Brightline tickets from South Florida to Orlando on sale for Labor Day weekend and beyond

James Coleman, Palm Beach Post
Updated ·6 min read
1

Brightline tickets for the rail line's South Florida to Orlando route officially went on sale Wednesday morning with an initial purchase date of Friday, Sept. 1.

Officials are confident the intercity rail routes to Orlando will be ready by the Labor Day weekend. One-way and round-trip tickets between South Florida stations in Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Orlando International Airport can be bought at gobrightline.com or by downloading the app.

Guests are being encouraged to sign up for Brightline emails on gobrightline.com to be the first to know when summer inaugural rides will go on sale, leading to speculation that a first ride between Orlando and South Florida may be possible sooner than Labor Day.

For subscribers: How Brightline's $5 billion passenger train project has to change the minds of Americans

From Fun-Train to Brightline: The 25-year journey to Miami-Orlando service

What to know: Will Brightline stop at Disney Cruise Line at Port Canaveral?

“Brightline guests and the travel market have spoken loudly, and we want to respond by opening ticket sales from late summer through the beginning of next year,” said Patrick Goddard, president of Brightline. “While we are finalizing an official launch date, guests can now book travel for Labor Day, Halloween and holidays through the new year.”

Brightline is nearing the finishing phases of the service, first proposed more than a decade ago, that will link South Florida to Orlando with trains going up to 125 mph, making Brightline the fastest train operating in the Southeast. Brightline estimates 35 million people travel between Central Florida and Miami each year.

The train line is trying to accomplish what others have attempted to do, both in Florida and elsewhere in the United States. Palm Beach Post reporter Kimberly Miller delved deep into Brightline's origins and where it wants to go. To read that story, go here.

Here is additional work taking place leading up to a Brightline service start date:

A Brightline train can be seen crossing the St. Lucie River railroad bridge in February 2023.
A Brightline train can be seen crossing the St. Lucie River railroad bridge in February 2023.

Rail construction of the St. Lucie River Bridge

Rehabilitation work on St. Lucie River railroad bridge continues this month as Brightline completes that section of the span, one of the last major steps in completing the route to Orlando.

A three-week, round-the-clock shutdown of the 98-year-old bridge began May 1.

The bridge is scheduled to be closed until 6 a.m. on Monday, May 22. During this time, passage for any vessel needing an opening will be blocked. Overnight bridge closures will continue from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., May 22 to May 29. Crews are working 24/7 on the bridge to complete the work on time.

High-speed testing up to 110 mph continues

Brightline is continuing to test trains at high speeds, increasing up to 110 mph through the 129-mile corridor between West Palm Beach and Cocoa.

Upcoming tests in May are scheduled between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 31, through Sunday, June 4, along a 22-mile section of track involving multiple railroad crossings through Martin and St. Lucie Counties.

Flaggers will be present at 14 of the railroad crossings between Midway Road/County Road 712 and State Road A1A where high speed testing will occur. Brightline is working with law-enforcement agencies throughout the corridor.

High-speed testing up to 110 mph will continue in phases along the corridor over the coming weeks. The public is reminded to be vigilant near railroad tracks and follow the law near railroad crossings.

Brightline's 'qualifying train runs' will start

Brightline has added dynamic pavement markings at crossings to keep drivers from getting too close to railroad tracks. As drivers approach the critical zone, they are able to see the markings with X's and will not venture onto the zone.
Brightline has added dynamic pavement markings at crossings to keep drivers from getting too close to railroad tracks. As drivers approach the critical zone, they are able to see the markings with X's and will not venture onto the zone.

Brightline will continue to roll out qualifying trains between South Florida sites and Orlando, a key step before a launch.

A qualifying train does not carry passengers., and the runs will provide Brightline locomotive engineers and conductors an opportunity to learn and navigate the new 168-mile stretch from West Palm Beach to Orlando.

Qualifying train runs help conductors and engineers familiarize themselves with the road crossings, signals, curves and speed restrictions, according to Brightline.

Once this additional work is completed, Brightline will go through a certification process by the Federal Railroad Administration, a regulatory agency, before service can begin.

How much are train tickets?

Brightline's one-way fares from Miami to Orlando will start at $79 for Smart and $149 for Premium. Kids’ Smart one-way fares will start at $39. Smart fare bundles for families of four are available for less than $199 one way. A check of Brightline's app on Wednesday morning found that a one-way Smart ticket from West Palm Beach to Orlando on Sept. 1 will cost $79 while a Premium ticket will cost $149. The first train departs West Palm at 8:07 a.m. and is expected to arrive in Orlando at 10:15 a.m. Prices from Orlando to West Palm Beach are the same.

Passengers can buy tickets at the stations, but they also can purchase them online. Discounted fares are available with two days advance purchase.

What is the South Florida to Orlando train schedule?

Pictured is a view of the entrance to the new Boca Raton Brightline station on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, in Boca Raton, FL. Just one day short of a year since construction began at the site in Boca Raton, city and Brightline officials hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony ahead of the station opening to the public on December 21st.
Pictured is a view of the entrance to the new Boca Raton Brightline station on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, in Boca Raton, FL. Just one day short of a year since construction began at the site in Boca Raton, city and Brightline officials hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony ahead of the station opening to the public on December 21st.

More train news: Tri-Rail gets grant to help replace a third of its fleet with better engines, WiFi and AC

More from Palm Beach County: New life for an old mall? Turn Wellington Green into the west's downtown, study recommends

Service will include 16 daily roundtrips with hourly departures between Miami and Orlando.

Weekdays 

  • Hourly southbound departures from Orlando to Miami starting at 5 a.m. until 8:50 p.m.

  • The first southbound train from Orlando arrives in Miami at 8:30 a.m.

  • Hourly northbound departures from Miami to Orlando starting at 6:50 a.m. until 9:45 p.m.

  • The first northbound train from Miami arrives in Orlando at 10:15 a.m.

Weekends

  • Hourly southbound departures from Orlando to Miami starting at 5 a.m. until 8:50 p.m.

  • The first southbound train from Orlando arrives in Miami at 8:30 a.m.

  • Hourly northbound departures from Miami to Orlando starting at 5:45 a.m. until 9:45 p.m.

The company also said it will continue a daily commuter schedule between Miami and West Palm Beach. The early morning departure will be at 5 a.m. from West Palm Beach with evening night departures until 12:45 a.m. from Miami.

How long will it take to get from South Florida stations to Orlando?

Brightline will link riders from Miami to Orlando in about three hours. Here is the estimated time from the South Florida stations:

  • Miami to Orlando: Three hours.

  • Aventura to Orlando: Two hours, 45 minutes.

  • Fort Lauderdale to Orlando: Two hours, 30 minutes.

  • Boca Raton to Orlando: Two hours, 15 minutes.

  • West Palm Beach to Orlando: Two hours.

Brightline will use a high-tech Wi-Fi system

Brightline will be the only passenger rail service to offer Starlink's high-speed, low-latency broadband service. Starlink, which is engineered and operated by SpaceX, is made possible via the world’s largest constellation of highly advanced satellites operating in a low orbit around the Earth.

The internet service will be complementary for all Brightline guests.

A 'Golden Spike' ceremony will be held at the end of June

To commemorate the beginning of the historic railway, Brightline officials are looking to recreate a "golden spike" event.

The golden spike was the final 17.6-karat gold final spike driven into the ground to unite the rails of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States on May 10, 1869.

Railways from the Central Pacific Railroad were linked to the Union Pacific Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. The spike is now displayed in the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University.

James Coleman is a journalist at the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at jcoleman@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Brightline Orlando to Miami tickets go on sale