MIAMI — The intercity train that is expected to begin shuttling
passengers between Orlando, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami in 2017
now has a name: Brightline.
“We are certain Brightline will change how we move around
Florida,” Mike Reininger, the president of All Aboard Florida, which is
building the rail service, said during a press conference Monday at the
construction site of the line’s Miami train terminal.
Reininger explained that the name was chosen to invoke
optimism as well as Florida’ sunny weather, and to be suggestive of All Aboard
Florida’s goal of redefining the passenger train experience in the United
States. The 235-mile line will be the first privately constructed rail service
to open in the United States since 1956.
“We will reset the expectations we all have for travel by
train,” he said.
In conjunction with the name unveiling, All Aboard Florida
also revealed renderings and details Monday of the train cars they will use.
They’ll feature a bright palette of colors, most notably yellow and aqua, as
well as a sleek, curved front car.
The two-class trains will be outfitted to meet the
expectations of the modern traveler, Reininger said. They’ll feature free WiFi,
all reserved seating, power outlets available from every seat and wide aisles.
Pet-friendly trains will also be offered. So will bicycle and luggage storage.
The line’s four train stations will also have WiFi and power
outlets at each seat. Waiting areas will be configured with individualized
seating designed for those who wish to do work and for people wanting to
socialize.
Brightline's train stations will have WiFi and power outlets at each seat.
The rail line, including the trains and stations, is
expected to cost more than $3 billion to construct. More than $1 billion will
go toward upgrades to the existing Florida East Coast Railway corridor, which
was built in the 1880s. Brightline will travel on new track as it heads east/west
between Cocoa Beach and Orlando.
All Aboard Florida projects a mid-2017 opening for stations
in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. The fourth stop, at Orlando
International Airport, is targeted for a late 2017 opening.
Brightline trains will make the three-hour trip
16 times per day in each direction. Tickets will be commissionable for travel
agents. Prices have yet to be announced, but All Aboard Florida says they’ll be
cheaper than air and similar to the cost of driving between Orlando and South
Florida.
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Stations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach are scheduled to open in mid-2017. A previous version incorrectly said mid-2016.