Florida’s Brightline Train Resumes Operations

On November 8th, Brightline, the Florida-based high-speed train, resumed service between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, following a near 20-month shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. To commemorate the relaunch, Brightline is offering fare-free rides until December 31, 2021.

The relaunch brings multiple service enhancements. They are launching  Brightline+, beginning December 1, a shuttle and ride-sharing service powered supported by Brightline branded vehicles, to help passengers get to and from train stations.

Citizens Culinary Center (formerly Central Fare), the 26,000-square-foot food hall operated by developer and sbe hospitality groups’ Sam Nazarian’s C3 (Creating Culinary Communities) concept has also reopened. Located on the second floor of the Miami station, there are currently 16 stalls with offerings by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto (Sa’Moto), Michelin-decorated Dani Garcia (El Pollo Verde), internationally-known Italian butcher Dario Cecchini (Cicci Di Carne), and Miami-based pastry chef Cindy Kruse (Cindy Lou’s Cookies). 

They are also introducing their signature sit-down bar, Mary Mary, named after Florida East Coast Railway founder Henry Flager’s first and third wives, Mary Lily Kenan and Mary Harkness Flagler. It will serve all-day breakfast, lunch and dinner. They are also launching MRKT, a fully autonomous market, to facilitate the purchase of snacks and other packaged travel items.

The company has also implemented a series of Covid protocols both in-station and on-board, including an almost touchless transportation system. Safety measures include increased cleaning, pre-packaged foods, touchless bathrooms, cashless payment, and electronic tickets. Per the existing federal mandate, passengers and teammates will be required to wear masks in stations and onboard all trains. Brightline features reserved seating, and the private four-person table configurations within each coach have plexiglass dividers, providing increased privacy and distancing.

Brightline currently serves Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, and plans to enhance access along this route with the addition of stations in Aventura and Boca Raton in 2022.  The company also expects to complete construction of a terminal at the Orlando International Airport by the end of 2022; discussions regarding expansion to Disney World and Tampa. are underway. Brightline also plans to provide service between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

For more information, visit the Brightline website