline construction management team celebrated the completion of the construction by creating a photo that represents the rail connection between Miami to Orlando.
Brightline CEO Mike Reininger stated, “Completing the project is the culmination more than a decade’s worth of dedication and hard work.” Our team has proven its ability to overcome and navigate challenges, bringing us to where we are now. “We have created something amazing, and I’m excited to see millions more people ride brighter.”
Brightline will continue critical high-speed testing along the corridor between West Palm Beach, Florida and Orlando. In July, they will test trains up to 110 miles an hour in Brevard County. Brightline will then conduct revenue service demonstrations and crew certification once testing is completed.
Gobrightline.com and the Brightline app allow travelers to purchase tickets between Orlando, Florida and South Florida for travel from September until early 2024. Brightline is offering one-way SMART tickets starting at $79 and $39 respectively for adults, and one-way Premium fares beginning at $149.