A Brightline train just rolled into an Orlando station. What to know about the trip
A Brightline train made its first appearance in Orlando this week in a test run as the high-speed rail company continues construction of a station at the city’s airport.
Bright Blue 2, the name of the train, rolled into the Orlando airport’s new Intermodal Terminal Facility, the company said. No passengers were on aboard the train, but workers on the Orlando project watched it arrive.
“Bringing a Brightline train into the Orlando station is a hugely significant milestone for the future of transportation here in Central Florida,” said Jerome Hall, a project engineer.
The train returned to a nearby maintenance compound after the test run.
Brightline projects it will be carrying passengers from Miami to Orlando by 2023, with nearly 80% of the $2.7 billion project now completed. The trip between the two cities will take about three hours over 170 miles.
Right now, Brightline serves stations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Stations also are being planned for Aventura and Boca Raton.
“To be able to have high-speed, premium passenger rail service here in the Orlando region and connecting down to Miami is just the future,” Hall said. “I’m excited that we have been apart of that and been able to make that happen.”
This story was originally published May 20, 2022 at 11:10 AM.
%20Cropped%20(2).jpg)