When most people think of intercity travel in the Sunshine State, they picture bumper-to-bumper traffic on choked highways—not surprising given that multiple Florida interstates rank among the most congested and most dangerous in the world.
The new Brightline train to Orlando, Florida’s first high-speed rail service, is trying to change that. The rail network first launched between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach in January 2018. Over the next five years, the routes opened in phases—culminating in the opening of the central Orlando station in September 2023. Today, the train offers 16 daily round trips between South Florida and Orlando, departing from the station at the Orlando International Airport and heading to Miami with stops in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and Aventura along a 235-mile route.
“It’s a seamless way to travel and less hassle than I-95 South or the Turnpike,” says travel specialist Jenn Greene. “In three hours you can now get from Orlando to Miami without the traffic and tolls or vice versa.” Depending on traffic, the drive between the two cities could easily take four hours or more.
Nearly a year after the Orlando hub’s inaugural opening, Brightline has proved popular among both Florida visitors and residents. Since 2023, daily bookings for the long-haul ride from central to south Florida have increased from about 2,800 in October 2023 to about 4,600 in March 2024. This year, Brightline estimates it will carry a total of 5.5 million annual passengers.
How Brightline is changing travel in Florida
Having carried passengers from over 100 countries, Brightline is an attractive option for international tourists who are accustomed to train travel and prefer not to rent cars, explains Dr. Stephen Pratt, Professor and Department Chair of Tourism, Events, and Attractions at Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida. According to Orlando’s tourism board, the city welcomed 6.12 million international tourists in 2023, a 25% increase from 2022.
“We’re not really used to trains [in Florida], but for a lot of the rest of the world, it’s second nature to catch trains,” he tells Condé Nast Traveler, adding that for local residents, high-speed rail infrastructure “opens up access for people who don’t have their own cars.”
The short-haul flight from Orlando to Miami may be two hours shorter than the Brightline train, but when you calculate the time spent making your way to, from, and through the airport, “you can have a lot more time in the destination” when traveling between the two cities by train, Pratt says.
With onsite car rental and rideshare options, the Orlando Brightline Station also offers easy access to the city’s 18 theme parks—Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando Resort are only a 25-minute drive from the train station. And in smaller cities along the train’s route like West Palm Beach, the neighborhoods surrounding the train stations have seen new development of apartment buildings, restaurants, entertainment venues, and more.
