What is Brightline?

Brightline is the first privately funded intercity passenger rail system in America in over a century. Intercity passenger rail systems connect cities over longer distances than regional and local public transportation options like commuter rail, light rail, streetcars and city buses.

Providing fast, efficient, hospitality-driven transportation featuring the latest in customer-friendly amenities, Brightline is designed to connect cities that are too close to fly and too long to drive.

The rail system currently operates 32 trains a day — 16 in each direction — from early morning to late evening on the roughly 3.5-hour route between Orlando and Miami. Its highest speed is 125 mph.

The passenger rail system was officially launched in 2018 and initially operated between Miami and West Palm Beach. In 2023, the system was expanded to include service to Orlando International Airport. Annual ridership has increased from 579,000 in 2018 to 2,053,893 in 2023.

Brightline uses Siemens train sets with passenger coaches with ergonomic seating, Wi-Fi, and level boarding, while meeting ADA standards. Each train set holds 248 passengers. Here is a virtual tour of Florida’s new intercity passenger rail system and a brief update on future expansion plans throughout Florida.

Existing Stations

Brightline currently operates passenger rail stations located in the cities of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Aventura, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Orlando.

Orlando

The Orlando International Airport Intermodal Terminal was completed in 2017. Plans for the facility predate Brightline. The terminal was originally conceived as the northern terminus of a proposed Florida High Speed Rail system that would have connected Tampa and Orlando. That plan died when then-Gov. Rick Scott rejected federal high speed rail funding that had been awarded by the Obama administration.

Connected to the airport’s recently completed Terminal C, the massive 1.3 million-square-foot intermodal terminal is designed to accommodate the airport’s Terminal Link automated people mover system and up to three additional passenger rail systems. Brightline revenue service began operating at the terminal on September 22, 2023. It is anticipated that the SunRail commuter rail system will eventually be expanded to the $684 million terminal.

West Palm Beach

Located Downtown, the West Palm Beach Brightline station began revenue service on January 13, 2018. The 60,000-square-foot station and platform occupies a two-acre site near the intersection of Clematis Street and Quadrille Boulevard. It is located within walking distance of 10,000 residents, 30,000 workers and most of the city’s vibrant, pedestrian-friendly streets.

In 2018, Florida East Coast Industries, in partnership with Lincoln Property Co., developed a 24-story, 290-unit apartment tower and transit-oriented development adjacent to the station. In 2020, FECI sold the Park-Line Palm Beaches apartment tower to New York Life for $114.8 million.

Transit oriented development built adjacent to West Palm Beach’s Brightline station.

Infill transit oriented development built across the street from West Palm Beach’s Brightline station.

Clematis Street is within walking distance of the West Palm Beach Brightline station.