Brightline Orlando - West Palm Beach - Orlando

[pennyk]

Today (10/4), I traveled from Orlando to West Palm Beach and back on Brightline. I took way too many photos and will post only some of them.

When I made my reservations Brightline was scheduling trains every hour. The schedule was later reduced and both my trains were canceled.

After way too many phone calls with customer service and one chat, my reservations were moved one hour earlier. I thought dealing with Brightline customer service was an ordeal. They are understaffed and not properly trained. Fortunately, one of my neighbors works for Brighline and he provided accurate information to me since I believe each of my 4 conversations with customer service was a failure.

I was on the 8:38am train this morning in premium. I wanted to arrive at the station an hour early and had no idea how long it would take to get from Terminal A (at the bus drop off) to Terminal C (Brightline Station). My friend Bill (who seems to know almost everything) provided me with directions and informed me that it should not take longer than 30 minutes. It took less. I walk fairly fast and the tram was there right after I arrived.

I was one of the first passengers to arrive in the premium lounge. There were hot beverages and an automated bar. However, the bar was not working properly because driver's licenses needed to be scanned and the scanner was not working. Staff members were assisting. I was surprised at how much alcohol was being consumed before 8:30am. There was a well presented selection of fruit and pastries.

Boarding was a bit disorganized. The premium lounge was on the other side of the station and most premium passengers boarded last. There were elevators, stairs and escalators to get from the waiting area to the train.

There were 2 attendants in premium and tickets were checked. Quite a few passengers wanted to move their seats. I believe some changed seats, but had to move back to their original seats before WPB.

I was in a single seat facing forward with full window and was quite happy with my seat.

I checked my watch at we departed Orlando on time.

A breakfast box was served to each passenger together with a muffin. The box contained Greek yogurt and fruit. Beverages, including alcohol, were also offered.

The restroom was very clean.

We slowed down a bit in Ft. Pierce, I believe. It was announced that signals were the cause.

I was the only premium passenger detraining in West Palm Beach. The attendant told me that most of the premium passengers were going to Miami to go on cruises. I did not check my watch, but I think we were on time arriving WPB.


More later.

 

[lordsigma]

Great photos Penny thanks for sharing. I’ll be riding next week.

 

[pennyk]

The premium lounge in WPB is not as nice as the ones in Miami and in Orlando. However, the beer and wine dispensers were not automated and were easy to use (even though there was too much foam). The food selection was limited and not as well presented as in Orlando. Passengers were waiting for both the northbound and southbound trains, so the lounge was fairly full.

Boarding was organized and I boarded car 1 and found my seat. Much to my disappointment, the prior passenger's leftover breakfast debris was on the tray table. The attendant removed the garbage, but did not wipe off the table. I had wipes with me and I cleaned the table.

I did not check my watch, but I think we departed WPB on time.

There was one attendant in premium. She distributed cold towels to the new passengers. (Cold towels were also distributed leaving Orlando). The attendant then passed out lunch trays to passengers. She later served drinks. After lunch, she offered little desserts. They looked cute, but I am avoiding sugar, so I declined.

The ride was comfortable, restroom clean, my seat was facing forward with full window.

I do not believe this train traveled as fast as the southbound train in the corridor between Cocoa and Orlando. We did arrive in Orlando on time.

I managed to get to the tram right before it left and made my way to bus transportation level. I think many airport employees were getting off work around 2:30 and the bus was fairly crowded (and it was late). Because SunRail's midday schedule is limited, this bus did not stop at the Sand Lake SunRail Station. The bus was certainly a "local" and so crowded that the driver stopped picking up passengers. I stood for the last few miles.

The biggest "con" of Orlando Brightline to me is the location of the station at the airport. If one drives to the airport, parking is expensive and may not be convenient. From downtown, rides start around $35 each way. Getting to the station was not so bad since I took SunRail from a downtown station (to which I walked) to Sand Lake Station, where a bus arrived a few minutes after SunRail. Although the bus was not an express bus, it did not make that many stops. Since I did not know where I was going and how long it would take, I allowed plenty of time. I took the 6:18am SunRail train (leaving home around 5:45 to walk to the station).

I think customer service will improve, but transportation to and from the Orlando airport will only get worse. If the station was in a better location, I think I would use Brightline more often.

 

[Railroad Bill]

Thanks Penny for the photos and trip report.
Hoping the organizational skills improve for our future trip in November. We plan to take Amtrak from Ohio to Orlando and then ride Brightline to FTL for a cruise. May be an expensive trip to the airport since we have luggage to transport to the Orlando station.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Nice trip and Pics Penny! Thanks for sharing!

Since you have to travel to the Airport to catch Brightline, would you still ride an Amtrak Silver if you were going to Miami from Orlando?

 

[pennyk]

Nice trip and Pics Penny! Thanks for sharing!

Since you have to travel to the Airport to catch Brightline, would you still ride an Amtrak Silver if you were going to Miami from Orlando?

That is a good question. The Silvers take a really long time and are rarely on time, but it is really easy for me to get to the station. Brightline is quicker and on time performance is better, but it is an ordeal for me to get to the airport. I think the best solution is not to go to Miami.

 

[Bob Dylan]

That is a good question. The Silvers take a really long time and are rarely on time, but it is really easy for me to get to the station. Brightline is quicker and on time performance is better, but it is an ordeal for me to get to the airport. I think the best solution is not to go to Miami.

I agree!

 

[joelkfla]

That is a good question. The Silvers take a really long time and are rarely on time, but it is really easy for me to get to the station. Brightline is quicker and on time performance is better, but it is an ordeal for me to get to the airport. I think the best solution is not to go to Miami.

I wonder whether whoever made the decision a decade ago to put the major Orlando station at the airport was expecting SunRail or some other form of transit to be in place by commencement of service.

 

[pennyk]

I wonder whether whoever made the decision a decade ago to put the major Orlando station at the airport was expecting SunRail or some other form of transit to be in place by commencement of service.

I asked my neighbor, who works for Brightline, that question. He said their target passengers are foreign tourists who fly into Orlando and want to go to Miami. Frankly, that does not make a lot of sense to me since why would they fly into Orlando instead of Miami. He also stated that they hope that SunRail is extended to the airport. That part of it makes sense to me.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I asked my neighbor, who works for Brightline, that question. He said their target passengers are foreign tourists who fly into Orlando and want to go to Miami. Frankly, that does not make a lot of sense to me since why would they fly into Orlando instead of Miami. He also stated that they hope that SunRail is extended to the airport. That part of it makes sense to me.

Common Sense and Rail Managements often do not Compute.

All I can figure out about foreign tourists flying into Orlando, that also want to visit Miami, is that they want to see Disney and/or other Theme Parks, then head for Miami.

Old saying: when you assume something, you make an ASS out of U and ME.

 

[Palmland]

Nice report @pennyk. I read one report that said they didn’t have coffee on an early train. Hope that’s been corrected!

It sounds like for us the fastest and easiest (but not cheapest) is drive to the airport and park in the Terminal C garage, @$19/day, which is steps from the Brightline station. For longer trips, use one of the many park and ride economy lots that adds maybe a half hour.

I wonder if any airline schedules from Orlando to south Florida will be adjusted because of loss of business to Brightline.

 

[railiner]

I wonder if any airline schedules from Orlando to south Florida will be adjusted because of loss of business to Brightline.

More likely, air fares may drop some, but unless Brightline seriously captures their traffic, I don’t think schedules would change much, but time will tell…

 

[crescent-zephyr]

The customer service issues you mentioned have been there prior to the Orlando expansion. Passengers who don't know better get seats automatically assigned, and then they want to change seats once on board. I've had passengers sitting in my assigned seat when boarding and also had passengers argue with me about the seat I was sitting in. Attendants have been nowhere to be found to help guests with this process in my experience.

Like you, I know to pick a forward facing full window seat!!! haha.

 

[cirdan]

All I can figure out about foreign tourists flying into Orlando, that also want to visit Miami, is that they want to see Disney and/or other Theme Parks, then head for Miami.

True that, but if they go to the theme parks before going to Miami, then they wouldn't necessarily be starting from Orland Airport any more.

In my view the tourist potential is largely in tourists heading for the intermediate Brightline stops, who may now prefer Orlando airport over Miami.

Likewise with locals resident in said locations who will use Orlando airport because it is now more practical.

I agree that the Orlando location could be strengthened if Sunrail and Lynx would step up their commitment to serve that location and make it into a sort of regional superhub. But this didn't happen, and maybe the reason it didn't happen is because commitment was not strong enough

 

[JamesWhitcombRiley]

I wonder whether whoever made the decision a decade ago to put the major Orlando station at the airport was expecting SunRail or some other form of transit to be in place by commencement of service.

Airports have lots of cash. And often, as in this case, spare land, which is where the maintenance facility went. It's encouraging to see it put to use. Many medium-sized airports are run like chambers of commerce, and there's little accountability to their decisions. MCO is of course a large airport, and more in the public eye. I could make a long digression on the airports in central and eastern Virginia, RIC, PHF and ORF, and how it has played out differently in each. For example, RIC makes landside cafe prices low and a pleasant place to wait - but Amtrak runs on the airport property line, with no station (RIC does have bus service). ORF found a way to spend its cash, with a construction project to make the landside arrivals waiting area into airside space - and no public transit at all. Some call these situations "building gazebos" or "mowing the grass continually." Much spent on marketing, competing with each other. Better funded than highways, for what they do. Or a better analogy would be highway rest areas. The answer is cooperation and open books, public pressure. Even the snafu for Amtrak at MIA is coming to a close, it seems. (Despite assumptions about Miami, the younger generation of politicians etc. seems more progressive and can-do.)

 

[jis]

I wonder whether whoever made the decision a decade ago to put the major Orlando station at the airport was expecting SunRail or some other form of transit to be in place by commencement of service.

The plan was for SunRail and an LRT system connecting to I-Drive to get there some day when the stars aligned properly. I don’t think anyone in their right mind could make a dependable time line projection. For that matter the part that Brightline is using now was originally conceived as space for the HSR to Tampa, which as we know was canned by the then Governor Scott.

 

[BarbW]

Sunrail should have started with service from the airport to the tourist attractions/areas and downtown. They would have quickly made enough to fund a robust regional transit service for those of us who live here. But, no, they expected a network designed for local commuters to make enough money to fund the needs of the tourists instead, kicking "expansion" down the road. Incredibly stupid business strategy, or blocking by businesses who have been making money transporting tourists to/from MCO and the parks for years?

 

[cirdan]

Sunrail should have started with service from the airport to the tourist attractions/areas and downtown. They would have quickly made enough to fund a robust regional transit service for those of us who live here. But, no, they expected a network designed for local commuters to make enough money to fund the needs of the tourists instead, kicking "expansion" down the road. Incredibly stupid business strategy, or blocking by businesses who have been making money transporting tourists to/from MCO and the parks for years?

Virtually no commuter rail services anywhere on the planet actually make money. Farebox recovery is far from sufficient to sustain regyular operation , let alone build cash reserves for expansion . Such systems are subsidized by governments and local authorities because the external benefits are considered to offset the costs .

So financially it doesn’t really matter where you start. Financially you will never get one line paying for the next . Instead priorities are driven by other factors such as perceived need and maybe also political considerations

 

[Palmland]

Sunrail should have started with service from the airport to the tourist attractions/areas and downtown.

Yes, but- it would have been difficult and expensive to add SunRail to the existing Terminal A/B complex. Much better to build the purpose built new Terminal C for Brightline/SunRail. And, Disney had complimentary bus system for hotel guests until 2021.

 

[jis]

Sunrail should have started with service from the airport to the tourist attractions/areas and downtown. They would have quickly made enough to fund a robust regional transit service for those of us who live here. But, no, they expected a network designed for local commuters to make enough money to fund the needs of the tourists instead, kicking "expansion" down the road. Incredibly stupid business strategy, or blocking by businesses who have been making money transporting tourists to/from MCO and the parks for years?

The Federal Government would not have funded a system for tourist rides. SunRail was built entirely by Federal grant to serve the local population.

Virtually no suburban system makes money so there was and is no possibility of building the next line using income from the previous line.

 

[jis]

I asked my neighbor, who works for Brightline, that question. He said their target passengers are foreign tourists who fly into Orlando and want to go to Miami. Frankly, that does not make a lot of sense to me since why would they fly into Orlando instead of Miami. He also stated that they hope that SunRail is extended to the airport. That part of it makes sense to me.

The simple reason that they decided to use the Airport station, after you peel away all the pious equivocation, is that there was a plan in place (leftover from the still born Miami - Tampa HSR) for building a station at the Airport funded by the city via GOAA, and they could simply use it, instead of going through the nosebleed of trying to figure out another location for a station (something that they are going through with the Sunshine Corridor exercise now). That both give Sunrail access to the Airport station and Brightline access to I-Drive and Convention Center. Once that is place, any transfer between Amtrak and Brightline can be handled by a short ride on Sunrail.