@@Mr.Universe not I ! I just hate driving and stressful highways and watching out for all the bad drivers for example that are drunk, like to race 20 miles above or more the speed limit or distracted by their cell phones.
Will when my generation and those who may actually see that rail transportation is a need and not a liability then we will have an incentive to start building bigger projects.
@@JacobLozano-mr8ll drive time from Orlando to Tampa via vehicle can take up to 3 hrs! Brightline will eventually have service to Tampa but the train will stop at Disney springs, poinciana, Lakeland first
I've taken Brightline a few times. The premium ticket is worth it. The full expansion to Orlando and Tampa is going to be great. I hope the future is to run it to Jacksonville and avoid a 5-hour drive on I-95.
Honestly, I hope Brrightline builds a future station in Cocoa near the 528 and I-95 intersection. Potential there for service to go up I-95 to Daytona and Jax, maybe even Savannah. Even if the line went from Miami to Cocoa, then Cocoa to MCO on high speed rail could be a huge win.. Yu could get a lot of people parking there coming off I-95 to get over to Disney. Bright line has a huge borrow pit in Cocoa for their construction, and it might serve as a great starting point for a station..
Have lived in South Florida for a few years, and took Brightline a lot pre-pandemic. Always tried to get to the station early so I could actually enjoy the relaxing experience of the lounges. Once the Orlando-Disney-Tampa extensions open up the entire service will really show it's worth. Driving I-95 and I-4 is awful.
Driving anywhere now in Florida is horrible. Not to mention the huge increase in auto insurance because of all the traffic since so many people have moved here. Mine went up $140 a year over what I paid last year and I had no tickets or accidents.
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@@stephanies3862 not true,!! it’s not true that you would still need to rent a car from Orlando train station to get to the theme parks because Brightline has a van and electric car service to go to some places within a certain range and also there’s I think free or low-cost red and green trolley along international drive and other transportation
Once this service runs all the way though to Orlando it will really open up the cruise options of Southern Florida, particularly for people whose only direct air option from UK regional airports is MCO. A few days in Orlando and an easy train ride to Fort Lauderdale or Miami, without the expense and messing around with a rental car, sounds like something I’d be more than happy to ride.
From a local ...sorry, with rare exceptions, one really does need a car in Florida Exception examples ...if one only wants to stay in South Beach Miami, or on Disney property, and not explore Uber/Lyft fees can easily cost more than a rental car. Orlando to Miami on the Florida Turnpike is a stress free 4 hour drive.
Brightline has discussed an extension to PortMiami, which would allow you to get on the train at MCO when you fly in and hop off the train within walking distance of your cruise terminal. The western extension from Orlando to Disney and eventually Tampa is in the planning stages now. There will be a station at Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney), with connections to the free Disney bus network to all the parks and resorts. You can get around Downtown Miami for free on the MetroMover people mover system, but you would need to get a taxi or rideshare to get to Miami Beach. The same is true for non-Disney resorts in Orlando, like Universal or SeaWorld. Part of the debate about the route Brightline will take from Orlando to Disney involves whether it should follow SR 528 and include a stop at the convention center. Brightline prefers a less expensive southern option along SR 417, but local residents oppose it. The Central Florida Expressway Authority, which runs the toll roads, also wants some sort of cut to make up for the projected loss of toll revenue from people taking the train instead of renting a car and driving. I'm sure it will all get sorted out eventually, but I wouldn't be surprised if the extension to Disney gets pushed back a few more years.
@@MarcPagan Always rented a car when holidaying in Central Florida but we’ve always found it a pain when wanting to take a cruise for part of it. Car rental involves either paying for a car for the duration, and all the extras involved in getting to the port in Port Canaveral or Fort Lauderdale (toll fares, fuel and parking for a week or so) or paying the fuel, tolls and one way drop off fees and the inconvenience of shuttle buses to and from the port and the messing around re-renting another car on our return. Dropping our car off at MCO, a ride on a modern train and a short cab ride would be cheaper and less stressful from my point of view. Wouldn’t be without a car for being in and around I-Drive, Disney and Universal though.
As a Floridian, I highly recommend that Brightline permanently run a series of PSAs informing citizens of safety measures and cautions around the tracks. It is so necessary.
I agree with you. We run toilet paper commercials at nauseum and we all know we need it who needs to be reminded to buy it. But they don’t put out near enough P essays about crossing a railroad train track when a train is coming. It needs to be shown what happens when a truck or car is hit. Every day at least twice a day!
The government should do that not the private company. The same way car companies aren't obliged to advertise road safety even though cars are one of the main killers in the world.
Rebadged Chinese train made by Qindao, located Tangshan China. Not riding on that low quality train of embarrassment with shabby business deals with US politicians allowing communist Chinese to build important US infrastructures. Not safe.
Jeb, once they open the line to Orlando, I feel like that's an opportunity for a race for you and the Creative Director. One of you flies from Miami to Orlando and the other takes the Brightline. The Brightline is going to be much slower, but you avoid all the security and related delays at the airport. Also would be a chance to compare like for like and see how Brightline stands up from a price/value standpoint on that trip.
I mean Brightline has one downside here as its Orlando station is at the aiport rather than... something like downtown Orlando. So sadly Brightline can't win in terms of getting to the downtown faster than by plane on the Orlando end. The miami end though hoho, they got that pretty dang good
Brightline might not be slower, as one doesn't have to arrive at the station two hours before departure, as one must at an airport. And it's also more likely that the train will leave on time. Planes rarely take off at their scheduled time.
@@drdewott9154 in my opinion it makes sense to have Brightlin in the Orlando airport, since many international travels in normal times travel, fly to Orlando airport and then went to go to Disney and then further south.
Other cities like San Antonio, Corpus Christi and going north to Tulsa and Oklahoma City should also be included. For example, currently driving to Tulsa takes a little over 4 hours and Oklahoma City takes about 3 hours. DFW To San Antonio takes around 5 and Corpus Christi takes 7+.
Yes, that would be awesome. I was in Texas for vacation and took a bus from San Antonio to Austin. I couldn't believe Amtrak had only 1 train between the cities. As busy as the bus station was, I would think trains would do well in Texas.
@@kevinbrzostek7552 Corpus Christi is often overlooked because it’s not in the middle of the state but it’s not a bad city though and it could connect you to different parts of South Texas (Laredo, Brownsville and Padre Island). SPI is especially popular at Spring Break, Summer and becoming a popular destination for seniors and retired people during the winter. Also, it should connect to neighboring states and cities like New Orleans, Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
I used to live in Austin and when I first moved there I asked someone why isn't there some sort of commuter train that goes from Houston to Dallas with stops in San Antonio, Austin, Kaleen & Waco in between. They told me that they tried but Southwest & Delta were against it so plans were killed. I can't say where I work but there is a renewed effort to get a high speed rail between Houston and Dallas which only makes sense.
I feel you on this! I just moved to Florida from DFW and I'm just losing it over this train. Texas NEEDS this to connect the 4 major cities and smaller ones around the coast
They're going to have to do a-lot more urban infill, rapid transit connections, and walkable development around these stations for this to really take-off. In Florida, it's so easy to get stranded when you don't have a car.
Building the stations in urban centers instead of outside the city center and offering connections to other transit options should help with that, which seems to be what they're doing.
That’s true, there’s work to be done with having better transit connections and walkable development around the stations but if the train becomes popular some of that might get it done. There are some connections that Brightline has made with a shuttle and electric cars to get you to within a range from the stations recourse it could always be made better with public transportation within the city
While I completely agree with you in principal, Brightline is already one of the most heavily travelled rail corridors in the country, serving more passengers than every single Amtrak long distance train, and most of their corridor services with the exception of the Northeast Corridor. Even without adequate transit, and walk-able cities, Brightline is doing ok.
They need to advertise this more! I’ve lived in this area my whole life and had no clue it was this nice! I was picturing an amtrack type service but this looks like something i will actually ride!
Not only the train is nice but the employees are super nice as well. I'm from Ft Lauderdale and rode up to WPB with my kid. I got sort of lost and barely made it back to the train station 3 minutes before departure time. They actually radieod the conductor and had the train wait for us to board, instead of making us wait the 1 hour for the next train. It doesn't take long to get through the check points so the train still departed right on time. I still appreciate so much what they did. 🥰
I hope this company is successful and serves as an example to the rest of the country. I feel like i'll probably be dead by the time trains like this are widely available in the US.
As a native South Floridian, Brightline shows promise, but is kind of pointless in it's current state. Miami > Ft Lauderdale > Palm Beach is already served by two other passenger trains (Amtrak & Tri-Rail), and since the distances are so short, it just makes more sense to drive. Once this train begins service to Orlando & the theme parks though.... that's a different story. I'd be excited to try it out then.
The thing is though, Amtrak is horrible at service within Florida (CSX owns the tracks and causes massive delays, meaning that Amtrak can only run 1 train per day on its silver service to Miami, thus making intercity travel between the two cities completely useless) and Tri Rail, despite easier service in the Miami area, doesn't extend to Orlando. Plus, despite Brightline not being classified as a true high speed rail, it's still faster than driving (that is, if there is no traffic between orlando and miami, which is at legendary chance) and less painful than airplane travel.
@@jarheadmstr I really don't know anyone that lives in South Florida (or Florida in general) that doesn't drive. Florida doesn't have the best mode of public transportation... So I don't really know who Brightline is catered to? If you're a tourist hopping on at West Palm and ending in Miami... You still will need to rent a car or Uber yourself around to all the tourist traps. Which at the end of your trip, it'll be the same amount as renting a car. Or if not more.
I really hope that this is successful. U.S. should've had high speed trains a long time ago. But yes I understand that the airlines has a huge oligopoly on travel. I've traveled throughout Japan, China and Europe on high speed trains, and it's the best way to travel.
@@dogguy8603 That's because car and airport infrastructure enjoy a whole suite of subsidies from the federal government that makes rail impossible to compete in the US, if the government were to suddenly drop those subsidies including oil then demand for rail travel would skyrocket.
@@Androfier no it wouldn't, the fact is HSR on long distance is highly inefficient, also you still need a car once you get to your destination, not to mention the gov will have to steal land from people to build the useless train
@@dogguy8603 Obviously HSR won't work everywhere, but on routes from metro area to metro area with distances between 100-500 miles there should be a rail alternative to driving or flying. The problem is the one size fits all mentality which caused the US to become too reliant on fossil fuel based transportation, and with climate change becoming a threat to our homes we've dug ourselves a hole that is very costly to get out of.
@@dogguy8603 The fact that you need a car at your destination proves my point about the government subsidizing(and enforcing) inefficient car centric infrastructure. The government was already "stealing" land to build the Interstate Highway system in dense urban areas, car centric infrastructure destroyed entire neighborhoods so suburbanites could commute downtown via car easily.
Great video Jeb! As a frequent Brightline rider, I disagree with you about your rating of about 4.2. I'd give it a 5 out of 5. The place is impeccable. The seats are beautiful and comfortable. Same as the other categories. Where I'd put a "needs improvement" is in their app/website and general customer service area. They don't have their act together on that aspect just yet. Their customer service phone line is practically non-existent, as of 2022. But the traveling experience is impeccable. Thanks for sharing this with the world. Just thought to add my 2 cents. And yes, I look for every opportunity to travel via the Brightline. 👍
When I lived in Miami I took this train a few times to West Palm (which has a surprisingly cool downtown district near the station) and it was always a great experience. Much better than driving in my opinion (which I don't really do anyway). I hope this takes off and becomes a future model of how to travel in the U.S. (at least in the urban areas and between large cities).
Long LONG OVERDUE SERVICE to be available here in the U.S. Looks amazing, nice, convenient and part of our future. I wish this private company success. Hopefully someday we will catch up to the world.
With airlines having issues with the latest COVID variant, traveling via rail like Brightline where available is an acceptable alternative. I'm sure once the leg to Orlando opens up that their ridership will increase exponentially. Great review as always Jeb!
Jeb, I agree with you that this service is most welcome and looks quite comfortable and efficient. Not having to drive on the insane roads of Florida is a huge advantage 👍😱🤣 . Wishing you and your family a very Happy and Healthy New Year.
Plus I realized when I rented a car you don’t have just the car gas of the rental car to pay but also take very expensive car insurance for the rental car.
@@nicholasfu5937 you also have to pay very expensive parking for cars around beach resorts and theme parks. Better to take public transportation or shuttle vans then you save $20 more day for parking
Worth noting that Orlando’s Brightline station will be at the International Airport, NOT Downtown Orlando. Stops at Disney World and Tampa are also planned.
I’m hoping that fact forces the Orlando area to expand Sun Rail to the Airport. Brightline would be great for some people using the terminal who can drive and park there (Orlando area residents who want to train to South Florida), but I see the lack of connections in the Orlando area has a major fault.
@@afcgeo882 Downtown Orlando is building ultra new Building along with plenty of entertainment. I would say in Five years, Downtown Orlando will offer a whole new experience.
@@HSTheWhap Agreed. Chicago’s Subways run all the way out to Midway and O’hare international and I take them every time I fly as well as NWI’s famous South Shore Line. With double decker trains that run up city streets with vehicles with no guardian.
Florida local here. I've had visiting friends use the Brightline. The thing to remember is that FL's transit system is not great. So if you're going to hang around one location the Brightline is OK, but if you plan on traveling, you need alternative transportation such as a rental car OR rides hare service.
I live here in Miami and personally have found it a pain to drive from Miami to Orlando each time our family goes to Disney World! I thought about this concept back in 1979 and hoped that Disney World would put in the money to implement high speed travel between these cities. They would of gotten their investment back more than ten fold! But i will soon try Brightline and hope the extension to Orlando becomes a reality. Thanks for your video.
It can't unless other private entrepreneurial interests do it. Amtrak has become just another self-serving political social welfare agency, not a transportation operation any more; they are only interested in sucking up as much tax money as they can, as they serve outside welfare interests with their policies, instead of people across the entire nation with trains.
To me, Brightline is offering a bright future for train travel in the US. I just hope that more people realize that it could be a good thing and have investors put more money into it. I don’t know how well high speed rail would do here in NC but I’d love to see plans for it sometime during my lifetime.
Been following a guy that's been tracking the ongoing construction of the new rails. Particularly interesting is how they made a tunnel under a major highway with minimal impact. It's a technique called "box jacking".
"box jacking" or " schutten" is what the spanish use for their rail construction if they need a tunnel under a road etc. it is an interesting technique.
As a local here im really excited for brightlines expansion to Orlando and even Tampa in the upcoming years I definitely think it would be huge for tourists and locals alike to travel up there to the parks and or airports in a much less tiring manner. I do also think that maybe If these two expansions end end up very successful that they'd consider expanding even more up north adding stations to Daytona Beach and Jacksonville
I love the Brightline train's paint scheme, it just looks awesome. Being a model railroad enthusiast, it would be great to see a scale model of it running on my layout. 🙂
Every time I watch a video about Brightline, the train always looks worryingly empty. 😫 Is this always the case, or just because of COVID? I really hope this service is doing alright and takes off with the MCO extension. We need more of this type of intercity service across America.
I suspect it's because of the limited coverage at the moment as when I rode on the Tri-Rail last week, there were a decent amount of people on board. They are planning to not only extend the service to Orlando then Tampa, but also add a few more stations between the current ones: Aventura Mall in Miami and Boca Raton in Palm Beach county which should hopefully attract more and more frequent riders
Even before Covid it was empty, and the company has been operating at a huge loss since brightline’s launch. Trains just cannot cover American cities due to American city design. Unless you live right next to the station and your final destination is also within walking distance, public transit like this will remain useless.
@@blackhole9961 if your destination is less then 5 miles from the station an uber ride wont be too expensive plus the public bus system in the inner city areas of Miami Dade, Ft lauderdale, Orlando are not that bad I have lived in all three areas and have used the public bus there.
@chuggs not all Americans think that. Trains can be very useful. Not everybody likes to or can’t drive in the people that can’t drive sometimes wanna change or less stress or just relax and work on the train or just relax.
I am so excited for this service to be coming to Vegas! No more sitting in traffic on I-15 or dealing with all the ridiculousness of air travel just for a 45 minute flight to LA.
When it comes to speed you can't beat the Brightline Train. If they were still alive, you could ask the dozens of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians who have tried.
Hopefully they will have service throughout all of Florida as it will be used by everyone residing here in Florida rather than renting a car. Can't wait for this service
Living in Orlando I can’t wait to take the rail down to Miami or Fort Lauderdale to catch a cruise while being able to leave my car at home or have a weird flight layover in Atlanta!
Brightline has connector vehicles from their Miami station and I believe also Fort Lauderdale and West Palm to places such as hotels within 5 miles of the station
It’s interesting how I’ve heard of this from a friend, and I recently caught the Brightline, but as a test train. They were testing for speeds of 110 MPH. Caught it near Stuart, FL.
Just tried the Brighline this week for the first time. Palm Beach to Miami. I went to Marlins game and then South Beach after the game. Brightline offers charter busses to the ballgame and back for free. Also free shuttles to the beach from the Miami Station and back. What a great experience
I've used brightline before to facilitate being able to fly into one airport in southern Miami and fly out of another, based on best possible prices, flight times, airline option, amenities etc. It's quite convenient for that. I'm very excited for the Orlando extension, I think things will pick up for brightline when that happens, and I'm sure they do too...12 pax on a private custom designed train running between your custom built stations with multiple built in lounges sounds like something that's hemorrhaging money. Overall I love brightlin's service. The more they can expand to destinations like downtown Orlando, Disney, Tampa, an actual stop on property at FLL, additional regional service additions in partnership with local gov like they're doing in Miami...the more this will actually become a viable option for more people. Right now I think the issue is, there isn't a strong enough use case for many users. If you live in West Palm, it *can* take several hours to drive to Miami, but usually it takes 1-1.5, and afterwards you have your car at your destination. Longer distances at higher speed, more stations served, more types of travellers accommodated will all lead to ridership growth and hopefully profitability. I also think they will need to expand beyond MCO to actually be a viable option for local travellers between Orlando and Miami. With an airport terminus your primary demographic will be international pax arrivals flying to MCO because of cost or because of direct service to MCO and not MIA. People who live in Florida are already more likely to drive anyway, regardless of traffic, and the time savings between Orlando and Miami are offset by the fact that the train won't terminate in Orlando, or at Disney. If you have to drive or get to the Orlando airport anyway...that's part of the whole time calculation that in the NE makes trains faster than flying. Getting to the airport itself is part of the time issue. So they aren't eliminating that yet, with the initial expansion. Will be interesting to see how they handle that. Perhaps more dedicated shuttles to MCO, from places around Orlando.
Do you believe that ANY disease is curable, without medicine? Do you believe that Jesus is the BEST doctor out there? He heals, He cures, and He delivers you from ALL oppressions! He healed me from depression…without EVER seeing a doc! For more healing evidences, check out Apostle Kathryn Krick’s videos on RUclips! God bless you all ❤️❤️❤️.
Wow! I just took the Amtrak Texas Eagle and it was a dismal trip. It completely shattered all of my childhood memories of riding the train as a child. The station was dumpy, none of the vending machines worked properly, it was difficult boarding the train and I had a very, very loud passenger sitting behind me on her phone for most of the 18 hours to go from Dallas to St. Louis. Your train trip is the opposite of mine.
Definitely looking forward to this as it is essentially coming through my back yard (not literally) in Orlando. I believe there is going to be a stop about a mile away from my house. I could walk to it.
I’m looking forward to Brightline to MCO. It opens up an often much less expensive airport as an easy to use option to get to West Palm Beach, especially during Spring Training.
As mentioned in a comment to another video on this: It's no wonder brightline is all squeaky clean and new. They took a long covid break and just resumed service again.
Can't wait for the Orlando leg to finally open. And we need them to be successful so other areas in the US see what's possible! If only Amtrak weren't hamstrung by its government ties and having to share tracks!
Amtrak isn't hamstrung by being government owned, it's hamstrung by the private ownership of railways. look at countries with successful railway systems and you'll see none that got built by private hands (a few got privatized but that is another story)
Your videos are getting so much better and fast. This video is by far my favourite you’ve made, the editing was great, the voice overs and pace, and the music. Everything was amazing
Really looking forward to the extension. It would be an awesome addition to have an extension in the future to the north from the Orlando station with stops in The Villages, Ocala & Gainesville. This would really be beneficial to those looking to get to Orlando/Tampa from the Northern points without the Turnpike or I-75 and would be excellent for those who cruise out of Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale & Miami and also to the airports.
In my opinion i think Orlando should really up the coverage of Sunrail when they get the Brightline connection. Orlando has so much potential and sites but poor connection in commuting. Maybe they could get sun rail to go out north.
Amazing! After just coming off a round-trip CHI-PDX Empire Builder - I just might have to book a flight to Miami to ENJOY a BRIGHT TRAIN. It may not be fair to compare BL to Amtrak but I hope Brightline is the future for US rail travel. Thanks Jeb.
Do you believe that ANY disease is curable, without medicine? Do you believe that Jesus is the BEST doctor out there? He heals, He cures, and He delivers you from ALL oppressions! He healed me from depression…without EVER seeing a doc! For more healing evidences, check out Apostle Kathryn Krick’s videos on RUclips! God bless you all ❤️❤️❤️.
I live in Florida, and as one who dreads driving on the "Highway of Death" otherwise known as RTE 95, to get anywhere, I am a fervent cheerleader for the Brightline. They are also going to have a spur to the Miami cruise port in the future! Yahoo!!
Thanks Jeb - didn't know about this and would use if I am ever in the area. Nice to see train travel return to the US and this is absolutely something I would use once it gets to places I visit.
Only in the US is this classed as high speed. The UK had the Intercity 125 service, that ran at 125mph and started in 1975. The Intercity 225 (225kmh - or 140mph) entered service in the mid 1980s. The Shijiazhuang-Wuhan high-speed railway does 220mph over 522 miles. The Ligne à Grande Vitesse Est européenne (East European High Speed Line) between Paris and Strasbourg and provides fast services between Paris and the principal cities of Eastern France as well as Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland. It was the fastest service in the world at average speed of 279.3 km/h (173.5 mph) in 2007 before the Shijiazhuang-Wuhan high-speed railway opened. A specially modified train performed a series of high-speed tests on the first phase of the LGV Est prior to its opening. In April 2007, it reached a top speed of 574.8 km/h (159.6 m/s, 357.2 mph), becoming the fastest conventional train and fastest train on a national rail system. But all of these are slow in comparison to the next gen Maglev trains that are being developed. China has the Shanghai maglev and is the world's first commercial high-speed maglev, it has a cruising speed of 431 km/h (268 mph). A maglev bullet train that can reach speeds of 600 kilometers per hour (373 miles per hour) has made its debut in Qingdao, China and is slated for use between key Chinese cities. With that said, good to see more trains in the US but odd that a country that touts itself as 'the best in the world' is installing "new" trains based upon 50 years old tech.
@@darthmaul216 Really? Where? The UK has the LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard which ran at 126mph which to this day is a record of steam powered trains.That record was set in 1938.
If I got a dollar everytime a Western European tourist came to Miami and gleefully told me they planned to do a roadtrip from Miami to NYC then to the grand cannon all in a week id be a rich man . The U.S is ENOURMOUS , our cities spread out the only metro área with the density to support high speed rail is the NE corredor from DC - Balimore to NYC .
I took the Brightline to Miami before Covid. Premium class was really nice. The lounge in Miami had a small bar set up with a bartender. Looks like they've replaced that with a machine. Hopefully they'll reconsider post pandemic. I will definitely take Brightline to Miami again for the boat show next month.
Once it goes to Orlando and Tampa I think it'll kick up in both usefulness and passengers tbh. The opportunity of tourists flying in/out of miami or orlando and being able to go to both on the train is a promising one if you don't want to drive between them.
The people saying you are better off driving have never dealt with the traffic on 95. Once you start getting near Ft. Lauderdale it is bad all the way into Miami unless you go really early in the morning or late at night. I used the Brightline between West Palm and Miami, 2 to 3 times a week during most of 2019, and most of the time It way better than driving. If you have a large group then you have to take the total cost into account and it might not be worth the cost vs a car but overall I liked using it.
Both stations are very clean ,everyone nice and great service, comfortable ride. It was first time taking the trip from West Palm to Miami, had tickets later for the Polar Express event. Looking forward to service opening up in Orlando!
Oh my gosh! No way! I've always wanted to meet you. I watch all your vlogs. I live in Palm Beach ⛱😎 FL. I've been on brightline at least 30 times . I was ar their initial launch back a few years ago. This line is absolutely stunning. I love the Miami station 🚉😍! I've eaten , slept, and chatted on this train. It's just the best.
Great video review and I totally love the name/style of Brightline over what might have been "Virgin Trains USA" it just doesn't have that nice ring to it haha. But hopefully they can finish the Orlando/Disney segment too. Then I also heard that Brightline is working on a LA to Las Vegas route also in the future which would be amazing! They're doing great things for fast rail in the US.
I rode Brightline from Miami to West Palm Beach and back in February 2020. In a word it is great. I have urged Brightline management to look at establishing a similar service from DFW to San Antonio. As to the entertainment, I have a mind blower. A book! Entertainment and learning wrapped up in one source. What will I come up with next?
I would definitely use this especially the full route to Tampa via Orlando. Hopefully there are regular connecting buses to travel around the towns near the stations
Tampa's HART system goes just about everywhere in town. There are water taxis along the river, and a legacy streetcar line. You need to plan ahead if you're from out of town, but it's doable. There are also connections to St. Pete and the Gulf beaches, via PSTA. Tampa Bay, as a region, is trying to get more transit friendly. It's not quite where it needs to be just yet: good luck getting home from, say, a Lightning game, if you're staying in Pinellas County. But there is a regional transit authority that's trying to make Tampa Bay easier to get around for the un-carred. It's definitely a project, but it is in progress.
I'm a San Diegan who has to head to Orlando and Ft Lauderdale for work all the time. Flying Direct to Orlando on Alaska, then taking the Brightline to FLL for the second half of the trip would be amazing and help avoid overcrowded and delay prone hub airports. I can't wait!
Another great review. I hope the service gets some decent usage during work commuter hours, because every video I've seen of it over the years shows almost nobody on board.
Would be great once they get the Orlando station open because it would open up many new cruise options with west palm beach, ft. Lauderdale, Miami and eventually Tampa to destinations that only have air service to MCO
Those of us living in Lakeland Florida (between Tampa and Orlando) are lobbying hard for a stop in Lakeland. This would indeed be a game changer. If Brightline does this, then I'll frequent the service for a night on-the-town at Downtown Disney (I would never consider driving I-4 for an evening at Downtown Disney). And I would travel to Miami much more frequently to visit friends. I think Brightline will be surprised how much demand there is for this service!
@@robertdeltiempo4411 Agreed. But adding a stop probably adds 3 minutes to travel time (1 minute in the station + 2 minutes of deceleration (average 50% of max speed for these 2 minutes) + 2 minutes of acceleration (average 50% of max speed for these 2 minutes)). So if travel time for the 60mi between Disney and Tampa is 40 minutes (avg speed = 100mph), then lengthening trip to 43 minutes seems reasonable for the benefit of adding a stop. It probably also makes sense to add 1 stop between PalmBeach and Orlando (in the VeroBeach/FtPierce area).
Now that you Know me (LMAO), I don't like driving if I can help it (retired). So I'm part of that 2% on trains (live in San Bernardino travel to L.A.). For me it's fast, cost effective, and I can fall asleep and no one get's upset (like when I drive). Thanks again, glad I ran into u 2 DAY (not driving of course LMAO).
As someone living in the Netherlands, it's surreal to see how different the situation is in America. The biggest one is the time I arrive at the station; never more than 10 minutes before departure, although for most of my journeys I don't even check beforehand. Trains generally leave every 15 minutes so I check the time when I arrive (by bicycle or shared scooter) to see if I need to run, walk or have time to get a coffee.
I think a lot of Europeans underestimate just how large and spread out the United States is. Train systems like Europe uses aren't practical in most areas... they are expensive to build, and would fail except in the few more densely-populated areas of the country like New England.
I took the Brightline train from West Palm to Miami and return on 11/8 - the 1st day of the service re-inauguration after the pandemic. My initial booking on their website was fine, and then it disappeared from the website and my mobile app. I then re-booked since I really wanted to make the trip . The trip I ended up on was the 9:48am departure from West Palm. We actually hit a vehicle blocking the tracks in Pompano Beach. Can't say I've ever had that experience before. The rest of the trip to Miami and return was wonderful. I loved the Brightline trains and their service (I highly recomend the premium option) however, their app had problems when I booked my original ticket. The reservation appeared and then vanished! I re-booked to make sure I could get my ticket, and Brightline billed me twice! I only took 1 trip. I have spent weeks trying to get my double-booking fee refunded (today from 10/26/21) with no luck. I have had it, and unless my refund is shortly forthcoming, this was the 1st and last time I am riding Brightline. Amtrak at least is more accomodating!
You probably should’ve called them up right when you noticed the reservation vanishing from your app after you bought it. But of course you can’t go back in history so why don’t you just go to a station in person if you live near one and show them the two charges. I had the same problem but with AAA they charged me twice and they didn’t want to change it they said my credit card company needed it to do that my credit card company to AAA so I went back-and-forth and finally AAA gave me my money back for the double charge but no apology or anything for the time I took to spend a long time on the phone.
I would probably use this train. One great idea when it's complete, if I scheduled a cruise and fly into Tampa (cheaper ticket), it would be cool to take the Bright line to the Miami/ft. Lauderdale stop for the port & cruise. I like the idea of several departure times per day. That's 😎.
I've been to Orlando several times, but never visited Miami. I'd be happy to take Brightline between those cities, and it would certainly be easier than driving.
As always, great video Jeb! As an avid Disney world fan I’m really hoping the expansion to Disney Springs actually happens. My in laws used to be near Lakeland and this would have been perfect from MCO to their place.
All this for $30? Hell I might go to Florida just for this. Fly to miami, get brightline up to Orlando to go to the theme parks. Seems like a great time
@@afcgeo882 I'm welll aware of both of those things, however when it does run to Orlando that would be a nice trip, and if this is what $30 buys you, the longer trip, will still likely be very good value for money. No need to be rude about it.
@@brianholmes1812 even if it’s $100, it would be cheaper than the airlines and therefor be worth it. Given gas prices, it might even be cheaper than driving for $100 from Miami to Orlando.
![Brightline Profitability - Are We Missing The Big Picture? [S3: E06]](/img/1.gif)
Being a British tourist I would use this from Disney to Miami to get there for a couple days. This service would be brilliant.
Not to Disney yet.
@@tonyrowland9216 no hes saying he would if it was available now
It's in the works luke if I'm not mistaken
For a $99 dollars one way predicted price from Orlando to Miami price will be a obstacle to most families traveling together.
theyre opening to Orlando soon
I wish service like this was more widely available throughout the U.S.
we hate trains here apparently
@@Mr.Universe not I ! I just hate driving and stressful highways and watching out for all the bad drivers for example that are drunk, like to race 20 miles above or more the speed limit or distracted by their cell phones.
Will when my generation and those who may actually see that rail transportation is a need and not a liability then we will have an incentive to start building bigger projects.
You got that right!
@@JacobLozano-mr8ll drive time from Orlando to Tampa via vehicle can take up to 3 hrs! Brightline will eventually have service to Tampa but the train will stop at Disney springs, poinciana, Lakeland first
I've taken Brightline a few times. The premium ticket is worth it. The full expansion to Orlando and Tampa is going to be great. I hope the future is to run it to Jacksonville and avoid a 5-hour drive on I-95.
This will be great, I'm in Lakeland, and when it extends over, it'll be great for getting down to the Keys.
Honestly, I hope Brrightline builds a future station in Cocoa near the 528 and I-95 intersection. Potential there for service to go up I-95 to Daytona and Jax, maybe even Savannah. Even if the line went from Miami to Cocoa, then Cocoa to MCO on high speed rail could be a huge win.. Yu could get a lot of people parking there coming off I-95 to get over to Disney. Bright line has a huge borrow pit in Cocoa for their construction, and it might serve as a great starting point for a station..
@@scottlyttle5586 The rail up I-95 would be brilliant. To Savannah would be a dream come true. Savannah is my favorite city in the South.
@@Darkcrowman Down to Florida City is plausible, then a quick rental to the Keys would be great.
I hope that Brightline will extend to Jacksonville and maybe to Atlanta, Savannah and even Charleston. That or I'm keeping my expectations too high.
Have lived in South Florida for a few years, and took Brightline a lot pre-pandemic. Always tried to get to the station early so I could actually enjoy the relaxing experience of the lounges. Once the Orlando-Disney-Tampa extensions open up the entire service will really show it's worth. Driving I-95 and I-4 is awful.
The downside with taking the train to Orlando is you would still have to rent a car to get around. Even to get to all the theme parks. 🤔
Driving anywhere now in Florida is horrible. Not to mention the huge increase in auto insurance because of all the traffic since so many people have moved here. Mine went up $140 a year over what I paid last year and I had no tickets or accidents.
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I will ride Brightline south from Tampa, just for the ride and then return just for fun !
@@stephanies3862 not true,!! it’s not true that you would still need to rent a car from Orlando train station to get to the theme parks because Brightline has a van and electric car service to go to some places within a certain range and also there’s I think free or low-cost red and green trolley along international drive and other transportation
Once this service runs all the way though to Orlando it will really open up the cruise options of Southern Florida, particularly for people whose only direct air option from UK regional airports is MCO. A few days in Orlando and an easy train ride to Fort Lauderdale or Miami, without the expense and messing around with a rental car, sounds like something I’d be more than happy to ride.
From a local
...sorry, with rare exceptions, one really does need a car in Florida
Exception examples
...if one only wants to stay in South Beach Miami, or on Disney property, and not explore
Uber/Lyft fees can easily cost more than a rental car.
Orlando to Miami on the Florida Turnpike is a stress free 4 hour drive.
Yeah because you can’t travel anywhere outside of a car it is also very uncomfortable
Great point!
Brightline has discussed an extension to PortMiami, which would allow you to get on the train at MCO when you fly in and hop off the train within walking distance of your cruise terminal. The western extension from Orlando to Disney and eventually Tampa is in the planning stages now. There will be a station at Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney), with connections to the free Disney bus network to all the parks and resorts.
You can get around Downtown Miami for free on the MetroMover people mover system, but you would need to get a taxi or rideshare to get to Miami Beach. The same is true for non-Disney resorts in Orlando, like Universal or SeaWorld. Part of the debate about the route Brightline will take from Orlando to Disney involves whether it should follow SR 528 and include a stop at the convention center. Brightline prefers a less expensive southern option along SR 417, but local residents oppose it. The Central Florida Expressway Authority, which runs the toll roads, also wants some sort of cut to make up for the projected loss of toll revenue from people taking the train instead of renting a car and driving. I'm sure it will all get sorted out eventually, but I wouldn't be surprised if the extension to Disney gets pushed back a few more years.
@@MarcPagan Always rented a car when holidaying in Central Florida but we’ve always found it a pain when wanting to take a cruise for part of it. Car rental involves either paying for a car for the duration, and all the extras involved in getting to the port in Port Canaveral or Fort Lauderdale (toll fares, fuel and parking for a week or so) or paying the fuel, tolls and one way drop off fees and the inconvenience of shuttle buses to and from the port and the messing around re-renting another car on our return. Dropping our car off at MCO, a ride on a modern train and a short cab ride would be cheaper and less stressful from my point of view. Wouldn’t be without a car for being in and around I-Drive, Disney and Universal though.
As a Floridian, I highly recommend that Brightline permanently run a series of PSAs informing citizens of safety measures and cautions around the tracks. It is so necessary.
I agree, but it is so strange that people need to be told not to go around safety barriers.
I agree with you. We run toilet paper commercials at nauseum and we all know we need it who needs to be reminded to buy it. But they don’t put out near enough P essays about crossing a railroad train track when a train is coming. It needs to be shown what happens when a truck or car is hit. Every day at least twice a day!
The government should do that not the private company. The same way car companies aren't obliged to advertise road safety even though cars are one of the main killers in the world.
I wish that wasn't necessary, but as we all know, natural selection exists, meaning there will be that one idiot who thinks its a good idea
Rebadged Chinese train made by Qindao, located Tangshan China. Not riding on that low quality train of embarrassment with shabby business deals with US politicians allowing communist Chinese to build important US infrastructures. Not safe.
Jeb, once they open the line to Orlando, I feel like that's an opportunity for a race for you and the Creative Director. One of you flies from Miami to Orlando and the other takes the Brightline. The Brightline is going to be much slower, but you avoid all the security and related delays at the airport. Also would be a chance to compare like for like and see how Brightline stands up from a price/value standpoint on that trip.
I mean Brightline has one downside here as its Orlando station is at the aiport rather than... something like downtown Orlando. So sadly Brightline can't win in terms of getting to the downtown faster than by plane on the Orlando end. The miami end though hoho, they got that pretty dang good
A third dude should drive by car. Let's see who's going to win.
Brightline might not be slower, as one doesn't have to arrive at the station two hours before departure, as one must at an airport. And it's also more likely that the train will leave on time. Planes rarely take off at their scheduled time.
@@yossithedrummer Hmmmm… seems like three British blokes did some things just like that….
@@drdewott9154 in my opinion it makes sense to have Brightlin in the Orlando airport, since many international travels in normal times travel, fly to Orlando airport and then went to go to Disney and then further south.
As a native Texan, this makes me so excited for the future rail line going through the heart of Texas from Dallas-Austin-Houston!
Other cities like San Antonio, Corpus Christi and going north to Tulsa and Oklahoma City should also be included. For example, currently driving to Tulsa takes a little over 4 hours and Oklahoma City takes about 3 hours. DFW To San Antonio takes around 5 and Corpus Christi takes 7+.
Yes, that would be awesome. I was in Texas for vacation and took a bus from San Antonio to Austin. I couldn't believe Amtrak had only 1 train between the cities. As busy as the bus station was, I would think trains would do well in Texas.
@@kevinbrzostek7552 Corpus Christi is often overlooked because it’s not in the middle of the state but it’s not a bad city though and it could connect you to different parts of South Texas (Laredo, Brownsville and Padre Island). SPI is especially popular at Spring Break, Summer and becoming a popular destination for seniors and retired people during the winter.
Also, it should connect to neighboring states and cities like New Orleans, Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
I used to live in Austin and when I first moved there I asked someone why isn't there some sort of commuter train that goes from Houston to Dallas with stops in San Antonio, Austin, Kaleen & Waco in between. They told me that they tried but Southwest & Delta were against it so plans were killed. I can't say where I work but there is a renewed effort to get a high speed rail between Houston and Dallas which only makes sense.
I feel you on this! I just moved to Florida from DFW and I'm just losing it over this train. Texas NEEDS this to connect the 4 major cities and smaller ones around the coast
They're going to have to do a-lot more urban infill, rapid transit connections, and walkable development around these stations for this to really take-off. In Florida, it's so easy to get stranded when you don't have a car.
Building the stations in urban centers instead of outside the city center and offering connections to other transit options should help with that, which seems to be what they're doing.
exactly what you said Thomas, 100%
That’s true, there’s work to be done with having better transit connections and walkable development around the stations but if the train becomes popular some of that might get it done. There are some connections that Brightline has made with a shuttle and electric cars to get you to within a range from the stations recourse it could always be made better with public transportation within the city
While I completely agree with you in principal, Brightline is already one of the most heavily travelled rail corridors in the country, serving more passengers than every single Amtrak long distance train, and most of their corridor services with the exception of the Northeast Corridor.
Even without adequate transit, and walk-able cities, Brightline is doing ok.
Brightline is incentivizing TOD and dense development around their stations. It will be night and day from Amtrak.
They need to advertise this more! I’ve lived in this area my whole life and had no clue it was this nice! I was picturing an amtrack type service but this looks like something i will actually ride!
I’m actually telling all the people I runn into about Brightline so hopefully some of them will try it when they travel.
Try spelling Amtrak correctly. Thanks.
The miami- Orlando line is opening this year!
Not only the train is nice but the employees are super nice as well. I'm from Ft Lauderdale and rode up to WPB with my kid. I got sort of lost and barely made it back to the train station 3 minutes before departure time. They actually radieod the conductor and had the train wait for us to board, instead of making us wait the 1 hour for the next train. It doesn't take long to get through the check points so the train still departed right on time. I still appreciate so much what they did. 🥰
Love hearing stories like that!
LESSONS FOR AMTRAC!
I hope this company is successful and serves as an example to the rest of the country. I feel like i'll probably be dead by the time trains like this are widely available in the US.
As a native South Floridian, Brightline shows promise, but is kind of pointless in it's current state. Miami > Ft Lauderdale > Palm Beach is already served by two other passenger trains (Amtrak & Tri-Rail), and since the distances are so short, it just makes more sense to drive. Once this train begins service to Orlando & the theme parks though.... that's a different story. I'd be excited to try it out then.
They have long term plans to extend across to Tampa too!
The thing is though, Amtrak is horrible at service within Florida (CSX owns the tracks and causes massive delays, meaning that Amtrak can only run 1 train per day on its silver service to Miami, thus making intercity travel between the two cities completely useless) and Tri Rail, despite easier service in the Miami area, doesn't extend to Orlando. Plus, despite Brightline not being classified as a true high speed rail, it's still faster than driving (that is, if there is no traffic between orlando and miami, which is at legendary chance) and less painful than airplane travel.
It might be pointless for you, but not everyone has a car so for them, this is very useful
@@jarheadmstr I really don't know anyone that lives in South Florida (or Florida in general) that doesn't drive. Florida doesn't have the best mode of public transportation... So I don't really know who Brightline is catered to? If you're a tourist hopping on at West Palm and ending in Miami... You still will need to rent a car or Uber yourself around to all the tourist traps. Which at the end of your trip, it'll be the same amount as renting a car. Or if not more.
@@cpcxgsr ya that is true
I really hope that this is successful. U.S. should've had high speed trains a long time ago. But yes I understand that the airlines has a huge oligopoly on travel. I've traveled throughout Japan, China and Europe on high speed trains, and it's the best way to travel.
High speed rail in the US is more or less useless, and not profitable, only 2 HSR rail lines operate at a profit
@@dogguy8603 That's because car and airport infrastructure enjoy a whole suite of subsidies from the federal government that makes rail impossible to compete in the US, if the government were to suddenly drop those subsidies including oil then demand for rail travel would skyrocket.
@@Androfier no it wouldn't, the fact is HSR on long distance is highly inefficient, also you still need a car once you get to your destination, not to mention the gov will have to steal land from people to build the useless train
@@dogguy8603 Obviously HSR won't work everywhere, but on routes from metro area to metro area with distances between 100-500 miles there should be a rail alternative to driving or flying. The problem is the one size fits all mentality which caused the US to become too reliant on fossil fuel based transportation, and with climate change becoming a threat to our homes we've dug ourselves a hole that is very costly to get out of.
@@dogguy8603 The fact that you need a car at your destination proves my point about the government subsidizing(and enforcing) inefficient car centric infrastructure.
The government was already "stealing" land to build the Interstate Highway system in dense urban areas, car centric infrastructure destroyed entire neighborhoods so suburbanites could commute downtown via car easily.
I don't personally travel myself, but these videos are so exceptionally good. Well in-depth and just amazing to watch.
Thank you for watching!!
Great video Jeb! As a frequent Brightline rider, I disagree with you about your rating of about 4.2. I'd give it a 5 out of 5. The place is impeccable. The seats are beautiful and comfortable. Same as the other categories. Where I'd put a "needs improvement" is in their app/website and general customer service area. They don't have their act together on that aspect just yet. Their customer service phone line is practically non-existent, as of 2022. But the traveling experience is impeccable. Thanks for sharing this with the world. Just thought to add my 2 cents. And yes, I look for every opportunity to travel via the Brightline. 👍
This is what train travel should be like everywhere in the USA. Hopefully, Brightline is a taste of what is to come.
When I lived in Miami I took this train a few times to West Palm (which has a surprisingly cool downtown district near the station) and it was always a great experience. Much better than driving in my opinion (which I don't really do anyway). I hope this takes off and becomes a future model of how to travel in the U.S. (at least in the urban areas and between large cities).
I live in Miami and this is a huge game changer
Long LONG OVERDUE SERVICE to be available here in the U.S. Looks amazing, nice, convenient and part of our future. I wish this private company success. Hopefully someday we will catch up to the world.
not through private companies you won't
As someone who drives from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando every other week, I get so excited when I see the construction slowly coming together.
With airlines having issues with the latest COVID variant, traveling via rail like Brightline where available is an acceptable alternative. I'm sure once the leg to Orlando opens up that their ridership will increase exponentially. Great review as always Jeb!
Jeb, I agree with you that this service is most welcome and looks quite comfortable and efficient. Not having to drive on the insane roads of Florida is a huge advantage 👍😱🤣 . Wishing you and your family a very Happy and Healthy New Year.
As a tourist, with cost of hire cars going up these days, having a decent rail link does make more of a difference when deciding where to go/stay.
Plus I realized when I rented a car you don’t have just the car gas of the rental car to pay but also take very expensive car insurance for the rental car.
@@enjoyslearningandtravel7957 Most people use their own insurance... rental insurance is mostly a ripoff.
@@nicholasfu5937 agreed
@@nicholasfu5937 you also have to pay very expensive parking for cars around beach resorts and theme parks. Better to take public transportation or shuttle vans then you save $20 more day for parking
Worth noting that Orlando’s Brightline station will be at the International Airport, NOT Downtown Orlando. Stops at Disney World and Tampa are also planned.
I’m hoping that fact forces the Orlando area to expand Sun Rail to the Airport. Brightline would be great for some people using the terminal who can drive and park there (Orlando area residents who want to train to South Florida), but I see the lack of connections in the Orlando area has a major fault.
What a disaster. Lol
Also there’s nothing of worth in downtown Orlando for a tourist.
@@afcgeo882 Downtown Orlando is building ultra new Building along with plenty of entertainment. I would say in Five years, Downtown Orlando will offer a whole new experience.
@@HSTheWhap Agreed. Chicago’s Subways run all the way out to Midway and O’hare international and I take them every time I fly as well as NWI’s famous South Shore Line. With double decker trains that run up city streets with vehicles with no guardian.
Florida local here. I've had visiting friends use the Brightline. The thing to remember is that FL's transit system is not great. So if you're going to hang around one location the Brightline is OK, but if you plan on traveling, you need alternative transportation such as a rental car OR rides hare service.
Love Brightline... TriRail also serves the small towns in between... so here on the East Coast of Florida... we are lucky.
I live here in Miami and personally have found it a pain to drive from Miami to Orlando each time our family goes to Disney World! I thought about this concept back in 1979 and hoped that Disney World would put in the money to implement high speed travel between these cities. They would of gotten their investment back more than ten fold! But i will soon try Brightline and hope the extension to Orlando becomes a reality. Thanks for your video.
This service looks great! Hopefully this type of experience expands across the US.
It can't unless other private entrepreneurial interests do it. Amtrak has become just another self-serving political social welfare agency, not a transportation operation any more; they are only interested in sucking up as much tax money as they can, as they serve outside welfare interests with their policies, instead of people across the entire nation with trains.
yeh the US needs it
To me, Brightline is offering a bright future for train travel in the US. I just hope that more people realize that it could be a good thing and have investors put more money into it. I don’t know how well high speed rail would do here in NC but I’d love to see plans for it sometime during my lifetime.
Been following a guy that's been tracking the ongoing construction of the new rails. Particularly interesting is how they made a tunnel under a major highway with minimal impact. It's a technique called "box jacking".
"box jacking" or " schutten" is what the spanish use for their rail construction if they need a tunnel under a road etc. it is an interesting technique.
It always makes me happy seeing the USA catching up on more efficient and nicer trains!
As a local here im really excited for brightlines expansion to Orlando and even Tampa in the upcoming years I definitely think it would be huge for tourists and locals alike to travel up there to the parks and or airports in a much less tiring manner. I do also think that maybe If these two expansions end end up very successful that they'd consider expanding even more up north adding stations to Daytona Beach and Jacksonville
I love the Brightline train's paint scheme, it just looks awesome. Being a model railroad enthusiast, it would be great to see a scale model of it running on my layout. 🙂
Every time I watch a video about Brightline, the train always looks worryingly empty. 😫 Is this always the case, or just because of COVID? I really hope this service is doing alright and takes off with the MCO extension. We need more of this type of intercity service across America.
I suspect it's because of the limited coverage at the moment as when I rode on the Tri-Rail last week, there were a decent amount of people on board.
They are planning to not only extend the service to Orlando then Tampa, but also add a few more stations between the current ones: Aventura Mall in Miami and Boca Raton in Palm Beach county which should hopefully attract more and more frequent riders
Even before Covid it was empty, and the company has been operating at a huge loss since brightline’s launch.
Trains just cannot cover American cities due to American city design. Unless you live right next to the station and your final destination is also within walking distance, public transit like this will remain useless.
It was packed when I went on it
@@blackhole9961 if your destination is less then 5 miles from the station an uber ride wont be too expensive plus the public bus system in the inner city areas of Miami Dade, Ft lauderdale, Orlando are not that bad I have lived in all three areas and have used the public bus there.
@chuggs not all Americans think that. Trains can be very useful. Not everybody likes to or can’t drive in the people that can’t drive sometimes wanna change or less stress or just relax and work on the train or just relax.
Much more respect for you Jeb saying "obvious" reasons instead of the same old thing we are all so sick of hearing.!!
Everything about the Brightline looks amazing. It's almost as if you build clean and fast commuter rail, people will gravitate towards it. Go figure!
I am so excited for this service to be coming to Vegas! No more sitting in traffic on I-15 or dealing with all the ridiculousness of air travel just for a 45 minute flight to LA.
I just want them to start on that train station already near the strip
When it comes to speed you can't beat the Brightline Train. If they were still alive, you could ask the dozens of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians who have tried.
Hopefully they will have service throughout all of Florida as it will be used by everyone residing here in Florida rather than renting a car. Can't wait for this service
Living in Orlando I can’t wait to take the rail down to Miami or Fort Lauderdale to catch a cruise while being able to leave my car at home or have a weird flight layover in Atlanta!
Brightline has connector vehicles from their Miami station and I believe also Fort Lauderdale and West Palm to places such as hotels within 5 miles of the station
Of course the train is privately owned
Florida Man needs a fast and convenient train to catch up with his shenanigans as a getaway vehicle
Beautiful to see things like such Train experiences that are common in Europe starting to get spread out to the US 😍
It’s interesting how I’ve heard of this from a friend, and I recently caught the Brightline, but as a test train. They were testing for speeds of 110 MPH. Caught it near Stuart, FL.
It wasn't a disagreement but rather, Virgin did not provide the agreed upon investment money. And so Brightline ended the alliance
Just tried the Brighline this week for the first time. Palm Beach to Miami. I went to Marlins game and then South Beach after the game. Brightline offers charter busses to the ballgame and back for free. Also free shuttles to the beach from the Miami Station and back. What a great experience
I've used brightline before to facilitate being able to fly into one airport in southern Miami and fly out of another, based on best possible prices, flight times, airline option, amenities etc. It's quite convenient for that. I'm very excited for the Orlando extension, I think things will pick up for brightline when that happens, and I'm sure they do too...12 pax on a private custom designed train running between your custom built stations with multiple built in lounges sounds like something that's hemorrhaging money. Overall I love brightlin's service. The more they can expand to destinations like downtown Orlando, Disney, Tampa, an actual stop on property at FLL, additional regional service additions in partnership with local gov like they're doing in Miami...the more this will actually become a viable option for more people. Right now I think the issue is, there isn't a strong enough use case for many users. If you live in West Palm, it *can* take several hours to drive to Miami, but usually it takes 1-1.5, and afterwards you have your car at your destination. Longer distances at higher speed, more stations served, more types of travellers accommodated will all lead to ridership growth and hopefully profitability. I also think they will need to expand beyond MCO to actually be a viable option for local travellers between Orlando and Miami. With an airport terminus your primary demographic will be international pax arrivals flying to MCO because of cost or because of direct service to MCO and not MIA. People who live in Florida are already more likely to drive anyway, regardless of traffic, and the time savings between Orlando and Miami are offset by the fact that the train won't terminate in Orlando, or at Disney. If you have to drive or get to the Orlando airport anyway...that's part of the whole time calculation that in the NE makes trains faster than flying. Getting to the airport itself is part of the time issue. So they aren't eliminating that yet, with the initial expansion. Will be interesting to see how they handle that. Perhaps more dedicated shuttles to MCO, from places around Orlando.
Maybe a Sun rail expansion can help with the issue.
there is a shuttle service starting around February 2022 from areas in Orlando in Disney if I’m not mistaken to Orlando airport called sunshine flyer.
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Wow! I just took the Amtrak Texas Eagle and it was a dismal trip. It completely shattered all of my childhood memories of riding the train as a child. The station was dumpy, none of the vending machines worked properly, it was difficult boarding the train and I had a very, very loud passenger sitting behind me on her phone for most of the 18 hours to go from Dallas to St. Louis. Your train trip is the opposite of mine.
Definitely looking forward to this as it is essentially coming through my back yard (not literally) in Orlando. I believe there is going to be a stop about a mile away from my house. I could walk to it.
Having done the trip the opposite way, West Palm to Miami, crawling in bumper-to-bumper traffic, I would absolutely do the Brightline.
Definitely want to try this service and can't wait for it to continue it's expansion
If only we had something like this all over the country like Europe.
Thanks for doing this review! I've been wondering about the down low on Brightline for awhile now and it's nice to have a video from a trusted source!
I’m looking forward to Brightline to MCO. It opens up an often much less expensive airport as an easy to use option to get to West Palm Beach, especially during Spring Training.
Definitely looks like a great option once Briteline connects Miami to Tampa.
I took the brightline to skip traffic during rush hour. It was a pretty amazing experience.
I'd definitely use Brightline over a rental so that I can leave the driving to the train!
It looks great. I would definitely ride it. I wish we had these trains all over the USA.
As mentioned in a comment to another video on this: It's no wonder brightline is all squeaky clean and new. They took a long covid break and just resumed service again.
We need Brightline to expand to many more state. We need this kind of service in the USA
Can't wait for the Orlando leg to finally open. And we need them to be successful so other areas in the US see what's possible! If only Amtrak weren't hamstrung by its government ties and having to share tracks!
Amtrak isn't hamstrung by being government owned, it's hamstrung by the private ownership of railways.
look at countries with successful railway systems and you'll see none that got built by private hands (a few got privatized but that is another story)
Rode the Brightline 2.28.2022. Bought premium seats. West Palm to Miami and back. Very enjoyable.
Your videos are getting so much better and fast. This video is by far my favourite you’ve made, the editing was great, the voice overs and pace, and the music. Everything was amazing
Thanks! I’m learning as we go. Appreciate you noticing!!
Really looking forward to the extension. It would be an awesome addition to have an extension in the future to the north from the Orlando station with stops in The Villages, Ocala & Gainesville. This would really be beneficial to those looking to get to Orlando/Tampa from the Northern points without the Turnpike or I-75 and would be excellent for those who cruise out of Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale & Miami and also to the airports.
In my opinion i think Orlando should really up the coverage of Sunrail when they get the Brightline connection. Orlando has so much potential and sites but poor connection in commuting.
Maybe they could get sun rail to go out north.
Amazing! After just coming off a round-trip CHI-PDX Empire Builder - I just might have to book a flight to Miami to ENJOY a BRIGHT TRAIN. It may not be fair to compare BL to Amtrak but I hope Brightline is the future for US rail travel. Thanks Jeb.
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I live in Florida, and as one who dreads driving on the "Highway of Death" otherwise known as RTE 95, to get anywhere, I am a fervent cheerleader for the Brightline. They are also going to have a spur to the Miami cruise port in the future! Yahoo!!
Great post. Hopefully we can get more trains like this in America for commuters or High speed rail.
The issue is not the trains but the right of way. True high speed rail has no grade crossings.
Thanks Jeb - didn't know about this and would use if I am ever in the area. Nice to see train travel return to the US and this is absolutely something I would use once it gets to places I visit.
I wish we could have this kind of service in Canada, between Edmonton and Calgary, or Edmonton to Vancouver!!!great video, great Brightline!!!!!
Come to the Netherlands and you’ll be amazed by our public transportation, the best in the world
Only in the US is this classed as high speed.
The UK had the Intercity 125 service, that ran at 125mph and started in 1975. The Intercity 225 (225kmh - or 140mph) entered service in the mid 1980s.
The Shijiazhuang-Wuhan high-speed railway does 220mph over 522 miles.
The Ligne à Grande Vitesse Est européenne (East European High Speed Line) between Paris and Strasbourg and provides fast services between Paris and the principal cities of Eastern France as well as Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland. It was the fastest service in the world at average speed of 279.3 km/h (173.5 mph) in 2007 before the Shijiazhuang-Wuhan high-speed railway opened. A specially modified train performed a series of high-speed tests on the first phase of the LGV Est prior to its opening. In April 2007, it reached a top speed of 574.8 km/h (159.6 m/s, 357.2 mph), becoming the fastest conventional train and fastest train on a national rail system.
But all of these are slow in comparison to the next gen Maglev trains that are being developed. China has the Shanghai maglev and is the world's first commercial high-speed maglev, it has a cruising speed of 431 km/h (268 mph). A maglev bullet train that can reach speeds of 600 kilometers per hour (373 miles per hour) has made its debut in Qingdao, China and is slated for use between key Chinese cities.
With that said, good to see more trains in the US but odd that a country that touts itself as 'the best in the world' is installing "new" trains based upon 50 years old tech.
I agree, this isn’t high speed. Plus the us had inter city steam trains that ran at 125 in the 30s
@@darthmaul216 Really? Where?
The UK has the LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard which ran at 126mph which to this day is a record of steam powered trains.That record was set in 1938.
If I got a dollar everytime a Western European tourist came to Miami and gleefully told me they planned to do a roadtrip from Miami to NYC then to the grand cannon all in a week id be a rich man .
The U.S is ENOURMOUS , our cities spread out the only metro área with the density to support high speed rail is the NE corredor from DC - Balimore to NYC .
I took the Brightline to Miami before Covid. Premium class was really nice. The lounge in Miami had a small bar set up with a bartender. Looks like they've replaced that with a machine. Hopefully they'll reconsider post pandemic. I will definitely take Brightline to Miami again for the boat show next month.
Once it goes to Orlando and Tampa I think it'll kick up in both usefulness and passengers tbh. The opportunity of tourists flying in/out of miami or orlando and being able to go to both on the train is a promising one if you don't want to drive between them.
The people saying you are better off driving have never dealt with the traffic on 95. Once you start getting near Ft. Lauderdale it is bad all the way into Miami unless you go really early in the morning or late at night. I used the Brightline between West Palm and Miami, 2 to 3 times a week during most of 2019, and most of the time It way better than driving. If you have a large group then you have to take the total cost into account and it might not be worth the cost vs a car but overall I liked using it.
Both stations are very clean ,everyone nice and great service, comfortable ride. It was first time taking the trip from West Palm to Miami, had tickets later for the Polar Express event. Looking forward to service opening up in Orlando!
Oh my gosh! No way! I've always wanted to meet you. I watch all your vlogs. I live in Palm Beach ⛱😎 FL. I've been on brightline at least 30 times . I was ar their initial launch back a few years ago. This line is absolutely stunning. I love the Miami station 🚉😍! I've eaten , slept, and chatted on this train. It's just the best.
This is amazing!! Especially as I typically use public transit and ubers on my trips. A great way to do 2 cities in a weekend
Floridians are happy to finally be getting a speed train! We have voted for since 1985!
Great video review and I totally love the name/style of Brightline over what might have been "Virgin Trains USA" it just doesn't have that nice ring to it haha. But hopefully they can finish the Orlando/Disney segment too.
Then I also heard that Brightline is working on a LA to Las Vegas route also in the future which would be amazing! They're doing great things for fast rail in the US.
Very glad to see a real and workable solution for mass transit in the US finally!
Hoping this venture proves profitable!
I rode Brightline from Miami to West Palm Beach and back in February 2020. In a word it is great.
I have urged Brightline management to look at establishing a similar service from DFW to San Antonio.
As to the entertainment, I have a mind blower. A book! Entertainment and learning wrapped up in one source. What will I come up with next?
The next time I go to Florida I am definitely going to check Brightline out. That train is beautiful. Florida is so awesome 😎. I Love Florida.
I would definitely use this especially the full route to Tampa via Orlando. Hopefully there are regular connecting buses to travel around the towns near the stations
Tampa's HART system goes just about everywhere in town. There are water taxis along the river, and a legacy streetcar line. You need to plan ahead if you're from out of town, but it's doable.
There are also connections to St. Pete and the Gulf beaches, via PSTA.
Tampa Bay, as a region, is trying to get more transit friendly. It's not quite where it needs to be just yet: good luck getting home from, say, a Lightning game, if you're staying in Pinellas County. But there is a regional transit authority that's trying to make Tampa Bay easier to get around for the un-carred.
It's definitely a project, but it is in progress.
@@ToABrighterFuture there needs to be either rapid bus or train to st Pete from tampa. ESP if there was a “baby brightline” from tampa to st pete
I'm a San Diegan who has to head to Orlando and Ft Lauderdale for work all the time. Flying Direct to Orlando on Alaska, then taking the Brightline to FLL for the second half of the trip would be amazing and help avoid overcrowded and delay prone hub airports. I can't wait!
Another great review.
I hope the service gets some decent usage during work commuter hours, because every video I've seen of it over the years shows almost nobody on board.
I love traveling by train so I would definitely take the Brightline if I were traveling up/down the Florida coast.
Would be great once they get the Orlando station open because it would open up many new cruise options with west palm beach, ft. Lauderdale, Miami and eventually Tampa to destinations that only have air service to MCO
This train will be fully-filled soon. Best of blessings to Brightline!
Lots'a love, cheers, & Mabuhay, from tropical Philippines!
Those of us living in Lakeland Florida (between Tampa and Orlando) are lobbying hard for a stop in Lakeland. This would indeed be a game changer. If Brightline does this, then I'll frequent the service for a night on-the-town at Downtown Disney (I would never consider driving I-4 for an evening at Downtown Disney). And I would travel to Miami much more frequently to visit friends. I think Brightline will be surprised how much demand there is for this service!
Good luck
I wish it would come to ftmyers, I would ride it all the time between ftmyers and Tampa.
Keep adding stops and the travel time goes up up up, soon you’ll be able to drive there and beat the train!
@@robertdeltiempo4411 Agreed. But adding a stop probably adds 3 minutes to travel time (1 minute in the station + 2 minutes of deceleration (average 50% of max speed for these 2 minutes) + 2 minutes of acceleration (average 50% of max speed for these 2 minutes)).
So if travel time for the 60mi between Disney and Tampa is 40 minutes (avg speed = 100mph), then lengthening trip to 43 minutes seems reasonable for the benefit of adding a stop.
It probably also makes sense to add 1 stop between PalmBeach and Orlando (in the VeroBeach/FtPierce area).
Now that you Know me (LMAO), I don't like driving if I can help it (retired). So I'm part of that 2% on trains (live in San Bernardino travel to L.A.). For me it's fast, cost effective, and I can fall asleep and no one get's upset (like when I drive). Thanks again, glad I ran into u 2 DAY (not driving of course LMAO).
As someone living in the Netherlands, it's surreal to see how different the situation is in America. The biggest one is the time I arrive at the station; never more than 10 minutes before departure, although for most of my journeys I don't even check beforehand. Trains generally leave every 15 minutes so I check the time when I arrive (by bicycle or shared scooter) to see if I need to run, walk or have time to get a coffee.
And you need an OV chipcard which is sometimes a problem for international travellers who don't.
@@uncinarynin which you can buy online, in the app or in the station ;-)
Sounds like NYC’s subways would be more appropriate for you. Florida doesn’t have that kind of rail infrastructure.
@@spowell5997 That’s because the Netherlands (the entire country) has the population of the NYC metropolitan area.
I think a lot of Europeans underestimate just how large and spread out the United States is. Train systems like Europe uses aren't practical in most areas... they are expensive to build, and would fail except in the few more densely-populated areas of the country like New England.
I took the Brightline train from West Palm to Miami and return on 11/8 - the 1st day of the service re-inauguration after the pandemic. My initial booking on their website was fine, and then it disappeared from the website and my mobile app. I then re-booked since I really wanted to make the trip . The trip I ended up on was the 9:48am departure from West Palm. We actually hit a vehicle blocking the tracks in Pompano Beach. Can't say I've ever had that experience before. The rest of the trip to Miami and return was wonderful. I loved the Brightline trains and their service (I highly recomend the premium option) however, their app had problems when I booked my original ticket. The reservation appeared and then vanished! I re-booked to make sure I could get my ticket, and Brightline billed me twice! I only took 1 trip. I have spent weeks trying to get my double-booking fee refunded (today from 10/26/21) with no luck. I have had it, and unless my refund is shortly forthcoming, this was the 1st and last time I am riding Brightline. Amtrak at least is more accomodating!
You probably should’ve called them up right when you noticed the reservation vanishing from your app after you bought it.
But of course you can’t go back in history so why don’t you just go to a station in person if you live near one and show them the two charges. I had the same problem but with AAA they charged me twice and they didn’t want to change it they said my credit card company needed it to do that my credit card company to AAA so I went back-and-forth and finally AAA gave me my money back for the double charge but no apology or anything for the time I took to spend a long time on the phone.
I would probably use this train. One great idea when it's complete, if I scheduled a cruise and fly into Tampa (cheaper ticket), it would be cool to take the Bright line to the Miami/ft. Lauderdale stop for the port & cruise. I like the idea of several departure times per day. That's 😎.
I've been to Orlando several times, but never visited Miami. I'd be happy to take Brightline between those cities, and it would certainly be easier than driving.
I can not wait to take this train! Nice video as usual Jeb!!
Unquestionably I'll take this train! Hoping to see Brightline expand to Jacksonville, Tallahassee, and the Panhandle.
As always, great video Jeb! As an avid Disney world fan I’m really hoping the expansion to Disney Springs actually happens. My in laws used to be near Lakeland and this would have been perfect from MCO to their place.
Great video!! Thank you for all the info & for the tour!! 😃 I've always been afraid to ride Amtrak, but I feel to ride the Brightline. 🙂
All this for $30? Hell I might go to Florida just for this. Fly to miami, get brightline up to Orlando to go to the theme parks. Seems like a great time
You need to pay attention to the video. No, it doesn’t run to Orlando yet and no, it won’t be $30 to Orlando when it does.
@@afcgeo882 I'm welll aware of both of those things, however when it does run to Orlando that would be a nice trip, and if this is what $30 buys you, the longer trip, will still likely be very good value for money. No need to be rude about it.
@@brianholmes1812 even if it’s $100, it would be cheaper than the airlines and therefor be worth it. Given gas prices, it might even be cheaper than driving for $100 from Miami to Orlando.
I love taking the brightline, the whole experience feels lavish 🤣 and to top it off the miami station is 3 minutes walk from my condo