Brightline to double Miami-Orlando round trips ‘in a matter of weeks,’ train firm says

Omar Rodríguez Ortiz, Devoun Cetoute
·2 min read
22
Brightline has a new station at Orlando International Airport.

Brightline will ramp up its Miami-to-Orlando train service two weeks after its inauguration — making it easier for South Florida residents to visit Disney and Universal theme parks.

After more than four years in the making, the company on Sept. 22 launched its long-anticipated 170-mile, $6 billion extension from West Palm Beach to the Orlando International Airport.

Starting Monday, Brightline will run 30 trains daily, with 15 daily departures from Miami to Orlando. Since the launch there have been only six round trips per day.

More trips means a change to the trip schedule between Orlando to Miami:

▪ The new hourly schedule begins with the first train leaving Orlando at 4:38 a.m., arriving into Miami at 8:11 a.m. The final train leaves Orlando at 8:54 p.m.

▪ The first train leaves Miami for Orlando at 6:41 a.m., arriving at 10:19 a.m. with the last train leaving Miami for Orlando at 9:41 p.m.

Additional early morning and late-night trains will operate between Brightline’s five South Florida stations.

Orlando is Brightline’s sixth stop, and the first outside of South Florida. The train firm launched operations in South Florida in 2018, connecting Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Stations in Boca Raton and Aventura opened last year.

The 235-mile trip from Miami to Orlando takes about 3 1/2 hours, with the train reaching speeds of up to 125 mph. One-way tickets start at $79 for adults and are $39 for kids ages 2 to 12.

READ MORE: Miami-Orlando Brightline route is now on a roll. What to know about taking the train

Brightline president Patrick Goddard first made the announcement Monday afternoon during a luncheon with business and political leaders at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts’ Cohen Pavilion in West Palm Beach, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

READ MORE: What’s it like to ride the Miami-Orlando Brightline? Take a virtual tour of train trip

According to the newspaper, Goddard reiterated that the company’s priorities in Florida include building a station along the Treasure Coast between West Palm Beach and Cocoa within the next five years, and ultimately extending its service from Orlando to Tampa.