Florida's High-Speed Rail Makes Sudden Change
Passengers load up on the Brightline train at the Fort Lauderdale station during the inaugural trip from Miami to West Palm Beach on May 11, 2018 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The company announced cost increases for commuters in South Florida, resulting in criticism among those who say they can’t afford the price hikes.
Florida residents may soon see a change in their train-travel options, as the popular high-speed rail company Brightline has announced it is altering its rates for riders this summer.
On its website, the company said it would discontinue its $10-per-ride monthly commuter pass on June 1. The pass is set to be replaced with new, more expensive fixed-rate packages.
“In recent months, it has become increasingly difficult to accommodate all Guests as peak trains are reaching capacity,” the company said. Newsweek has contacted Brightline for comment via email.
Commuters currently purchase 40 one-way tickets for $399 to all destinations between West Palm Beach and Miami, but in less than a month, they may be able to buy only 10-ticket packages without much savings.
The 10 single rides to and from stations will cost $350 for “SMART”-tier riders and $550 for premium riders, Brightline said. The stations are Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach.
Ten single rides to and from any station between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, including the Aventura station, will cost $250 for “SMART”-tier riders and $350 for premium riders.
The first set of 10 tickets are free, but the next 40 tickets will cost $1,400, an estimated 251 percent increase, NBC affiliate 6 South Florida reported.
The sale of SoFlo Solo Passes, SoFlo Shared Passes and All Station Shared Passes will be discontinued as part of the change, Brightline said. Current passholders can continue to use their pass until it expires.
Brightline has been “restricting available capacity for short-distance trips to meet demand for more profitable long-distance segments (Orlando),” the company’s March bondholders report says, according to The Palm Beach Post.
There was a 31 percent year-over-year decline between March 2023 and March 2024 in terms of ridership, with numbers predicted to decrease even further because of the new rate structures and focus on a newer station.
Brightline spokesperson Ben Porritt told the publication that the company’s long-term focus had always been on the Orlando market.
Construction on a 37,350-square-foot Brightline station situated inside the Orlando International Airport began in January 2022 and was completed in April 2023. Ticket sales launched a month later, and the station opened for service in September.
The station features two 1,000-foot-long platforms, 87 TV screens and 78,000 LED lights that light up the entrance.
The company says it has worked with South Florida Regional Transportation Authority to facilitate a new Tri-Rail express route serving daily commuters between West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Brightline’s MiamiCentral Station. The plan is expected to be voted on this month.
“I think it’s ludicrous what they’re trying to do and taking advantage of the people that have been with them since day one, that have supported them since day one,” Yura Kim, who commutes from Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach, told CBS News 12.
Jeff Lewis, who lives in Fort Lauderdale and works in West Palm Beach, told the network that he chose housing based on the commuting options nearby.
“When I bought the condo, the biggest part of purchasing the condo was to be right by the Brightline station, so life decisions were made,” he said. “So now, it’s back on I-95, and we’ll see.”
“It sucks. You plan your life around something and then, it’s just taken away,” he continued.
Last month, Brightline West broke ground on a new all-electric, 218-mile rail line dubbed the “first true high-speed passenger rail system” that will transport riders between Las Vegas and southern California.
Trains are expected to travel from Rancho Cucamonga, California, to Las Vegas, with a station in Victor Valley, California. A Metrolink regional rail train has a route from Los Angeles to Rancho Cucamonga, extending access to even more customers in southern California.
The company said almost 50 million annual trips occur between Las Vegas and southern California, 85 percent of which were conducted by vehicle, and called the trip “unpredictable, unreliable and challenged by congestion.”
“Brightline West expects to serve more than 11 million one-way passengers annually,” the company said.
That project is expected to be completed before 2028, when Los Angeles is set to host the Summer Olympics.
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