Brightline To Begin Passenger Rail Service Between West Palm Beach And Fort Lauderdale January 8th

Brightline will be launching South Florida into the future in early 2018 as they have announced that they will begin their inaugural rail service between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale the week of January 8, 2018. For the past several months they have made progress toward operational readiness by training employees and test equipment. Simultaneously work on the track between Miami and Fort Lauderdale is wrapping up and is expected to launch in Q1 2018. In December the Brightline locked down final approvals for Phase 2 from the U.S. DOT to begin construction to Orlando in 2018. Brightline also closed on the sale of $600 million in Private Activity Bonds to finance the Phase 1. Brightline has also received approval to sell an additional $1.15 billion in PAB Bonds for Phase 2. Brightline is reportedly also considering alternative financing including a Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing loan. When completed the Brightline will set the new benchmark for travel by train in America with express inter-city passenger rail service connecting Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, with future service to Orlando. Providing a travel option that lives at the intersection of transportation and hospitality, the service is expected to reduce traffic and provide South Floridians with a simple and intuitive experience from door to destination, and foster new opportunities to explore more of Southeast Florida. Brightline will be the only privately owned, operated and maintained passenger rail system in the United States.