All Aboard Florida Releases New Renderings & New Name—Set to Launch in 2017

 
The highly-anticipated, speedy passenger train service that will connect 4 major cities in Florida is set to launch in mid-2017.

The brand-new, $3 Billion high-speed, inter-city rail service which is privately owned and operated will be called the “Brightline” and seems rightfully named since the cars will be painted in vibrant shades of pink, red, orange, blue and green with yellow locomotives to reflect the sunshine state.

Brightline Trains

Brightline trains will connect Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando along a 235-mile route. The train ride from Miami all the way to Orlando will only take 3 hours, which is comparable to the time to fly to Orlando but without the headache and hassle of airport parking and security.

The All Aboard Florida Brightline trains are on track to begin in mid-2017 between Miami and West Palm Beach with services to Orlando to begin in late 2017. At first, the speedy train services will operate 5, 4-car trains that will carry up to 240 passengers a piece and then expand to 10, 7-car trains that will hold 356 passengers a piece by mid-2018. The trains will travel between 79 – 125 miles per hour, which isn’t quite the definition of “high speed” (150 mph) like in Europe, but is much faster than other services.

The trains will allow for a first-class experience and will include reserved seating, food and beverage services, free Wi-Fi, individual power outlets and facilities for pets, according to All Aboard Florida’s president Michael Reininger.

The Brightline trains have been designed by the Rockwell Group and are being built by Siemens in California. Construction has already begun on the Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach stations.

Why is the Brightline Train Services so important to South Florida???

Miami is looking to become a more transit-friendly, “car-less” city and the All Aboard Florida Brightline train system will help Miami be just that. Providing trains as an alternative to cars will most likely ease the congestion on the streets and will be a benefit to ensure the mobility and connectivity necessary to drive the economic growth in South Florida.

In addition, the younger generation is much more interested in being able to live, work and play without having to use a car. With Miami providing all the new public transportation systems that are currently being put in place, we will be able to live in Miami without a car…eventually.

Specifically, the Miami Central Station will be an extraordinary addition to Downtown Miami providing transportation for everyone. The Miami Central Station will include the Tri-Rail (extension of existing tri-county commuter rail service to Downtown Miami) and All Aboard Florida (Intercity rail service linking Miami to Orlando). Also, planned are the Tri-Rail Coastal Link (commuter rail service connecting South Florida’s urban centers), Baylink (connecting Downtown Miami and Miami Beach), Miami Streetcar (connecting Downtown Miami to new haute neighborhoods in the Art’s District, i.e., Edgewater, Wynwood, etc.) and East/West Rail (connecting western suburbs, i.e., Doral, FIU, etc.). Oh, and we cannot forget to mention the already existing local transportation such as the Metrorail, Metro Mover, free Miami trolley, water taxis, Uber and Car2Go. The endless amount of transportation access in Greater Downtown Miami will hugely impact the growth of the area.

See below for renderings of the All Aboard Florida train stations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando.

All Aboard Florida Miami Central Train Station Rendering

All Aboard Florida Miami Central Train Station Renderings

All Aboard Florida Fort Lauderdale Train Station Renderings

All Aboard Florida West Palm Beach Train Station Renderings

All Aboard Florida Orlando Train Station Rendering