2023 ‘Bright Year’ for Passenger Rail

Brightline, which describes itself as “the nation’s only provider of modern, eco-friendly intercity passenger rail,” provides this retrospect on its “top moments of 2023.”

“This year, Brightline journeyed through groundbreaking goals, notably inaugurating service between Orlando and Miami and claiming the title of fastest train in the Southeast,” the company said.“More than five million passengers have hopped on board a Brightline train. In four years of service, we’ve operated 46,614 trains, covering a distance of 3.4 million miles. That’s the equivalent of 139 trips around the Earth,” adding that its customers who booked trains reduced greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 79,000 tons, “an environmental impact equivalent to planting more than 3.6 million trees.”

Brightline touted its”hospitality-driven experience. Amidst our collection of elevated amenities, there’s been one notable favorite among travelers: the curated food and beverage from our signature Mary Mary bar. With exceptional taste, our guests’ top picks this year were coffees, empanadas and specialty crafted cocktails with 53,243 coffees, 14,463 empanadas and 238,083 cocktails savored in-station and on board.” 

Passengers from 139 countries and six continents rode Brightline trains in 2013. “Not only are we connecting guests from around the world to Miami and Orlando, two of the top destinations in the U.S., we are connecting them to the states most sought-after destinations,” the company said. “With stops in Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm beach, getting to the theme parks, planning a cruise or a last-minute day-trip has never been easier.”

Brightine “rolled out the yellow carpet” on Sept. 22, 2023 to welcome passengers on the inaugural Miami to Orlando higher-speed service while welcoming the first customers to enter its Orlando station. “The celebration put an exclamation point on the boldest private infrastructure project in the nation, marking the biggest development in American train travel in more than 100 years,” Brightline noted. “Leading the first trains to ever depart between the destinations were two of Brightline’s female conductors, Cheriann King and Megan Olshefski, and Brightline’s first female transportation manager, Cayla Keegan.” 

Brightline said its “work toward building a Brighter future has just begun. In 2024, Brightline remains dedicated to forging meaningful connections while venturing into exciting new territory. The next year marks not only the unveiling of a location for the Treasure Coast Station but also the commencement of its construction—an expansion that will broaden connectivity and offer fresh destinations for travelers  to explore.”

Brightline said its “ambition to revolutionize high-speed rail in the U.S. unfolds with Brightline West,” which is expected to break ground early in 2024. Brightline West “will be the first true high-speed rail network in the nation,” opening ahead of the first section of the Los Angeles-San Francisco California High Speed Rail Authority project. Electric high-speed trainsets operating at speeds of up to 200 mph on a dedicated right-of-way “will seamlessly connect millions of travelers annually between Los Angeles and Las Vegas,” the company said. “A testament to this vision is the recent, momentous announcement made by President Biden of a $3 billion grant to be allocated toward the project.”