Brightline from Miami to Orlando - First Trip and Station Reviews!

[@alanthefisher]

Still jealous that you got the train without the window dots. I cant believe my whole train had a wrap on every single window.

[@MilesinTransit]

For a three and a half hour trip, too! I'd get sick by the end!

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Foamers be like: "I fear no man....but that thing" D O T S "It scares me"

[@Unmannedperson]

Sounds like you and Thibault of SimplyRailway were on the same train?

[@nitehawk86]

My last 2 trips on Amtrak the train was so dirty, it might as well have had a full train wrap covering every window. Oh well, a Norfolk Southern train was stopped on the inner lane of the Altoona Curve so you couldn't see anything. Poor old guy next to me was really excited to see it and missed the whole thing.

[@KittyLovesFerries]

OOF

[@cstrutherskgs]

Crazy how most trains in the world operate fine without headcounts.

[@felixtv272]

And without security checks

[@baseballfan99]

They have security checks on Spanish high speed rail. No headcount though

[@af8312]

crazy how most trains in the world operate fine without charging people $80 for a trip that should be $25. Ohhhhh waaaaaaaaait privitization.

[@nicksavill6617]

Many UK trains (probably other countries too) have automatic headcount technology built in. Station departure boards and on train passenger information systems can tell you which carriages are crowded or empty.

[@nyc90]

Leave it to the internet to criticize the first major train project in decades over the most minor details. Feels like we should be celebrating this pretty huge win?

[@3506Dodge]

The airportificaiton of passenger trains is a huge mistake.

[@cstrutherskgs]

Couldn’t agree more. It takes away a lot of what is good about train vs air travel

[@WilPayne]

I 99% agree but it's Florida so probably good to check for guns

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

@@WilPayne now that you mention it that actually makes sense.

[@SeanA099]

Yeah. It takes away a lot of the convenience of trains

[@ninyaninjabrifsanovichthes45]

Agreed

[@ryleesmith1480]

By international standards maybe this isn't as exciting, but I am incredibly jealous that FLORIDA of all places gets a sick new train...

[@sarrebal]

Florida has been the best State in the country in the past 3/4 years, so that’s no surprise. And a good, efficient, pleasant, and economically feasible train service shouldn’t be politicized. And it has been quite popular in Miami for a few years (driving to Ft Lauderdale and Palm Beach became a nightmare, especially since tons of people moved to South Florida from all over the country).

[@ninyaninjabrifsanovichthes45]

@sarrebal Idk where you're getting the "best state in the country" meme, but no, no it is not. As someone looking in from the outside, I think DeSantis is an absolute buffoon.

[@concretecat]

@@sarrebalright it’s so funny people poo-poo Florida so hard on the internet but in actuality Florida is awesome lmfaoo

[@briancurtis6022]

I know, the state most likely to declare public transit "woke" and shut it down.

[@peskypigeonx]

@@sarrebalOf all times to say that, you should not be saying it’s the best in the past 3-4 years

[@m.hreels9822]

There's something endearing about seeing a train full of nerds geeking out about public transit 😂 🤣👍🏻 we don't have enough people who appreciate stuff like you do nowadays bro! ❤️

[@Molejules]

This is quality Miles content: well shot, cohesive, and *focused* on the fine details. Although this video is actually kinda like Brightline itself! I'd love to ride it one day.

[@MilesinTransit]

Goddammit Jules, good emphasis choice 😂

[@ncard00]

The brightline trains do not show up on google maps when searching for trips with public transportation between all the different stations/cities where Brightline has service. Please share this information with Brightline leadership and staff and people you know, so this issue can be fixed quickly.

[@MilesinTransit]

@@ncard00 You know what, I noticed that day of but forgot to point it out! I can contact them about it.

[@nitehawk86]

@@ncard00 I wonder if they are not providing a public API that google and other transit maps can call to get schedule times?

[@jackwtat]

Oh hey, I'm in the background of one of your shots! I awkwardly said hi to you at the Orlando station opening 😅

[@MilesinTransit]

That's awesome - it was great to meet you!

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

"Shawty's like a melody in my head" More like transit's like a melody in your case! And the wooden Brightline toy train...people of culture know the Munipals NYC Subway, SEPTA, CTA, and NJ Transit wooden trains are where it's at! I know people don't like the airport-style security but considering this is Florida Man territory...it's understandable. MiamiCentral is such a solid location because on top of Brightline and Tri-Rail, you can also connect to Metrorail and the free Metromover! That weird intersection you saw by Stuart is Confusion Corner, called such because on top of the trains, eight different streets come together there! From 1893 to 1895, Stuart was called Potsdam. This name was chosen by Otto Stypmann, originally from Potsdam, Germany. It was renamed Stuart in 1895, in honor of landowner Homer Hine (Jack) Stuart Jr, who owned 160 acres around the railway station. Miami was named after the Miami River, which in turn is derived from Mayaimi, the historic name of Lake Okeechobee and the Native Americans who lived around it. Mayaimi meaning "big water". Miami is noted as the only major city in the United States founded by a woman. Julia Tuttle, a local citrus grower and a wealthy Cleveland native, was the original owner of the land upon which the city was built

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

So at the time this was recorded, MCO uses two different types of rolling stock for their People Mover system. Airsides 2 and 4 uses Bombardier CX-100s (or now the Innovia APM 100; also used on Miami's Metromover) while Airsides 1, 3, and the Intermodal Terminal uses Mitsubishi Crystal Movers, which is what you ended up riding. Crystal Movers are the ones used by the Macau LRT, Singapore's Punggol and Sengkang LRT, Dulles's AeroTrain, and MIA Mover and Skytrain. The voice heard is Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer. And to be fair to that sign pointing you to the train station at the airport, it's probably futureproofed to include downtown Orlando and the theme parks when that expansion opens, and of course SunRail. While Brightline definitely isn't perfect, it's still a fast and frequent intercity service and that's the point! I'm a big believer of "If you build it, they will come". I support all the big projects like this, California HSR, Brightline West, and Amtrak expansion. The more transit options that people have in the US whether it's Brightline, regional rail, or Amtrak, the better! And Orlando/Central FL and South Florida are employment centers of the state for different reasons, so demand for this is there. And as a real estate company, they're building housing by stations to address housing demands in South FL. Not to mention this will attract cruise goers as well as a way to get to the different cruise terminals.

[@holly5234]

Thats exactly my opinion too, it isn't perfect but its a very welcome change to see frequent service on this corridor from the twice daily amtrak trains. If anything I hope this gives more confidence to similar projects that can improve upon brightline (electric trains, full high-speed service, etc) but still the fact it exists now is already amazing I can finally avoid the dreaded Turnpike for once lol.

[@gnnascarfan2410]

Avery, how is it that you and I watch the same videos lol. I swear I see you on many of the same stuff I watch.

[@CPA0908]

TPA also uses Mitsubishi Crystal Movers for the SkyConnect train to the economy parking garage and rental car center.

[@cstrutherskgs]

Brightline out here competing with Via Rail to make rail travel as painful as air travel for no good reason. Manual headcounts, security, nit-picky rules, isle-cart instead of café car, excessive assigned seats for every class car, etc. Edit: Brightline has no current plans for a café car.

[@plasmaturkey48]

Damn I didn’t know there was a security check, jeez.

[@ianhomerpura8937]

Probably because it's right beside an airport. Given how TSA rules are extremely crazy, I won't be surprised.

[@PseudoFiction]

@@ianhomerpura8937 - there was security in Miami too, which was why Miles didn't take the water from the premium lounge

[@flyoma]

@@PseudoFiction It's Florida so people can carry guns pretty much wherever they want. Brightline has had some problems with guns on trains. And the security isn't taking water (and it's before you get to the lounge anyway). They just don't want you bringing your own booze on board... which I can agree with for a few reasons. I pass through with a bottled water or soda in my bag through the scanner with no problems every time I take Brightline, including through the exact same security check on the same day as seen here.

[@abrandenburg10]

I mean tbf their clientele is mainly floridians and tourists, not exactly groups you can trust to behave

[@ridesharegold6659]

The reason it's labeled as train station and brightline separately is because it's technically called "the Intermodal Terminal" but average people would have no idea what that means and Brightline is the only one using it right now. There's a platform already built for SunRail there but they still have to fix the signals on the 1.5 mile gap to the SunRail main line. It's also set up for bus (coach) service.

[@bobfreds]

As I understand it, the usefulness of the airport location is really supposed to improve once SunRail also extends to the airport, and then they have proposed stops in the vicinity of Disney with Brightline and the convention center (which should cover Epic Universe / international drive visitors as well), which in turn would benefit Brightline customers getting there too, and with existing stops should allow for Brightline customers to connect to Amtrak. SunRail seems kind of useless for tourists right now but this should make it much better, so long as they start operating on weekends as well.

[@sihollett]

Major airports already have infrastructure for out-of-towners to travel onwards / residents to go on multiple-day trips as that is what such airports need a lot of. Brightline is piggybacking on those free shuttle buses to hotels/theme parks, glut of taxis/ubers looking for fares, long-stay car parks, etc. It's not perfect, but it's better than a downtown location in a city like Orlando (where downtown isn't where the action is - hence why the extension plan was always west, rather than going to downtown) for a first station in the area.

[@nikkikim6908]

I don't think I've ever seen a train with a headcount before--so odd. I'm a flight attendant who went from a US airline to a Canadian one and we now have to do headcounts. It's a huge pain, but I normally just count the empty seats since the plane I work has 132 seats. 🤷‍♀Passengers also can't switch seats on my airline, which is weird. So this feels like a combination of Canadian airlines and VIA rail with the cart service. 😂 I'm excited that there's an easier way from FLL to MCO now though!

[@gary-f2m]

You would've thought that they couldve got ai to do the headcount. Similar to the technology that was used where Miles picked up his Synders

[@chadenglish4169]

Nice review of Brightline. I loved that you went to the 11th St Diner. I used to go there a lot when I lived in Miami Beach in the late 90s. Brings back good memories.

[@tiffanyt4005]

I went to Orlando by Brightline on the last week of winter break for New Year’s Eve Weekend, which was part 2 of my 23rd birthday surprise

[@thefareplayer2254]

This is a really fair and honest review! Love it! I think you made a really great point about Brightline not really treating passengers as adults: security check, lounge access caveats (compared to Amtrak), food carts, HEAD COUNTS, even the pestering nature of the Uber reminders. These feel like airline-style “innovations” that detract from the freedom and choice that Amtrak provides. Not having arrival station lounge access seems like a real downside for catching a connecting flight (although I guess it’s a capacity constraint?). Also, I find it sort of ironic that the “free market private train” company treats passengers more like children, whereas the “big government etc” railroad treats passengers like adults.

[@MilesinTransit]

Thank you, and agreed with your points!

[@karatransitfur]

So much of Brightline is super modern and nice, and then you have headcounts and a food cart 🤔

[@TampaCEO]

I used to live in the Parkline Palm Beach. It's the apartment building directly next door to the train station. It was an experience!

[@DoorsClosingTransit]

Loving the modern look of the Brightline stations and I’m looking forward to seeing the network grow! (PS: save me a sandwich haha)

[@ncard00]

Brightline needs to make it easier to walk and cycle to and from their stations!

[@MichaelSmith-mj1lt]

10:21 “Do you know we are going 130 miles per hour right now?” *Don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say it* “Are we?”

[@JonSkinner1944]

Awesome video! I wanted to say thanks for doing that part on the 11th Street diner that looks fabulous to checkout. I enjoyed you classic American diner reviews video.

[@MilesinTransit]

Thank you!

[@duchygardens]

This reminds me of the Enterprise train between Dublin and Belfast which was given big upgrade in the 90s. Both routes connect two places that really deserve a decent connection. They both give the impression of higher speed and comfort, and create a positive forward looking energy. I wish Brightline every success, hopefully electrified in years to come.

[@PenskePC17]

That scene with you and the little foamers was heartwarming 😂

[@MakeItWithCalvin]

As of the time of typing this the "Smart" averaged $79 for a one-way ride from Orlando to Miami and you got wifi, power outlets, and the seats. "Premium "averaged $149, or $50 extra. An Uber is ~$15 to go from the diner to the train station. So if you use the Uber, it drops it to $35 extra. The food seems nice, albeit it only makes sense IF you plan to be smart and get all the freebies that you can.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Miami? Pretty sure you meant GREATER CUBA! 😂It's a shame you didn't get to visit Little Havana/Calle Ocho and have some Cuban food like a frita cubana, ropa vieja or pastelitos, but I think visiting that awesome 11th Street Diner at Miami Beach makes up for it! I agree that Miami's skyline is underrated, it feels like the Vancouver of the Caribbean! Like if you compare the Miami skyline in the intro of ¿Qué Pasa, USA? (a 1977 PBS sitcom that I highly recommend watching as it's about an immigrant family adjusting to life in the US and fighting between their Latino traditions and adapting); it was the first bilingual sitcom) to now, you can clearly see development around Miami has exploded. Speaking of Cuba, the roosters found in South Florida like what you saw in Miami and Key West are descendants of Cuban ones bred for fighting. Doing that isn't legal in the US anymore, hence why a lot were released and now roam the region. Little Havana has big rooster statues, and the reason why is they were installed back in 2002 when there was a craze to put animal sculptures up in US cities. They're based on a model sculpted by Tony Lopez who had a pet rooster named Pepe who followed him around. Also, Cuba actually got trains before SPAIN itself did! Cuba's first steam railway line opened in 1837 when it was a Spanish colony, making it the seventh place overall to get trains.

[@KevinCNYC1991]

Brightline is just the beginning for rail on that part of the line. In a couple years, construction on the commuter rail called the Northeast Corridor (not to be confused for the one up north) will begin. It will add 50 daily trains between Miami Central and Aventura (34 during the weekends). There will also be five intermediate stops between Miami Central and Aventura. So yes, there will be more trains to come. There is also funding set aside to take the commuter line beyond Aventura and into Broward County, with plans to go to Palm Beach County also in the works.

[@MilesinTransit]

Amazing to hear!

[@alk61695]

You do have a point about the Orlando station being at the airport. If you're at the airport and a flight is cheaper, just get on the plane to FLL or MIA. And it will probably take the same amount of time. That being said Brightline is a huge step in the right direction for high speed train. Hopefully they'll expand to Tampa.

[@pokemonprimed]

aw, no comment on downtown Melbourne as you passed through, its a cute little downtown! It used to have a station under FEC, but it was razed in the 50s or 60s. The roundabout you passed in Stuart is actually Confusion Corner, a 7-way road and now 2-track rail intersection.

[@ravenrog]

I live a few blocks away from Confusion Corner in Stuart. Glad you got that in your vid

[@MajorBoondoggle]

Super cool! Miles, you gotta come back to the Twin Cities when NLX opens in a few years. We're planning a big event to celebrate the first Amtrak train to Minneapolis since the 80s!

[@randcarlson2296]

We better not be annoying foamers when that happens

[@MilesinTransit]

I really want to! Especially because I loved Duluth so much!

[@Madwonk]

Heck, I'm from North Dakota so whenever this happens you know I'll be coming to visit family on the way to foaming. It'll be the Minnesota Urbanist Meetup of the Century!

[@goldenstarmusic1689]

@@MilesinTransit We need a part two on the Northstar meetup, but Great River/TCMC edition since that actually will be starting service soon!

[@MilesinTransit]

@@goldenstarmusic1689 Or a part 2 of the Northstar meetup, "Now We Can Actually Go to Big Lake" edition!

[@arpitjain2591]

Was waiting for this to drop!

[@TrainzDriver2]

Best review yet

[@amadeosendiulo2137]

Nice pfp

[@m.hreels9822]

My only complaint is that I wish you had a wider angle lens because everything is shot so close. 🎥👍🏻 Definitely invest in a wide angle lens please! 🙏🏻 And sometimes it's really hard to see what you're showing.

[@freddysanders2826]

Shawty's like a melody in my head

[@KoiMorris]

Nice video and great review of the Brightline Train and stations! I'll have to check it out at some point. This would give me a reason to go to Miami again (I've only been there once in my life (in early 2001) and I flew to get there.

[@LMays-cu2hp]

Thank you for your review of tge new trsin system there in Florida.😊

[@PSDie]

12:18 Can't believe you got the legendary orange on record 🤩!!! It's practically a Melbourne, FL landmark. Brightline has been hell for everyone who lives around it, and yet i still want to ride it.....

[@LnnyOsoTo]

Where is it? I've been living near-ish and haven't seen it in my travels and now i kinda want to...

[@PSDie]

@@LnnyOsoTo north of us-1 and masterson

[@WillTheBassPlayer]

I would imagine those abrupt stops were for people or cars on the line and, knowing the history of brightline and cars' track record, they'd rather play it safe than sorry

[@MilesinTransit]

They both happened in sections without grade crossings, though!

[@m636rf9]

@@MilesinTransitSounds like a penalty brake application then. The 125 mph segment apparently uses some sort of modified PTC system that may still have some teething issues.

[@lewnwdc]

2:45 I can't believe there's security to board Brightline! Agree, extremely annoying. Is this inconvenience at every Brightline station or only MCO airport? I'm just blown away by the craziness of having to go to an airport to board a train -- and then have to endure airport security too! 😲😡

[@tobinstrike910]

The headcount is silly, they really have to find a better way. Aside that everything looks fantastic. I can’t wait until they replace that one single track bridge in Stewart and expand to Tampa/add more stops. Hopefully we can get Orlando to Jacksonville then to Savannah! It’s so nice to see this finally materialize, Amtrak take note.

[@CJbrinkman602]

I think that might have only been to make sure news and media was off the train, they didnt do that in all the other trip report videos of Brightline.

[@Fightclubatgmail]

@@CJbrinkman602in another video I watched they said their train was delayed a few minutes because some of the camera crew from the news was still on the train. It was probably crazy that first day with so many people who weren’t passengers at the station

[@HigherQualityUploads]

10:38 Yay! They hand the terminal to people! Was worried they would try to take the phone away like some of the airlines still do.

[@ChrisHockman]

I’m jealous of the pin. I love Brightline so much

[@acarr506]

Nice video I was hoping you would did a video. I'm definitely going check it out. I be glad when Brightside come to Tampa Florida. But know won't be long time.

[@finsfan9424]

Cool video cant wait take brightline from Orlando to miami

[@deaventuraconkikomas4281]

Thanks for sharing your experience in the brightline train. As I have heard or reed on a lot of people comments ,is not worthy to pay an extra $80 for a premium service.

[@R262SubwayTrain]

Brightline is a Great train can't wait for Infill Station between Orlando and WPB and the Extension to Tampa

[@ninyaninjabrifsanovichthes45]

I just want a stop near Disney so I actually have a reason to use Brightline, seeing as I don't live in Florida.

[@R262SubwayTrain]

​@@ninyaninjabrifsanovichthes45That will happen soon when they extend to Tampa

[@wturner777]

It would be really nice for Brightline to extend all the way into Northwest Florida where I live. We have the tracks for it. We need more passenger trains!

[@COASTER1921]

In THEORY they run a bus shuttle to the Aventura mall. It even gets its own bus bay in the bus station there so signage isn't even the main problem. But the one time I needed to use it I waited 90 minutes and not a single bus came despite calling Brightline every 30m where each time they let me know it should have been running that day. I had nothing better to do so just watched as people kept missing their trains for the day. I ultimately ended up taking an uber to tri-rail, and was glad I hadn't pre-purchased my ticket like the others.

[@MilesinTransit]

Oh my God, that sounds awful! I didn't realize Brightline could provide the classic North American bus experience...

[@ManyTriangles]

So basically the St Lucie river bridge has stayed single lane because neither Brightline nor the state of Florida wanted to pay to replace or widen this ~99 year old bridge that probably should be replaced soon anyways. More recently, fortunately, the age and impracticality of the bridge has garnered more attention and Florida and Brightline are apparently back in talks to replace the bridge which is good as I grew up in the area and that bridge has looked sketchy since I was a toddler. That being said, there is a cool bit of the sidewalk there that goes directly under the tracks giving you a cool opportunity to stand about 3-4 feet below a moving train and I’ll be a little sad if they get rid of that part. Either way though, progress is progress and I like it when train go fast. I also think they should put an intermediate station in St Lucie county as well since it’s been an area of rapid growth for 3 decades and it has the largest privately owned residential community this side of the Mississippi, as well as expanding to Jacksonville, Atlanta, and Savannah.

[@bbundridge]

They have a temporary 90mph due to not getting certification between Cocoa and WPB. Looks to be 110mph after Oct 17th (TBD) when the hourly schedule takes effect.

[@christait8503]

I don't know why I like these video's... but I do. Your excitement over a bog-standard train is infectious! When are you going to come over and experience the thrills of European commuter rail?

[@ianhomerpura8937]

You might like Classy Whale. He has videos outside the US, but mainly in Africa. Like the new railways in Morocco and Ethiopia.

[@MilesinTransit]

Thank you! Yeah, Classy Whale does a lot of international stuff - I have some videos from Barcelona, and I need to edit a bunch I filmed in Denmark.

[@Mentally_Will]

That's just the thing, in our culture, these trains AIN'T bog standard!

[@mcb187]

HALLELUJAH!! ITS FINALLY HAPPENING!

[@SebPartof2]

It Looks Like Brightline’s Future Is Bright

[@genmdse]

that orlando station existed about 4 years ago when i flew into mco. My brother parked in that garage and we took the people mover there. Thats why there are so many clicks on the water refiller thing

[@badgerattoadhall]

Train station in airports are great! One of the great things of Europe.

[@jasertio]

Wasn't this trip technically orlando to miami? Edit: alright I've watched the whole video now. It's Orlando to Miami and then back to Orlando.

[@rwdavidoff]

The Cocoa station proposal as I understand it is basically right after the tunnel and curve onto the FEC, behind the Walmart if you look on the map--they own a bunch of property there they were using for staging ties and stuff, and they bought a bunch more a year or three back.

[@rwdavidoff]

It's kind of a nice location, nothing super-walkable in range, but fast access to A1A for shuttles to Port Canaveral for cruises and everything. In theory someplace a few miles south closer to Cocoa Village proper might be better for walkable stuff near the station, but it'd be worse for some of the cruise and tourism intercity traffic Brightline is currently mostly targeting for Cocoa I think?

[@ladyhaymaker1384]

Terminal C is everything International....and JetBlue. As someone who flies to Orlando regularly, I had to do a lot of walking and tram riding on many different trips while all of the terminal C things were being built like the rental car garage. I always managed to come in on the very last gate and have to walk what feels like a mile.

[@MilesinTransit]

I have to say, though, I flew JetBlue home from Orlando and it was amazing how short the security line was since my flight was before the international rush! The line at the main section of the airport is always interminable.

[@ladyhaymaker1384]

@@MilesinTransit I reread my comment and I want to apologize to Terminal C for seemingly shitting all over it. It's clean and new and well laid out and organized - I would love some people movers though 😂

[@colinbecker6869]

Excited for the sunshine corridor extension hopefully soon. Will connect sunrail all the way up to Deland to MCO I believe

[@HalianTheProtogen]

DeBary; the DeLand extension is dead in the water, and the station there is far from town & not currently served by public transit.

[@3dkidsartfairs]

@@HalianTheProtogen actually, the Deland project is under construction (no joke)

[@HalianTheProtogen]

@@3dkidsartfairs :O holy crap

[@carlieandmannyplays1026]

In loneStar Trips video intro, you can see yourself getting caught running haha

[@MilesinTransit]

Oh wow, I went back to check! That's SO funny.

[@cqgator]

bruh how did u make it to this premiere that's so dope

[@MilesinTransit]

I flew down!

[@officialmcdeath]

Scent of strongly-applied brake, you say? That harks back to fond memories of early MkIII vehicles in the UK, you may well have sold me on this \m/

[@MrBblhed]

Nice Brighline video, please tell me that you rode sunrail and are planning a review of it including LYNX central station.

[@MilesinTransit]

I didn't ride Sunrail this time around :(

[@MrBblhed]

@@MilesinTransit bummer, you really should check it out if you get the chance.

[@nitehawk86]

1:52 Giant sign but they took up so much space with the logo and yellow crap that there wasn't enough room to spell out the stations.

[@jlee1522]

I kinda love the toaster, I almost want to toast something

[@maddieireland2370]

My grandma lives in Stuart so I spend a lot of time there… it’s a nice little town! I hope they add a stop there so they don’t have to always come pick me up from west palm beach airport lol

[@rabbbirumba2397]

For anyone who has ridden brightline, are the seats the exact same as the Amtrak Midwest ones in terms of comfort?

[@MilesinTransit]

Pretty much. Maybe a little plusher?

[@anthonylamesa7619]

Is it possible to add some new stations between West Palm Beach and Orlando? Since it's not true high-speed anyway, wouldn't hurt to add a new station or two, IMHO.

[@nbajammer2]

There should definitely be one by Cocoa for cruise passengers to get to Port Canaveral from MCO.

[@radagastwiz]

They've proposed Stuart, Fort Pierce, and Cocoa.

[@CreatorPolar]

Cocoa and Stuart have expressed interest in having stations so they will hopefully be built within the next 5 years and make the extension more useful because it’s essentially a shuttle between the Miami metro and MCO

[@MilesinTransit]

Yeah, I would love to see a more local service on the line. Especially when several of these cities built their bus hubs right next to the tracks!

[@HumblElephant]

While the security check + headcount definitely seems a bit much for train travel, it's still exciting to see the opening of such a major line in a state where the only thing they love more than their guns are their cars (and low taxes of course). Hopefully a success with Brightline will finally show that yes, Americans will use rail if you make it useful and accessible

[@LnnyOsoTo]

I just want them to open more stations man... My wife and I see the Brightline train pass by every single morning on our drive to work but our nearest station is Orlando which is more than an hour away driving. There's even an international airport (MLB) less than 10 minutes drive from the train tracks that Brightline uses.

[@kirkrotger9208]

Uber dots! Uber dots! Right now you're looking at some Uber dots!

[@stephenkeever6029]

You may have had Uber dots, but at lease you didn't have über dots alles! I enjoyed your usual frenetic style with your measured deep analysis of transit for this transit historical event. It was fun seeing your Hitchcockian cameo in @Lonestar Trip Reports

[@MilesinTransit]

Thank you!

[@shreychaudhary4477]

This is maybe why I started waving at trains coming in and out of a station

[@ScottShedd123]

Need this from New York to Orlando

[@christianweibrecht6555]

I hope we expand and improve all trains that run between all notable East Coast cities Make traveling between Yonkers and Boston easier

[@AlktatStudios]

fun video! how can I get my hands on the modern vignelli shirt?

[@MilesinTransit]

It was a gift from my uncle from the NYC Transit Museum, but I can't seem to find it on their website not :(

[@lewnwdc]

7:28 I find it bizarre that there are zero stops between Orlando and West Palm Beach. That's a long distance!

[@MilesinTransit]

Yeah, hopefully they add more.

[@95mushroom]

I'm a 3rd generation Floridian, that was born and raised in Miami, then Deerfield Beach, and attended college at UCF. I'm near Pensacola now, but its been years since I've been back to FTL/Miami, family and friends moved away mostly. I've been all over the west FL coast, and to Orlando recently, but I still get some mild homesickness every now and then. Brightline seems like it would be great to incorporate into a trip back to some old stomping ground and see how much the areas have grown up. Thanks for the video.

[@DizTraveler]

wow you were in my town! I was there on Sept 22, but did NOT do Brightline, instead got the free "swag" for the Terminal C. Tried to get into the Brightline station but was not allowed to. VIP party going on. As far as cost goes, my point is $79 is ok for Orlando to Miami, but its the same cost if you go to any city. So Orlando to WPB is $79 (Smart Fare). However if you go from Miami to WPB ($17 I believe for Smart Fare). So you made point about Premium vs Smart. One must consider all the expenses to see which one is more resonable. (Uber fare $26 from 11th Street Diner to station) which is covered by the Premium fare. So much to think about! Well done....

[@alexbonilla_ova1623]

I've been inching towards revisiting Miami (been a decade since I've gone) and that diner was enough to get that up the priority list a notch, what a lovely looking spot (and food looked great too!)

[@MilesinTransit]

The French toast was spectacular!

[@Joseph-rt6kb]

I never knew u rode the vero beach bus! I live in vero beach and love your videos!!! Yes there is plans to build a station in downtown ft pierce and yes the county that vero beach is in tried to sue brightline.

[@Joseph-rt6kb]

Martin county (stuart) also tried to sue.

[@Joseph-rt6kb]

Id personally love a station in vero but the locals here are very opposed. They want to keep the town small and not welcome all the city folk. Id love to use it as a commuter rail to orlando or south florida since im along the route and driving on i-95 can be quite dangerous.

[@calvincoolidge1207]

@@Joseph-rt6kb Sounds quite snobby. They don't mind people coming to enjoy spring training games though.

[@holly5234]

I was wondering if you would travel here to see this. Been waiting for this for years at this point and Its amazing to finally see it as someone who has been following it (and hopes to ride it soon). Its been badly needed especially with the hellish drive on Florida highways to Orlando I really hope it can expand even more (looking at Tampa and Disney hopefully). I know its not the best solution especially with the amount of crossing gates but its a very helpful connection and actually feels modern, hopefully that helps show how good train travel can be for these medium distance corridors across the country.

[@Harmonikdiskorde]

😀I was having such an awful day but watching this made me feel so much better!

[@MilesinTransit]

Aw man, I'm glad this could help!

[@cooltwittertag]

they have checked bags?? ive never had a train that tries to make me pay for luggage

[@ClassyWhale]

So...Orlando airport apple or Cleveland market apple?

[@MilesinTransit]

I don't really remember the Cleveland Market one! I find that apples tend to be good or bad, but a GREAT apple is hard to come by. I think both were pretty good.

[@Curling_Rack]

14:20 - Train got baptized lol

[@tombowers3681]

I've never been to either Orlando or Miami so the only question is this, Is either city really a destination that you can enjoy without a car of your own? So many cities here in the US are so car centered that getting to the downtown is essentially a Pyrrhic victory as all you find is a hollowed out center city full of closed office buildings. If you are going to need to rent or somehow get a car to do anything once you're there, why not take your car? Proposals keep getting floated for a Higher speed rail connection between Charlotte and Atlanta. The time to travel isn't much different than a car and if you include time to get to and wade through the station it seems pretty slow especially since once you get to CLT or ATL they are both car dominated sprawling cities with minimal safe clean public transit.

[@MilesinTransit]

This is why they need to extend to one of the big Orlando theme parks. Miami's transit is decent for American standards, and if they could get close to the grounds of Disney or Universal, people could easily stay in those places without needing a car.

[@tombowers3681]

good point, after all Disney/Universal is the real reason why anyone goes to ORD @@MilesinTransit

[@sarrebal]

You definitely don’t need a car in Miami.

[@bailagringacovers]

Miami has a robust public transit system

[@mattheww2797]

Miami you don't need a car downtown

[@m.hreels9822]

Cool 😎 I appreciate your dedication! I'm hoping they build the extra tracking down to Cocoa Beach 🏖️ I would rather take the brightline then fly or drive from Orlando! ❤

[@bengibbardofficial]

the configuration of these train cars is super similar (or maybe 1:1) to chinese high speed rail cars circa like 2014 even down to the weird pyramid screens that announce the stops

[@nyc90]

This comment section is so disheartening. This project is such a great thing, and a real serious effort to improve passenger train travel in America, which we so desperately need. And everyone in the comments are trying to find the tiniest reasons as to why it is terrible. I for one am really excited about Brightline and I hope we see additional extensions to the theme parks, Tampa, and other parts of Florida.

[@LANCELOT1911]

My thoughts exactly, especially when you consider how woefully behind Merica' is in passenger rail compared to many other countries.

[@MyDumbQuestion]

In regards to the Aventura station. They will be building a crosswalk over the highway so that people can walk to the mall without taking a shuttle. Also, one thing that wasn't mentioned in the video, Brightline has worked out a deal with Tri-Rail and will be letting them use the tracks to serve that portion of SFLA since the current tri-rail line only runs through the western portions of Broward, Dade, and Palm beach.

[@MilesinTransit]

I thought they reneged on the Tri-Rail deal and want to run the commuter rail service themselves instead.

[@MyDumbQuestion]

@@MilesinTransit That's my first time hearing that. I'll have to do some research. Either way, it's still a win IMHO.

[@MilesinTransit]

@@MyDumbQuestion Oh definitely! It serves the downtowns of the various areas way better.

[@carlo15111]

Lol love how you pronounced Broward County

[@MilesinTransit]

I had a sneaking suspicion I might've said that wrong...

[@ChillinSicilian]

12:18 I can confirm that is a big orange. I live right by there and I think it used to be an orange juice stand for tourists driving US1

[@MilesinTransit]

Aha! Thank you for the confirmation!!

[@Pensyfan19]

Incredible review! Every word you said in this video was undoubtedly true, and the diner in Miami was a nice find as well. Even though people may debate Brightline's status as high speed, it more than solidifies its reputation for incredible interiors and frequencies, which are unlike that of anything in the country. I'd actually like to argue that Brightline's Orlando station is better located than Amtrak's, since most people visiting Orlando (myself included in the past) usually fly to the airport, and that airport is the perfect location to set up an intercity rail station with access to Miami and eventually Tampa. With this long awaited Orlando extension finally open, Brightline will now have the chance to shine as an intercity railroad rather than just a glorified commuter service. *Long Live Brightline!*

[@MilesinTransit]

Thanks so much! And that's a fair point about the Orlando station!

[@brianhubert8418]

Great video. Thanks for doing this. This is such an exciting day all and all and yes more trains, more trains, more trains rather they're public, private or non-profit, more trains!! I've got to ride this!!

[@MilesinTransit]

Thank you so much!

[@brianhubert8418]

@@MilesinTransit You're welcome! Keep up the good work!!

[@adambeeable]

I think the problem with this train is that the West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale stops are nowhere near the airports. Considering that many airlines only fly into those two airports without non stops to Miami, it'd make much more sense to be able to easily transfer to the train to head down south. Perhaps the shuttle feature will be improved at some point or they will build a monorail to connect the train to the airport.

[@ovj06]

I think it has to be decided who Brightline is focusing on more, airport transfer traveller or tourist already in town/locals, before we say there's a problem with this train. It's either one or the other: either the station is close to the airport of close to the downtown, as is the case for the Brightline Stations in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. The shuttle ride from the airport to Fort Lauderdale is about 10 minutes. I think that is a better compromise because, as Miles points out, there is a lot of development around the Ft. Lauderdale station, and we hope that spurs train ridership.

[@Skip6235]

More trains. More trains. More trains. MORE TRAINS.

[@chrispontani6059]

And you got the shot of Confusion Corner!

[@andreavirginiaperezavila4114]

Hi! I just saw your video and if you dont mind me asking. I arrive at Miami airport and have to take the brightline to Orlando.. do you know how I get to the train station (brightline) from the airport? Im a little bit lost.

[@MilesinTransit]

Brightline itself runs a direct bus shuttle to the station from the airport that costs $10: www.gobrightline.com/press-room/2023/brightline-bi-directional-shuttle Otherwise you could take the Miami Metrorail Orange Line to the Historic Overtown/Lyric Theater station, which is also right next to the train station. That costs $2.25.

[@airbus7373]

Brightline is getting café cars soon, they have them on order with the expansion to 8 car trains.

[@MilesinTransit]

Oh, that's GREAT to hear!