For the first time Friday, Brightline passenger trains zipped through the Treasure Coast

Melissa E. Holsman, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·5 min read

Brightline's South Florida high-speed passenger train service seemed to pass a big test Friday as the privately-owned company ferried people between Miami and Orlando for the first time.

A dozen of the bright neon-yellow trains Friday made the 235-mile Miami to Orlando route without stopping along the Treasure Coast. Going forward, their frequency will increase, as regular passenger service ramps up to 32 trains per day.

The first train, “Bright Pink,” arrived in Orlando at 11:05 a.m. and was greeted by more than 500 elected officials, business leaders and community partners from across the state, according to Brightline officials.

Brightline, which began running trains the 70 miles between Miami and West Palm Beach in 2018, is the first private intercity passenger service to begin U.S. operations in a century, The Associated Press reported.

In Stuart, city staff and elected officials decked in yellow garlands and sunglasses, gathered before 8 a.m. Friday to greet the first train with banners and balloons as it traveled through the historic downtown.

“We are hoping to have a stop in Stuart in the future,” said Stuart City Commissioner Eula Clark. “If it’s going to get passengers to Florida and our area, might as well have a stop here.”

A Brightline station along the Treasure Coast likely will be the next location for the higher-speed passenger railroad, company CEO Michael Reininger said Friday.

"Stay tuned for that. Lots is going to happen in the near future," he said aboard one of the first Miami-to-Orlando trains.

Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson has said getting a stop within the city is "a priority" and city officials are trying to lay the groundwork in advance of Brightline's eventual decision. So far, an exact Treasure Coast stop has not been announced.

Built for speed

The 8:38 train to Miami bulleted through Port St. Lucie Friday in a flash of canary yellow and a handful of horn blasts nearly swallowed by the swish of its wheels along the tracks at a crossing on Southeast Walton Road.

“It didn’t seem like 110 mph,” shouted a driver, who had been stopped at the railroad crossing, before continuing west on Walton.

Brightline trains, which run on biodiesel, will travel up to 79 mph in urban areas, 110 mph in less-populated regions and 125 mph through central Florida’s farmland.

A Brightline train passes by the Sunrise Theatre at the Orange Avenue crossing at 38 mph as it heads north through St. Lucie County on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, on its way to Orlando on the first day of transporting passengers.
A Brightline train passes by the Sunrise Theatre at the Orange Avenue crossing at 38 mph as it heads north through St. Lucie County on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, on its way to Orlando on the first day of transporting passengers.

The average speed of trains traveling through the Treasure Coast Friday was 38 mph, according to TCPalm staff using a radar gun to measure train speeds.

On average, it took roughly a minute or less from the sounding of the first warning bell until the crossing arms lifted after a train passed through stops along the Treasure Coast.

Optimistic but cautious

Reviews were mixed Friday for some Treasure Coast residents and business owners, including in downtown Vero Beach, where several shops and cafes sit about 150 yards or so west of the tracks.

At least three people sat outside Rio Coco Beans café drinking iced coffee and having brunch, including local business owners Kenneth and Deborah Daige.

“I hope that when Brightline goes full-time they follow safety protocols that are in place and make sure that their signals are working properly,” said Kenneth Daige, business owner and former chairman of the High-Speed Rail Commission in 2013 when the passenger train was up for debate in Indian River County.

Brightline has taken steps its leaders have said enhance safety, including adding closed-circuit cameras near tracks, installing better crossing gates and pedestrian barriers and posting signage that includes the suicide prevention hotline.

A Brightline train crosses over the Saint Sebastian River bridge, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, in Roseland. Brightline’s South Florida high-speed train service travels to and from the new Brightline Orlando Train Station starting Friday morning.
A Brightline train crosses over the Saint Sebastian River bridge, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, in Roseland. Brightline’s South Florida high-speed train service travels to and from the new Brightline Orlando Train Station starting Friday morning.

But fatalities still happen, including on Friday, when a Brightline train struck and killed a pedestrian in Delray Beach minutes before its inaugural train left Miami for Orlando International Airport. The train had left the West Palm Beach station minutes earlier.

The wreck had no effect on northbound Brightline service from Miami to Orlando.

Sheriff's officials and police on the Treasure Coast noted few, if any, issues Friday.

“We’ve witnessed little to no impact in our county," St. Lucie Sheriff Ken Mascara said. Police representatives in Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce agreed.

Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers, who has expressed concern about train crossing safety, said deputies didn’t report any problems.

A boat floats in between the Old Roosevelt Bridge and a railroad drawbridge in Stuart waiting for a Brightline train to cross the St. Lucie River on Sept. 22, 2023, the first day of passenger service between Miami and Orlando.
A boat floats in between the Old Roosevelt Bridge and a railroad drawbridge in Stuart waiting for a Brightline train to cross the St. Lucie River on Sept. 22, 2023, the first day of passenger service between Miami and Orlando.

Still, he warned drivers to be extra cautious crossing the tracks.

“These intersections have changed and many, many drivers are not navigating them properly,” he said. “And that's what's going to cause train crashes. So slow down and take a look.”

There was little fanfare early Friday as a northbound train zipped through downtown Fort Pierce. A few residents welcomed the trains.

Christopher Gunkel, 69, was painting a mural on a building in downtown Fort Pierce just east of the railroad tracks Friday. He is a Brightline fan. “We need more transit. We need relief from traffic,” he said. “The interstates are plugged. I don't like driving on them.”

Christopher Gunkel, 69, was painting a mural on a building in downtown Fort Pierce just east of the railroad tracks Friday. He is a Brightline fan. “We need more transit. We need relief from traffic. The interstates are plugged. I don't like driving on them.” The passenger high-speed train made its inaugural journey through the Treasure Coast Sept. 22, 2023.

Brightline customers can buy a ticket from Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach to Orlando, and from Orlando to any of those five stops in South Florida.

The company is charging single riders $158 round-trip for business class and $298 for first-class, with families and groups able to buy four round-trip tickets for $398.

Staff writers Corey Arwood, Lindsey Leake, Will Greenlee, Katie Delk and Ananya Tiwari contributed to this report.

Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers and is writer and co-host of "Uncertain Terms," a true-crime podcast. Reach her at  melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com. If you are a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest local news on the Treasure Coast.

Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers and is writer and co-host of "Uncertain Terms," a true-crime podcast. Reach her at  melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com. If you are a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest local news on the Treasure Coast.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Brightline passenger trains on Miami-to-Orlando routes debuted Friday