Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
By: EFE Posted Jun 21, 2023, 20:33 pm EDT
The Brightline company officially concluded the works of the the high-speed rail line between Miami and Orlando (Florida), which will enter service on September 1 with a total of 16 daily trips.
“It’s official, construction in Orlando has finally been completed, paving the way for the launch of service between Central and South Florida this summer,” the Brightline rail company said in a Twitter message on Wednesday.
The project to unite Miami with the city of theme parks, in which some 2,400 million dollars (2,208 million euros) have been invested, began a decade ago.
As of September there will be 16 daily trips with departures every hour, with prices ranging from $79 for adults and $39 for children.
Executives of the company and municipal authorities of the cities that this infrastructure project benefits met today at the station located at the Orlando International Airport, the city of theme parks that is one of the main tourist destinations in the United States. .
It’s official. Construction to Orlando is finally complete – paving the way for the launch of service between Central and South Florida this summer 🚆🎉 pic.twitter.com/96F38KStpZ
— Brightline (@GoBrightline) June 21, 2023
Mike Reininger, CEO of Brightline, noted that “completing this project is the culmination of more than a decade of dedication, determination and hard work.”
“We have built something remarkable,” he said.
The 235-mile (378 km) rail axis will connect downtown Miami to Orlando International Airport, with stops in Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and Palm Beach.
The only stretch remaining to be completed was the 168-mile (270 km) Palm Beach-Orlando stretch, work on which began in 2019, a year after the Miami-Palm Beach trains came into service, stopping in Fort Lauderdale. .
In 2022 intermediate stations were opened in downtown Boca Raton and in Aventura.
“Connecting the most important tourist destinations in Florida is beneficial for our economy, residents and visitors,” said Miami Mayor Francis Suárez, a candidate for the 2024 Republican primaries, from which the candidate for the White House will emerge.
He Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean J. Trantalisstressed that the high-speed train creates “true synergies between our tourism sectors and business economies.”
“It is an honor to witness the completion of construction on this project,” said Patrick Goddard, Brightline president.
Brightline, which was once associated with Virgin, defines itself as “America’s only provider of modern, green, high-speed rail services.”
In August 2022, it received a $25 million federal grant to increase safety and reduce the rate of fatalities that occur on its network.
Brightline wants to bring its service to cities that are “too close to fly and too far to drive,” and has “immediate plans” to connect Las Vegas (Nevada) with Southern Californiaaccording to a company statement.