High-speed rail is coming to the busy corridor from Miami to Orlando thanks to train startup Brightline.
The FloridaThe privately-owned passenger train company just conducted a speed test on a 35-mile rural stretch of road between Cocoa, Florida and Orlando International Airport (MCO). The newly built track will enable an expansion of high-speed, passenger service connecting Orlando with South Florida, which is expected to begin later this year.
During the speed test, the train reached a top speed of 130 mph. You can’t hear it in the video below, but the speeding train… is more like a jet than a train.
Patrick Goddard, president of Brightline Trains, said: “Achieving 130 is not only another major milestone for our team, but also a continuation of a dream we’ve been working towards for several years. “More importantly, this historic feat brings us one step closer to rolling out the Brightline service between Orlando and Miami.”
Once completed, Brightline service between South and Central Florida will take approximately three hours, reducing car travel by one hour.
However, you don’t have to wait until the latest extension opens, as Brightline already serves Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach. The train to Orlando will be just two hours from West Palm Beach when it opens (about an hour less than the drive).
Related: Brightline bullet train service expands in South Florida
Brightline is also completing a three-story passenger terminal near Terminal C at the MCO, which will make future air connections more convenient.
Finally, Brightline also plans to add a stop in Tampa.
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Related: Florida’s new high-speed train makes its first test run to Orlando airport
“Florida has been a leader in train travel since the days of Henry Flagler connecting Jacksonville with the Keys,” said Jim Kovalsky, president of the Florida East Coast Railroad Association. “Back then, it was reported that trains were going at 100 mph, but no one ever dreamed of going 130 mph. Brightline dreamed big and did it. History was made, and Henry Flagler would be proud.”
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