Brightline Celebrates Completion of Construction to Orlando

Photo: Brightline via Twitter

ORLANDO - Brightline on June 21 celebrated the completion of its 170-mile extension to Orlando, paving the way for the launch of service between Central and South Florida this summer.

Brightline’s Orlando expansion broke ground in June 2019, one year after operations began in South Florida between its Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach stations. Additional stations were opened in downtown Boca Raton and Aventura in 2022 as construction to Orlando continued. Brightline is the first private entity to deliver an intercity rail system since Henry Flagler built the railroad more than a century ago.

Construction on Phases I and II of the expansion, Brightline says, generated more than 10,000 jobs and more than $6.4 billion in economic impact to the state of Florida (according to economic studies). Construction teams worked more than seven million hours battling through the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain shortages to finish the extension.

Mayors from Brightline’s station cities in Miami, Aventura, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Orlando gathered Wednesday to celebrate this “economic and engineering achievement” with a conversation focused on the future impact of connecting the state of Florida with intercity passenger rail. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, Palm Beach County Mayor Gregg Weiss, Aventura Mayor Howard Weinberg and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez attended the event held in Brightline’s Orlando Station at Orlando International Airport.

Mayors, members of Brightline’s construction management team and the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority commemorated the end of construction with the creation of an iconic photo that symbolizes the connection between Miami and Orlando by rail.

Brightline’s Orlando extension project is divided into four zones, which includes a state-of-the-art vehicle maintenance facility, tenant buildout of the Orlando station at Orlando International Airport, 56 bridges, three underpasses and upgrades to 156 railroad crossings.

Brightline is continuing critical high-speed train testing throughout the corridor between West Palm Beach and Orlando and will test up to 110 mph through Brevard County in July.

In addition to testing, Brightline recently completed its final rail and track cutover on the 170-mile project, which integrates a new second track into the existing corridor. Once testing is complete, Brightline will conduct crew certification and revenue service demonstration.