It Ain't No Bullet Train, but It'll Do - BRIGHTLINE High(ish) Speed Rail from Orlando to Miami!

High speed rail is hard to find in America (we love our cars!!), but one of the only examples happens to be right in my backyard, and it's relatively new, so I decided to give it a go! Brightline runs a service between Orlando and Miami that covers the roughly 250 miles in ~3.5 hours, not a huge time savings vs. driving, but way more comfortable, reliable and just plain cool. The pricing varies wildly based on when you're traveling ($60 to $200+ one-way for an economy or "SMART" ticket) but Brightline runs promotions fairly often (they recently ran a 50% off President's Day sale) and there are 15+ trains per day so chances are you'll be able to find a train that suits your schedule. Could this be the beginning of a high speed rail revolution in America??

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
01:42 Orlando Brightline Station
04:37 Boarding on Track 1!
06:22 Departure from Orlando - Route, Wifi, Seat Tour, etc.
08:53 Other Transportation Options from Orlando to Miami
10:06 Future of High Speed Rail in America & Outro

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[TheRailwayDrone]

Brightline actually did receive government funds in the form of private activity bonds, so it is still technically (partially) funded by the government. Excellent train ride though. Can't wait to test ride it from Orlando.

[danielberlin]

I can’t believe they let you through security with that blender bottle.

[margaretpittman]

I live in Boynton Beach. A friend of mine and I took the Brightline from Boca to Aventura, then a connection bus to the Orange Bowl game at Hard Rock Stadium. Compared to Tri rail, this train is really nice! Just a little pricey though. Thanks for reviewing it!

[mariosultana]

Wow!!! That’s amazing! I love trains. About time America!

[barbcobb]

Why do people think that you don't save much time over driving? Driving from Orlando to Miami is a LOT more time that the train...approximatly 7 hours, keeping in mind the horrendous traffic in both Orlando and Miami. Also, a flight, on-time (that rarely happens) requires you to arrive 2 hours ahead of your flight, fly for about 90 minuts, loading and unloading...about 6 1.2 to 7 hours.

[KanishQQuotes]

They need to develop stations into a source of revenue

[Shytot-]

Why didn't you mention that the windows are covered in advertisement spots? do the passengers come second to advertising when they restrict you from looking at the scenery unhindered? I fear Brightline will go the same way as all private railways across the world, as soon as the profits start to drop they will put up the fares, this in turn will reduce the number of passengers and the downward death spiral will begin.

[gliese]

Brightline is a bullet train. The term bullet train refers to the shape of the nose of the train, not how fast it goes. This has been a misconception for many years.