ORLANDO, Fla. — Ticket sales for the new Brightline service to Orlando will begin in May, but officials stopped shy of revealing an exact opening date for trains to begin traveling to and from South Florida.
"Starting this summer, trains will depart from this station with reliable hourly service as early as 5 a.m. from Orlando, with trains departing from South Florida as early as 6 a.m.," Patrick Goddard, president of Brightline, said during an unveiling of the new Orlando station Thursday morning.
The new station is located at Orlando International Airport, adjacent to Terminal C.
When will it operate?
When service begins this summer, Brightline will operate 16 daily round trips with hourly departures between Miami and Orlando.
Brightline's non-stop service from Miami to Orlando will take just under three hours.
Trains will travel from Orlando to West Palm Beach in less than two hours.
"This is a game-changer for the state," Goddard said.
Hourly southbound departures from Orlando to Miami will operate from 5 a.m. until 8:50 p.m. on weekdays. The first southbound train from Orlando would arrive in Miami at 8:30 a.m.
Hourly northbound departures from Miami to Orlando will start at 6:50 a.m. and continue until 9:45 p.m. The first train from Miami would arrive in Orlando at 10:15 a.m.
Brightline also plans hourly southbound departures from Orlando to Miami on weekends, starting at 5 a.m. and continuing until 8:50 p.m. Hourly northbound departures from Miami on weekends would begin at 5:45 a.m. until 9:45 p.m.
That would ensure the first train arrives in Miami at 8:30 a.m. and in Orlando at 9:15 a.m. on weekends.
Additional dedicated trains would serve the South Florida region between Miami and West Palm Beach, with early morning departures beginning at 5 a.m. from West Palm Beach and late trains departing from Miami until 12:45 a.m.
How much will it cost?
Brightline also announced that one-way fares to and from South Florida and Orlando will start at $79 and $149 for premium service.
There will also be fare bundles for families of four priced at $199 one way.