Orlando high-speed rail extension completed

Completion of the Orlando high-speed rail extension was celebrated by station city mayors and Brightline Orlando construction team members on June 21^st.

The 170-mile Orlando expansion runs from Orlando International Airport’s new South Terminal to West Palm Beach in Florida, and broke ground in June 2019. The line will connect to the already existing part between Miami and West Palm Beach, which has been operational since 2018.

According to Brightline, this is the first intercity rail system to be constructed by a private entity since the railway was built by Henry Flagler over a century ago.

More than 10,000 jobs were created in Florida, while it is estimated that the project had a $6.4 billion impact to the state.

The project work was divided into four zones and included the construction of a $100 million state of the art vehicle maintenance facility, tenant buildout of the Orlando station at Orlando International Airport, 56 bridges, three underpasses and upgrades to 156 railroad crossings, according to Brightline.

It is worth noting that construction involved some notable engineering works. Namely, some of these are the first Box-Jacked tunnel outside of the northeast, the rehabilitation of the 100-year-old St. Lucie River Bridge, the new Loxahatchee River Bridge and the new track for Florida’s fastest train.

Tickets for the line have gone on sale, while service is scheduled to start in September, after testing has been concluded.