The wait is over and the rumors are true. Tomorrow, the first trains will take off from Downtown Miami and deliver passengers to the brand-new Brightline Orlando Station in luxurious rapid-transit style.
Shortly after the Brightline service launched in 2018 with its bright yellow speeding engines going back and forth from Miami to Palm Beach, rumors began to swirl that a fast-transit line would soon be added to Orlando. Granted there were some delays, most namely COVID, but here we are. The station is complete, the engines are filled with bio-diesel and everyone is ready to go tomorrow.
Brightline Orlando Trains
When the Brightline initially launched, it was the first private passenger rail service to operate in a century. Amtrak remains in operation, yet is owned by the federal government. The Brightline is not only more luxurious with its soft leather seats, high-speed internet and gourmet snacks and craft cocktails, it is faster as well, reaching speeds of up to 125 miles per hour. It is customary to travel from Downtown Miami to Palm Beach in 30 minutes.
The service from Miami to Orlando is 3.5 hours, half an hour quicker than driving by car yet by far more convenient and ecologically friendly.
The Brightline Stations
Another advantage to traveling via Brightline over Amtrak is the luxurious, secure and tech-friendly stations. Brightline is the only rail line that has a security check for passengers and bags prior to boarding, and it is far more efficient than the security checkpoints in airlines.
Brightline Orlando Security Checkpoint
Brightline Orlando Ticketing Area and Security Checkpoint
You can conveniently purchase your tickets through your choice of a web app, online kiosk or from a ticketing agent.
Inside a Brightline Terminal
Once inside the futuristically designed terminal, there are a host of amenities from the Mary Mary bar and lounge, where you can grab a bite to eat or a craft cocktail. The bar and restaurant offer panoramic views of the train platform and a nostalgic flip-flap message board that rotates train schedules, boarding times, news of the day and other announcements while you wait for boarding.
A Smart Lounge to catch up on your work with charging stations at each chair and a separate area for children. If you need more privacy, there is a corporate boardroom where you can dock up and take calls or meetings.
Brightline Orlando Mary Mary Bar Lobby
Brightline Orlando Smart Lounge
Brightline Orlando Conference Room Entrance
If you have purchased a premium ticket, there is a separate lounge and boarding area for first-class passengers with complimentary snacks and drinks both in the lounge and on the train itself.
The new station encompasses 37,000 square feet of space in the new 80,000 square foot Terminal C of the Orlando International Airport.
Brightline Orlando First Class Lounge
Brightline Station Orlando
Brightline Tickets
Tickets are available from Miami starting at $158 round-trip, with business class they go up to $298 and first-class is $398. Families or groups can also purchase a package of four tickets for $398, making it quite an affordable and convenient option when traveling to Disney.
Although cutting just a half hour off the trip each way does not seem like much, you also have to consider the energy you spend driving, wear and tear on your vehicle and the tolls spent along the way. By the time you work it out, the Brightline is not only the less expensive option, it is also more convenient, more comfortable and better for the environment.
“This is a pretty important moment, whether you’re thinking about it in the context of the state of Florida or what it might mean for these kinds of products as they develop elsewhere in the United States,” Brightline CEO Mike Reininger said in a recent interview with the AP. “The idea that my car is the only way for me to get where I need to go is being challenged by a new product. A new product that’s safer, that’s greener, that is a great value proposition (and) it’s fun.”
Brightline Orlando
For more ideas of how to enjoy the Brightline and all of the stops along the way with the whole family, check out our guide on our sister site, MiamiLuxuryHomes.com.
If you would like to download the app or purchase tickets online, you can do so on Brightline’s website.
We’ll see you in Orlando!
