A decade in the making, Brightline’s launch is poised to reinvent train travel in America and offers a blueprint to connect city pairs that are too short to fly and too far to drive.
“Over the last century, America has perfected the automobile and pioneered space exploration, but we’ve barely budged in terms of passenger rail,” said Wes Edens, co-founder of Fortress Investment Group, owner of Brightline. “This moment marks the beginning of a new industry and outlines a blueprint for expanding high-speed rail in America.”
Brightline launched operations in South Florida in 2018, connecting Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. Stations in Boca Raton and Aventura opened last year. Construction on its 170-mile extension from West Palm Beach to Orlando began in 2019.
The US$6bn project has generated substantial economic benefits in Florida creating 10,000 jobs and approximately US$6.4 billion in direct economic impact to the region.
Brightline now covers 235 miles between Miami and Orlando and the new route will take between 3 and 3.5 hours depending on South Florida station stops.
The trainsets used on the high-speed route were made in partnership with Siemens Mobility in Sacramento, California. The stainless-steel coaches are made with components from more than 160 suppliers across 27 states.
The expansion to Orlando also included the development of Basecamp, a US$100m state-of-the-art train maintenance facility situated on 62-acres south of Orlando International Airport (MCO). The facility operates 24/7, servicing trains with skilled engineers, conductors, technicians, and inspectors.
Brightline’s Orlando expansion is the newest transportation milestone for the company that has bold plans to transform high-speed rail in the US on the West Coast, through Brightline West. Brightline West will be the nation’s first true high-speed rail network with fully electric trains operating at top speeds of 200mph.
Slated to break ground by the end of 2023, the line will connect millions of people traveling between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, annually.