Brightline announces plans for service to Orlando this year | Orlando Area News | Orlando

Brightline has set a target for when its Orlando station will begin passenger service, according to its monthly revenue and ridership report.

The Miami-based high-speed rail service said in its January report that it wants to start service for the Orlando-to-West Palm Beach route in second-quarter 2023.

The 170-mile expansion connecting Orlando to the service’s South Florida stations is 90% complete, the report says.

In addition to beginning passenger service, Brightline also plans to finish its 37,350-square-foot Orlando station at Orlando International Airport’s Intermodal Terminal Facility in March, Orlando Business Journal reports. The new station will span three stories and feature luxury amenities as it connects passengers to the current rail line.

The construction of the new station and the start of passenger service are on separate timelines, Brightline says.

The rail service company is also working on its Sunshine Corridor, a station shared with SunRail that will allow connections to the Orange County Convention Center, Walt Disney World Resort and Orlando International Airport. The corridor will help Brightline make moves toward its expansion to Tampa.

Earlier this month, a crash involving a Brightline train left two dead as the southbound train struck an SUV in Delray Beach. The Feb. 8 incident garnered criticism as it joins dozens of fatal Brightline crashes in South Florida. Congressman Brian Mast has called for a pause on the service’s expansion northward through St. Lucie County, seeking improved safety operations.

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