Brightline, the train service that now connects Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, conducted its first test into the new terminal on Tuesday.
The train rolled into the airport’s new intermodal terminal facility. Once open, the facility will serve as a hub for Brightline’s new Miami to Orlando route and, if the plan is approved, for Brightline’s expansion through Orlando to Tampa.
“Bringing the Brightline train into the Orlando station is a huge and significant milestone for the future of transportation here in central Florida. To be able to have higher-speed premium passenger railway services here in the Orlando region and connecting down to Miami… it’s just the future,” said project engineer Jerome Hall.
“I’m excited that we are part of that and being able to make that happen,” he added.
The train was returned to the company’s maintenance facility south of the airport after the test.
Brightline is over 80 percent finished. In 2023, the line will begin transporting passengers from Orlando to Miami.
The Intermodal Terminal Facility is intended to serve as a hub for many types of rail and land transportation.
The trip from Miami to Orlando takes roughly three hours, saving travelers an hour or more compared to driving.
That’s significant given that the only current choices for visitors are to rent a car or take a 40-minute connecting flight.
Three more stations are being built in South Florida: Boca Raton, Aventura, and PortMiami, where passengers can get off the train and board cruise ships docked there.