ORLANDO, Fla. – Brightline announced that the rail service will not be launching service to Orlando through early September, according to company officials on Monday evening.
The company posted about the issue to social media, explaining that the service wouldn’t be launched from Sept. 1 - 6.
As of today, we know Brightline will not be launching service to Orlando from Sept. 1-6. If you booked a ride between Orlando and South Florida during these dates, you should have received an email notifying you of a change in your travel plans with various rebooking options.
— Brightline (@GoBrightline) August 8, 2023
The service was originally slated to begin this summer, with Brightline celebrating the rail line completion between Orlando and Miami back in June.
According to Brightline, anyone who booked a ride between Orlando and South Florida during that timeframe should have received an email about the change, along with options for rebooking.
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“We’re working through the final stages of certification and crew testing, but it’s apparent that we won’t hit our opening weekend as planned. Knowing it’s a holiday weekend, we want to give guests as much time as possible to adjust their travel plans,” the company wrote. “We have already started engaging them and will refund their tickets and provide a premium credit ‘on us.’ We hope they will rebook and enjoy the inaugural Brightline experience. We look forward to announcing an official date as soon as possible.”
Brightline officials told News 6 that the rail service will continue its high-speed testing through Brevard County, with a train running at 110 mph in the county for the first time on Monday.
Testing will continue in Brevard County until Wednesday, after which Brightline trains will be a “regular sight” between Orlando and West Palm Beach as the company continues qualifying crews on the new corridor, officials added.
Customers with questions about future travel plans to Orlando are urged to visit Brightline’s help center by clicking here.
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