In what may be a ground-changing move for hotels and meeting planners doing business in Florida, Brightline, the only intercity, eco-friendly high-speed rail in the U.S. has unveiled its Brightline Orlando Station at Orlando International Airport (MCO).
The rail will connect service to Central and South Florida. Brightline also announced that Orlando ticket sales will launch in May for future dates, with one-way fares starting at $79 for SMART and $149 for PREMIUM. SMART fare bundles for families of four will be available for less than $199 one way.
The new 37,350-square-foot Brightline MCO station is located in Orlando International Airport’s new 80,000-square-foot Train Station facility, adjacent to Terminal C. The Train Station connects directly to the airport’s Parking Garage C, which will have more than 350 parking spaces branded for Brightline guests. The Train Station provides direct access to the other airport terminals A and B via the airport Terminal Link (automated people mover) in under five minutes.
Some of the amenities Brightline customers can expect include:
- Mary Mary Bar, serving hand-crafted cocktails and light bites. The signature sit-down bar is positioned at the far end of the station with a panoramic view overlooking the train platforms where guests can leisurely watch as trains arrive and depart.
- Above the Mary Mary bar is an iconic, split-flap message board that can rotate alphanumeric text and/or graphics to form a message. A nostalgic nod to historic train stations, the split-flap will provide updated train schedules, boarding times, news of the day and other announcements complete with sounds reminiscent of the first passenger train stations in the Americas.
- MRKT PLACE is a retail experience with convenient in-station shopping for last-minute gifts, sundries and refreshments.
- Brightline offers two classes of service, SMART and PREMIUM. Brightline’s PREMIUM service includes complimentary meals, snacks and beverages, a dedicated first class lounge, free checked luggage, priority boarding and a dedicated coach.
- Throughout the station, all guests will have access to free high-speed Wi-Fi, charging stations at every seat, 87 big screen televisions and a BrightKids children’s play area located in the SMART lounge.
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Passengers will access trains by escalator or elevator to first-level platforms. These platforms are 1,000 ft. long and can accommodate a train with up to 10 coaches and two locomotives.
Train Schedule Details
Service will begin in summer 2023 and will include 16 daily round trips with hourly departures between Miami and Orlando. Brightline’s nonstop trains have a run time between Miami and Orlando of two hours and 59 minutes. Regular service from Orlando to Miami will stop at all Brightline stations, including West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Aventura with a run time of 3.5 hours. Additional details of Brightline’s opening schedule include:
Weekdays
- Hourly southbound departures from Orlando to Miami starting at 5:00 a.m. until 8:50 p.m.
- First southbound train from Orlando arrives in Miami at 8:30 a.m.
- Hourly northbound departures from Miami to Orlando starting at 6:50 a.m. until 9:45 p.m.
- First northbound train from Miami arrives in Orlando at 10:15 a.m.
Weekends
- Hourly southbound departures from Orlando to Miami starting at 5:00 a.m. until 8:50 p.m.
- First southbound train from Orlando arrives in Miami at 8:30 a.m.
- Hourly northbound departures from Miami to Orlando starting at 5:45 a.m. until 9:45 p.m.
- First northbound train from Miami arrives in Orlando at 9:15 a.m.
Additional dedicated trains will continue to serve commuters and the South Florida region between Miami and West Palm Beach, with early morning departures at 5:00 a.m. from West Palm Beach and late night departures until 12:45 a.m. out of Miami.
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“Today’s milestone is the last piece of transformative infrastructure that is now complete as we ready ourselves for the start of the service we have been building for a decade. This station will be a gateway for visitors and travelers throughout Florida, but beyond that, it is indicative of how we set out to transform travel in a way that hasn’t been done in more than a century. We’re proud to start this journey in Florida and rejuvenated in our belief that the time is now to accomplish this in other parts of the country,” said Mike Reininger, CEO of Brightline.
