South Florida and Orlando are about to get a little closer when Brightline, a new express train service by All Aboard Florida takes passengers back and forth between the two cities via express train. This is the perfect alternative to driving to your favorite Orlando parks including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld!



The service plans to start in mid 2017 and will connect Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando along a 235-mile route. The stretch from Miami to Orlando will take 3 hours, comparable to what it takes to get to the airport, go through security and fly.



The trains, designed by Rockwell Group, are being built in Sacramento, California by Siemens. In a nod to its name, the trains will be silver accented in a spectrum of five colors – red, orange, green, blue and pink, and each pulled by a yellow locomotive.



"Typically, trains have been one color, either gray or silver, and tend to blend into the background," said Michael Reininger, All Aboard Florida's president in a statement. "As our trains pull into the stations, their colorful entry will be another way that Brightline takes the gray out of travel." The bright colors may be what lure guests in but what’s inside is what will keep bringing them back. Each Brightline train will include free wireless internet and gourmet food and beverages. Reserved seating will also be available. The service will also be pet-friendly.



The first trains will arrive in Florida this summer and begin undergoing tests. Construction has already begun on stations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Another station will be next to Orlando International Airport.



Brightline is set to begin running only in South Florida by mid-2017 with 32 trains a day, 16 in each direction. By the end of 2017, a second phase will open from West Palm Beach to Orlando. The trains will continue north along the coastal tracks that run parallel to U.S. 1 to Cocoa, then west along the BeachLine Express-way to Orlando International Airport.



Orlando, FL – 11/16/15



By: Jena Pugh