Brightline

Last month I joined my wife and her aunt, uncle, and cousin for a trip aboard the Brightline train, which has express stops to West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami.  It is a privately owned passenger rail that offers a decidedly more high end experience than the Tri-Rail, which has served South Florida for a few decades.  The trains are spacious, immaculate, and very comfortable.  The stations have lounges and big screen TVs, soon to house bars and restaurants.  A destination in itself.

You can pay extra for services that includes snacks and beverages.  That runs $30 round trip.  We took the $20 option, still a bit pricey but not something we'll do too often.  We all had a good experience, even though we missed our intended ride back as we misjudged the time needed to get to the Miami station, which is not too far from Bayside.  The Brightline folks want you there 15 minutes before departure, and are serious about leaving on time.  We crashed on comfy sofas and watched soccer while we waited for the next one, two hours later.  That was on a Sunday; during the week the trains run hourly.

The Brightline saga hasn't been without controversy and mishap.  In the first few weeks, a few pedestrians were hit and killed by the high speed trains.  But this has occurred with the Tri-Rail and cargo trains as well.  There are ongoing battles with residential zones (traffic, noise) on the existing routes and northward, as there are plans to have service to Orlando.  That will be popular.  I hope this venture succeeds.