What Is Bright-line And When Will It Be Completed?

The Bright-line high-speed passenger service in South Florida is expected to revolutionize how local residents get to and from their destination. In an effort to speed up transportation and cut down on highway congestion, the passenger service will do both of those things and more, contributing to improved productivity and time efficiency.

However, the completion of the project is running a bit behind schedule, with a new grand opening now slated for the coming months (not including Orlando), as its opening was originally planned for July. The Fort Lauderdale-to-West Palm Beach service has yet to announce what tickets will cost for riding. Developers did hint at friendly fares that will be compatible with professionals and travelers.

The $3 billion dollar project, privately funded service is designed to run between Miami and Orlando in total, reaching speeds of 125MPH. Phase 1 of the project will run 32 trains daily between West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami at speeds of 79MPH. Phase 2 will incorporate Orlando, starting in 2019 for construction. However, like any massive construction project, developers have hit some roadblocks. Indian River and Martin counties challenged developers on environmental impacts in court. 

Right now, the stations in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach are almost done, with the exception of some interior work. 

Brightline’s goal is to target local commuters and tourists with promises of 30-minute rides between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, and another 30-minutes to Miami or Orlando. The entire trip from Miami to Orlando will take 3-hours, compared with the 4-4.5 hour trek by car or by bus.

Each train will have at least three coaches with nearly 450 seats and one coach with 66 seats in different configurations. More coaches will be added during the tourist season to accommodate travelers. Lastly, up to 5 trains could be added if the service reaches other destinations in the future, with Tampa and Jacksonville proposed at this time.

Presently, developers are working on the development of what will be the first Brightline stop at the Orlando International Airport. An official date has not been released yet on when the Orlando portion of Brightline will be accessible to users. If all goes according to plan, developers are confident that it could be up-and-running by the end of 2020. However, that date is subject to change multiple times throughout the next few years. Stay tuned for details.