Brightline tickets for the South Florida to Orlando route officially went on sale Wednesday morning with an initial purchase date of Friday, September 1.
Officials are confident intercity rail routes to Orlando will be ready by Labor Day weekend. One-way and round-trip tickets between South Florida stations in Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Orlando International Airport can be purchased at gobrightline.com or by downloading the app.
Visitors are encouraged to sign up for Brightline emails at gobrightline.com to be the first to know when the inaugural summer rides will go on sale, leading to speculation that the first trip between Orlando and South Florida could be possible as early as Labor Day.
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“Brightline’s guests and the travel market have spoken loudly, and we want to respond by opening ticket sales from late summer through the beginning of next year,” said Patrick Goddard, president of Brightline. “While we are finalizing an official launch date, guests can now book travel for Labor Day, Halloween and holidays through the new year.”
Brightline is nearing the end of service, first proposed more than a decade ago, that would have connected South Florida to Orlando with trains that would reach 125 mph, making Brightline the fastest train running in the Southeast. Brightline estimates that 35 million people travel between Central Florida and Miami each year.
The railroad is trying to accomplish what others have tried to do, in Florida and elsewhere in the United States. Palm Beach Post reporter Kimberly Miller dug deep into where Brightline came from and where it wants to go. To read that story, go here.
Here’s the additional work happening up until Brightline’s service start date:
![A Brightline train can be seen crossing the St. Lucie River railroad bridge in February 2023.](https://www.palmbeachpost.com/gcdn/presto/2023/04/29/PTCN/7174ea5f-2909-4701-b5e5-da27a306bbba-StLucieBridge5.png?width=660&height=410&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Construction of the railway of St. Lucie River Bridge
The rehabilitation work in St. Lucie River railroad bridge continues this month as Brightline completes that section of the span, one of the last major steps in completing the route to Orlando.
A three-week, round-the-clock shutdown of the 98-year-old bridge began May 1.
The bridge is scheduled to be closed until 6 a.m. on Monday, May 22. During this time, passage will be blocked for any vessels requiring an opening. The overnight bridge closure will continue from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., May 22 through May 29. Crews are working 24/7 on the bridge to complete the work on time.
High-speed testing continues up to 110 mph
Brightline continues to test trains at high speeds, going up to 110 mph on the 129-mile corridor between West Palm Beach and Cocoa.
The upcoming May tests are scheduled between 7 am and 7 pm, Wednesday, May 31, through Sunday, June 4, with a 22-mile section of track involving multiple railroad crossings through Martin and St. Lucie Counties.
Flags will be present at 14 of the railroad crossings between Midway Road/County Road 712 and State Road A1A where high speed testing will take place. Brightline works with law enforcement agencies throughout the corridor.
High-speed testing of up to 110 mph will continue in phases along the corridor in the coming weeks. The public is reminded to be vigilant near railroad tracks and obey the law near railroad crossings.
Brightline’s ‘qualifying train run’ begins
Brightline will continue to run qualifying trains between the South Florida and Orlando sites, an important step ahead of the launch.
A qualified train does not carry passengers., and the runs will give Brightline engineers and train conductors an opportunity to learn and navigate the new 168-mile stretch from West Palm Beach to Orlando.
Qualified train runs help conductors and engineers familiarize themselves with road crossings, signals, curves and speed restrictions, according to Brightline.
Once this additional work is completed, Brightline will go through a certification process by the Federal Railroad Administration, a regulatory agency, before service begins.
How much are train tickets?
Brightline one-way fares from Miami to Orlando start at $79 for Smart and $149 for Premium. Kids’ Smart one-way fares start at $39. Smart fare bundles for families of four are available for less than $199 one way. A review of Brightline’s app Wednesday morning found that a one-way Smart ticket from West Palm Beach to Orlando on Sept. 1 costs $79 while a Premium ticket costs $149. The first train leaves West Palm at 8:07 am and is expected to arrive in Orlando at 10:15 am Prices from Orlando to West Palm Beach are the same.
Passengers can buy tickets at stations, but they can also buy them online. Discounted fares are available on two-day advance purchases.
What is the South Florida to Orlando train schedule?
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Service includes 16 daily roundtrips with hourly departures between Miami and Orlando.
Weekdays
- Hourly southbound departures from Orlando to Miami from 5 am to 8:50 pm
- The first southbound train from Orlando arrives in Miami at 8:30 am
- Hourly northbound departures from Miami to Orlando from 6:50 am to 9:45 pm
- The first northbound train from Miami arrives in Orlando at 10:15 am
Weekends
- Hourly southbound departures from Orlando to Miami from 5 am to 8:50 pm
- The first southbound train from Orlando arrives in Miami at 8:30 am
- Hourly northbound departures from Miami to Orlando from 5:45 am to 9:45 pm
The company also said it will continue a daily commuter schedule between Miami and West Palm Beach. The early morning departure is 5 am from West Palm Beach with evening departures until 12:45 am from Miami.
How long does it take to get from South Florida stations to Orlando?
Brightline will connect riders from Miami to Orlando in about three hours. Here are the estimated times from South Florida stations:
- Miami to Orlando: Three hours.
- Adventure to Orlando: Two hours, 45 minutes.
- Fort Lauderdale to Orlando: Two hours, 30 minutes.
- Boca Raton to Orlando: Two hours, 15 minutes.
- West Palm Beach to Orlando: Two hours.
Brightline will use a high-tech Wi-Fi system
Brightline will be the only passenger rail service to offer Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency broadband service. Starlink, engineered and operated by SpaceX, is made possible by the world’s largest constellation of advanced satellites operating in low orbit around Earth.
Internet service will be complimentary for all Brightline guests.
A ‘Golden Spike’ ceremony will be held at the end of June
To commemorate the beginning of the historic railroad, Brightline officials are looking to recreate a “golden spike” event.
The golden spike was the last 17.6-karat gold final spike driven into the ground to connect the tracks of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States on May 10, 1869.
Tracks from the Central Pacific Railroad were linked with the Union Pacific Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. The spike is now on display at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University.
James Coleman is a reporter at the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at jcoleman@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe now.
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