The high-speed rail line connecting the cities of Miami and Orlando, Florida, will begin the week of January 8 an “introductory service” between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, the Brightline company announced today.
The private firm, in charge of the project valued at 3.1 billion dollars, said on Twitter that prices and schedules of trains will be released soon on its website.
According to local newspaper Sun Sentinel, the central station in Miami, in the urban center of the city, will be operational in about three months and it is expected that during the summer of 2018 the Miami – West Palm Beach route will officially begin. It will be completed in one hour.
It is still unknown when the second phase of the project will begin to operate, running from West Palm Beach to Orlando International Airport, some 150 miles (241 kilometers) away by road.
Once the project is completed, Brightline points out that the route between Miami and Orlando, in the center of the state, will be completed in three hours.
The implementation of this line, which only on the Miami – Fort Lauderdale – West Palm Beach section expects to have a total of 16 round trips per day, has been delayed by a series of legal and financing problems, According to the newspaper.
In Miami, the platforms will be located on a platform 50 feet (more than 15 meters) from the street level and the station will have cafes, restaurants and shops.