It’s the basic attention to detail that stands out on a Brightline train: the legroom and plush leather seats; the designated places to store bikes, rest phones, and hang jackets; the free Wi-Fi and charging ports; the clean bathrooms designed to be hands-free.
These amenities felt like a dose of luxury after nine days of road travel in Florida in May, when I faced the typical traffic jams and torrential rain. So on my last day, after returning my rental, a simple train ride from Fort Lauderdale to Miami was a treat. Only a swift half hour trip, I was just getting settled into my snack tray and mimosa when it was already time to disembark.
It felt like a luxury, because in America, it is. Brightline’s Florida service is the only private passenger rail service in the U.S. Though it’s not technically high-speed, its next project, from L.A. to Vegas, will be. The company has steered past some of the biggest hurdles that rail ventures have faced for decades, and if it’s successful, the new line could inspire other companies to follow suit, toward finally building a high-speed network around America. But it remains to be seen if American customers, so used to traveling by car, will eagerly adopt mass transit.
Since 2018, Brightline’s Florida service has operated from West Palm Beach, south to Downtown Miami, taking the 70-mile route in 75 minutes, passing through hubs like Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale. In September, a long-awaited route will open from Miami to Orlando, linking the beaches and bustle to the theme park capital and the home of Mickey Mouse. Florida attracts more than 130 million tourists a year, many of whom are international and used to train travel. And for convenience, the Orlando station will be inside the airport’s new terminal.
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It’s the basic attention to detail that stands out on a Brightline train: the legroom and plush leather seats; the designated places to store bikes, rest phones, and hang jackets; the free Wi-Fi and charging ports; the clean bathrooms designed to be hands-free.
These amenities felt like a dose of luxury after nine days of road travel in Florida in May, when I faced the typical traffic jams and torrential rain. So on my last day, after returning my rental, a simple train ride from Fort Lauderdale to Miami was a treat. Only a swift half hour trip, I was just getting settled into my snack tray and mimosa when it was already time to disembark.
It felt like a luxury, because in America, it is. Brightline’s Florida service is the only private passenger rail service in the U.S. Though it’s not technically high-speed, its next project, from L.A. to Vegas, will be. The company has steered past some of the biggest hurdles that rail ventures have faced for decades, and if it’s successful, the new line could inspire other companies to follow suit, toward finally building a high-speed network around America. But it remains to be seen if American customers, so used to traveling by car, will eagerly adopt mass transit.
Since 2018, Brightline’s Florida service has operated from West Palm Beach, south to Downtown Miami, taking the 70-mile route in 75 minutes, passing through hubs like Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale. In September, a long-awaited route will open from Miami to Orlando, linking the beaches and bustle to the theme park capital and the home of Mickey Mouse. Florida attracts more than 130 million tourists a year, many of whom are international and used to train travel. And for convenience, the Orlando station will be inside the airport’s new terminal.
Learn More