Brightline’s ‘higher speed’ train service will begin this weekend in Florida

Brightline – All Aboard Florida’s kinda fast, but not quite “high-speed” train – will debut this weekend in South Florida with fares beginning at $10.

This Saturday, Brightline will begin introductory service between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach for $10 one-way, or $20 roundtrip. The Miami station is set to open later this year.

The $10 one-way tickets buy a seat in the 66-seat Smart Coach. However,  a $15 ticket buys passengers a more spacious ride in 50-seat Select Coach, which has leather seats, free food, free parking, beverages and free premium guest lounge access.

All Aboard Florida says their trains travel between 79-125 miles per hour.

For now, Brightline will offer ten daily roundtrips Monday through Friday,  and nine trips on the weekend. Service will run from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The company says each leg will take about 30 minutes, with the Orlando leg taking roughly 3 hours.

Construction for the Phase 2 Orlando route is expected to begin in early 2018, says All Aboard Florida.

This article appears in Jan 10-16, 2018.