Brightline high-speed rail service between Orlando and Miami launched Friday, marking the first intercity private rail service in the U.S. in 100 years.While Gulf Coast residents continue to wait for the return of Amtrak passenger service between Mobile and New Orleans, a company has brought a high-speed rail line to take passengers from Orlando to Miami and back.
The new Brightline rail had its inaugural run Friday, with round-trip tickets priced at $158, or $298 for first-class. Groups can buy four round-trip tickets for $398, according to the Associated Press.It’s estimated that roughly 40 million people travel between the two Florida cities each year, with more than 90% making the trip by car. Brightline has invested $5 billion with the expectation that the high-speed train will attract about 20% of those travelers.
The trains run on biodiesel fuel and make the 235-mile Orlando-to-Miami trip in about 3 1/2 hours -- or about 30 minutes less than driving. “This is a pretty important moment, whether you’re thinking about it in the context of the state of Florida or what it might mean for these kinds of products as they develop elsewhere in the United States,” Brightline CEO Mike Reininger told the AP. “The idea that my car is the only way for me to get where I need to go is being challenged by a new product. A new product that’s safer, that’s greener, that is a great value proposition [and] it’s fun.
Brightline stations offer lounges and marketplaces for passengers prior to departure. Onboard, passengers have the option of purchasing snacks, non-alcoholic beverages and cocktails, including the Tres Generaciones Jalapeno Pineapple Margarita.If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.