Florida's BRIGHTLINE rail service set to open in late Summer

[brooklynite]

The privately-funded Brightline express train service invited civics and business leaders to a “sneak peek” of its progress on the West Palm Beach, Fla. station on Tuesday.

The station, which began construction in 2015 and is nearly complete, contains a parking garage, train platform, and 60,000 square feet of station space on two acres. Passenger lounges will be available, as well as a conference center and connections to Tri-Rail and Amtrak. A 290-unit residential tower is under construction nearby.

“We have to plan for future growth in Florida and Brightline is a critical project,” said Mark Wilson, president and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. “The impact on real estate values along the Brightline route will be nothing but up.” Wilson added that Florida’s future transport must meet its future growth needs and create a quality of life that will attract millennials.

Brightline is expected to begin service between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach in late summer. Service to Miami is forthcoming, while the Orlando route and station are currently delayed by litigation. Ticket prices have not been revealed.

http://www.builderonline.com/building/floridas-brightline-set-to-open-in-late-summer_c



(This will be the first private-sector intercity rail service in the US in 34 years. Governor Bush opted to support this, rather than take high speed rail funds from the Obama Administration)

[HopeAgain]

1. So it's just a private version of Tri-Rail without the stops?

Who are we supposed to envision riding this? Just commuters from downtown FLL to downtown WPB? It's still hard to get around So. Fla. without a car, so how are commuters getting anywhere from the stations? I can see this working if and when Orlando is brought online, but I don't get it for now.

Maybe I'm missing something.

[genxlib]

2. A couple of differences

This service will run on the old Florida East Coast Railway lines instead of CSX. It is over by US1 rather than I95. The stations are actually downtown within walking distance of actual destinations.

Second, the Miami station is actually downtown whereas the tri-rail never makes it that far. If you are going downtown, you have to take the metrorail.

The flip side of that is that there is no where to catch the train that isn't in a downtown environment. So unless you live in one downtown and work in the other, there is no good way for a commuter to use it

I agree with you. I never have understood how this will work

[HopeAgain]

3. It will be interesting to see how it works

Thanks for the info!