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.