Brightline Launches Orlando Service

Brightline made its inaugural run between downtown Miami and Orlando International Airport today, with crowds gathering at stations and along the route to welcome the new service.

While many in the media focuse on the fact that the Orlando to Cocoa segment features speeds of up to 125mph, more important for travelers is the frequency of service, with departures roughly every hour between 5:00am and 9:00pm.

Brightline will now look to extend west on to Tampa. Just last year, the company received a $15.9 million federal grant for preliminary engineering activities and environmental approvals for the expansion. However, there is no public timeline for breaking ground on the project.

We’re all looking for to riding this train. In the meantime, here’s a few videos and photos from opening day.

Megan Olshefski - conductor of Brightline’s inaugural train to Orlando with @MayorDaniella & Brightline CEO, Michael Reininger ????#RideBrighter pic.twitter.com/nYbk2vBWzC

— Brightline (@GoBrightline) September 22, 2023

It's real pic.twitter.com/unelGxrLhO

— Alan Fisher (@alanthefisher) September 22, 2023

View of the sunrise from the #Brightline window this morning heading to Miami. pic.twitter.com/cstdKpjUDB

— Massiel Leyva (@LeyvaMassiel) September 22, 2023

125 mph along an highway is the world’s best feeling! ???? pic.twitter.com/TMmoMaqKjl

— Simply Railway (@Simply_Railway) September 22, 2023

Report from Brightline’s first trip from Miami to Orlando. pic.twitter.com/9tgNjM5gG2

— Jerry Hume (@JerryHume) September 22, 2023

Congratulations, @GoBrightline! ????

We are thrilled that Central Floridians are now connected to West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, + Miami — a major part of our vision for the future of Central Florida transportation. We secured $25 million in rail safety grants for this project. pic.twitter.com/prj0qoxvep

— Rep. Darren Soto (@RepDarrenSoto) September 22, 2023