High speed train?
 

An article in "the other" online newspaper announces the Florida high speed train running from Orlando Intl airport (MCO) to Miami will take 2:59". Interestingly when I google the route using my auto I can drive the same distance in 3:05". Factor in the time to travel to MCO, parking, etc., and it ends up taking longer on the high speed train...which has been touted as saving time..and the cost of the trip is much more expensive than driving. Makes me wonder if this train will be successful.

For those who fly into Orlando not renting a car to get to Miami is worth it. As other stations open one will not have to drive to MCO.

The next step is the rail link between The Villages and Disney to help vacuum out grandparents wallets when the grandkids visit.

A high speed train should do that trip in under 2 hours.

Sounds like another money pit for taxpayers.

Wonder if it will be successful but unless it is extended to here doesnt do us any good.

How do you define successful?

Amtrak loses $2 billion per year. I wouldn't call that successful.

It is supposed to be extended to Tampa - not the Villages.


brightline tampa to orlando - Google Search

The information you received "could" be, actually is, deceiving. You have to live in Lauderdale by the Sea, or Pompano, or Deerfield and commute by car daily to Miami, to know what it is really like. Not "arguing" but, counting on that time frame commuting on 95 into Miami, don't count on it. The proof will be in the "pudding" of course, I'll bet the train will be extremely popular.

Does the train make any stops or is it direct? I always thought it took 5 hours to drive to Miami.

It is another way to get to the cruise ports or it is often easier to fly internationally out of Miami.

Maybe it is traffic or something but currently it would take me 3 hours 22 minutes from MCO and a little over 4 hours from our house. I was wrong about the 5 hours.

An article I found says both. 3 hours for a direct train or 3.5 hour to stop at four stations between Orlando and Miami.

Yep

Orlando Station | Brightline

The current Brightline plans (as of last week) are to run Brightline trains leaving Orlando MCO hourly starting around 500am and into the evening. That seems like heavy passenger demand for the train. Remember, the train runs in both directions, meaning demand to travel from South Florida to Orlando in addition to the other direction. Rumor has the one way fare at $79 to/from Miami.

I’ve driven the Florida turnpike to and from South Florida many times. It is very stressful with crazy drivers and, if an accident, the two-lane portion of the turnpike is at a dead stop for perhaps an hour or more. I will use Brightline out of MCO to South Florida when service begins (I hear the plans are during the summer) whenever I travel there. The cost of my time at the steering wheel, stress, gasoline, and tolls are too high for me to drive if given the train alternative. YMMV.

By the way, the drive from Fort Lauderdale to downtown Miami during the week in daylight hours is often around one hour — sometimes less, sometimes more. I believe your 3:05 time drive from Orlando to Miami is very wrong if driving Monday to Friday other than the early morning hours. South Florida has very bad traffic problems on its highways. I know from lots of experience. If you are doubtful, look at State’s turnpike and I-95 cameras around the Golden Glades interchange in Miami on Monday through Friday daylight hours.

Guessing your grandkids really take advantage of you to give such a horrible life experience. Maybe we just raised our children differently, but in no way sharp or form have they ever not paid their own way.

Our grands are even worse, won’t keep even birthday or Christmas money. They gently return in the form of gift cards back to us. Eventually they will all have to take the money when we take that dirt nap:clap2:

They talked about a similar thing in Ohio. What happens when you get to destination? Taxi, rent a car, Uber, Lyft etc. So there are those costs. As you stated-driving to MCO, paying to park there. Would it be easier on my nerves than driving the, whole way? Sure but not sure it is worth all the additional cost

I didn't mean the grand kids were talking advantage. I meant that Disney was looking for another way to separate people from their money.

Yes, 5 hour drive to Miami but not from Orlando.

having traveled the state by car for work, I can definitely say that is slower than driving it. The ONLY relief is traffic. I've made it Orlando to Miami in 3'ish" hours.... it all depends on that traffic West Palm and south. Will the train be successful? without a doubt, with Branson behind it the train isn't going anywhere but what it's meant to do. I plan on using it I just wish it lived up to it's "high speed" expectation. as a high speed I expect to be in Miami in 90 minutes

Here are some photos of traffic in the Miami area this morning at 730am.

Sorry your post was very open ended.

At last discussion Disney turned down getting a station, bus will still be the only venue, so money will still flow just by slow bus, not fast train. Either way Disney won’t shut down due to lack of a train

Train
 

But it will make 4 stops along the way.

And depending on what your visit to Miami is for, you might need to renta car.

Large cities such as Miami have car services that is much cheaper than car rentals and trying to find a parking space that doesn’t cost more than the car rentals

Why wouldn't they simply fly into Miami instead of Orlando?

Where? My kiddo has a winter place in Tequesta. I would take the train down if it off loaded near there.

Ha. My limo driver drives an Uber.

Please get your facts straight. This is entirely funded by Brightline, not Amtrak, not the government. They are also building one between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. That'll be a money maker for sure.

Skip

Eventually, bean-counters will figure out if these stops help or hurt the over-all ridership.

Or if the train should jus run/stop from Atlanta, to Jacksonville, to Orlando, Miami.

The non stop takes 3 hrs.
Fast, but not high speed.

I believe I read that from MCO to Cocoa it will do about 120mph. The track from there apparently isn't built for that type of speed.
Not mentioned is the convenience for those who cruise. It also provides an alternative for those having difficulty getting into s. fla. by air. Recently Ft. Lauderdale was closed because of flooding and some trying to fly in from overseas couldn't make their cruise since all flites to alternatives like W. Palm and Miami were booked. I'm sure that there will be some transportation from the Miami and Lauderdale stations to the ports. The interesting would be getting from TV to MCO for the train. I understand the train will bill like the airlines for baggage.

This link might help provide some facts.

Brightline - Orlando... click here

Not true. It took me 2 minutes to find this article:

The federal government Monday awarded $25 million to South Florida’s Brightline railway to improve safety along some of the most dangerous tracks in the country. The total price tag for the initiative will be $45 million after $10 million from the privately run rail line and another $10 million from the Florida Department of Transportation.

Also, Brightline and the NDOT in Nevada have applied for a $4 billion grant from the Federal Government for the western railway. I am sure there will be additional Federal funding coming later, and, if the company fails, the Government will bail them out. Amtrak should be a lesson to the Government. It has been a total funding disaster.

According to their website, "Up to two (2) carry-on items per passenger are allowed on board our trains, subject to space availability. Each item must not exceed 40 lbs. (18 kg) in weight and 28" x 22" x 14" (71 x 56 x 35 cm) in exterior dimensions."

You can also check luggage for $10.

No
 

It's a private operation.

See Post No. 34. A private operation using your tax money.

Need a friend drop you to the Train Station...
 

I commuted for 20 years from West Palm to Miami. Cars stripped of tires, gas, Catalytic Converters, radios, LED Headlights ($400-1000 each).

Yup, can't wait to Zip down to Miami.

I guess it depends on what you mean by success. If you mean lowering pollution, then yes fewer cars going the same way. If you mean using less fossil fuels to transport the same number of people, then likely yes, depending how full the trains are. If you mean making other cities easily accessible to people leaving from MCO, then yes. This is especially true if they don’t want or need to rent a car. If you mean the time it takes you personally to travel, then it depends. Would you like to use the time on the train to watch your favorite movie, read a book or relax instead of driving? Then yes.