Miami to Orlando high-speed rail remains on track as it nears its opening date

(MIAMI) Soon, it will be easier than ever to travel the Sunshine State as Brightline's high-speed rail expansion reaches the halfway mark between Miami and Orlando. Brightline, which has been hit hard by the pandemic and hasn't run any trains since March, hasn't slowed down its aggressive expansion. Despite coronavirus shutdowns, the company announced the plans to complete the rail expansion by 2022 are still on schedule. That means that by 2023, South Floridians who want to take a trip to Disney have the option of taking a high-speed train, instead of driving.

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According to Brightline's February construction report, the intercity route from West Palm Beach to the Orlando International Airport will reach substantial completion by December 2022. Once the rail is complete, the corridor will connect South and Central Florida (a total of 235 miles), making it one of the country's largest and most significant privately financed infrastructure projects ever created. The estimated budget for the project is roughly $2.7 billion. The train reaches speeds up to 125mph and would get travelers from Miami to Orlando in roughly 3 hours and 15 minutes, according to an email from the company to the Miami Herald.

Brightline routes will follow major roadways or cut through interstate medians. However, their new goal is to avoid creating a situation where the trains are close to the streets that are already heavily trafficked. In its first two years operating between Miami and West Palm Beach, more than 40 people were killed by Brightline trains on tracks and rail crossings. 

In addition to the Orlando airport extension, Brightline has its eye on building a line that runs from Orlando to Tampa by 2025, with a connecting stop in Disney Springs.

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