A privately owned and operated passenger rail service is on track to begin connecting travelers in four major Florida cities by mid-2017.
All Aboard Florida is slated to reveal that the new express inter-city train travel service, which will cost more than $3 million to build, will be called Brightline. The trains will connect Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando along a 235-mile route. The stretch from Miami to Orlando will take about three hours, comparable to what it takes to get to the airport, go through security and fly.
The trains, designed by the Rockwell Group, are being built in Sacramento by Siemens. Construction has started on stations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, and on connecting urban centers that developers hope will become dining and shopping destinations. Another station will be next to Orlando International Airport.
All Aboard Florida is a wholly owned subsidiary of Florida East Coast Industries, which is involved in a range of infrastructure, transportation and real estate business. The project is being funded by private investors through the issuance of $1.75 billion in tax-exempt bonds and directly from the parent company. The company expects to become profitable in the first couple of years as it adds more trains and ridership increases.
All Aboard Florida and tourism officials say the trains and their stations could transform travel throughout Florida, one of the country’s most popular states. Providing trains as an alternative could ease congestion on the roads and alleviate pressure at airports.
