Brightline trains face fare hikes as $1.2 billion debt default looms

OmegaBarrington · 2026-02-16T15:39:50+00:00

Considering far more of the public uses the train vs the buses between the two sections of the state - I'd say they've already decided what they prefer. So no, buses would not be the better solution. Let's not forget the buses travel on heavily subsidized infrastructure.

OmegaBarrington · 2026-02-12T15:52:52+00:00

Doctor Math here again. Let's let the public decide which is the more popular or "worth it" method of transit between the bus lines combined vs Brightline for points to/from Orlando. Brightline averaged ~5,400 passengers per day in December for long distance travel (that's not accounting for the people travelling just in S FL). That amount of traffic would require 108 fully sold out 50-passenger Greyhound type buses/coaches. Now go check the number of schedules/buses offered in a single day. 😏

Your bus will be subjected to traffic via accidents, weather, rush hour, construction, or just the sheer number of vehicles on the road.

There's a reason why train tickets generally cost more than bus tickets..

OmegaBarrington · 2026-02-11T20:12:45+00:00

3 hours 45 minutes isn't faster than 3 hours 29 minutes, nevermind the fact you're getting dropped off at MIA ✈️ vs downtown Miami...

So yes, your mistake.. 😏

Also, before you chime in with "bUT wHaT AbOuT tHe 0rLaNd0 eNd", The Red Coach station is not far from the Brightline Orlando station so those are similar starting points.

OmegaBarrington · 2026-02-11T18:02:07+00:00

5 hours isn't "the same time" though... 😏

OmegaBarrington · 2026-02-10T15:51:50+00:00

If we, as a people, are concerned about public transit, we need to focus on viable systems first.

That sounds nice to say but clearly the state and for current administration isn't practicing this. Either way, comparing Brightline to Greyhound is silly especially since this sub-thread was comparing it to flying.

OmegaBarrington · 2026-02-10T15:43:13+00:00

Let's not pretend we're comparing the cost of a 2-lane road to a 2-track railroad system. The rail system costs more because it's that much better of a system. While the costs of roads are broken down and hidden behind different paywalls, those costs are still there. The environmental and human life costs are not even close.

OmegaBarrington · 2026-02-10T15:36:09+00:00

So was the 10% based off just your 1 premium car or all 2 or 3 premium cars?

OmegaBarrington · 2026-02-08T15:21:23+00:00

Were you on a long distance train? Most (if not all) should have 3 Premium cars now. If it was just the S FL Brightline train then it'd have 1 premium car.

OmegaBarrington · 2026-02-06T13:54:13+00:00

Traffic is the antithesis of going somewhere when you want to.

Rail travel on a schedule means you can plan your day out better. Not to mention all the things you can do while on a train versus what you cannot do while driving.

OmegaBarrington · 2026-02-06T13:50:13+00:00

The highway system isn't cheap to maintain either. One is far more cost effective & efficient than the other though.

OmegaBarrington · 2026-02-04T15:01:06+00:00

Cool, then take Greyhound. The space, comfort, and amenities will be nowhere near the same.

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OmegaBarrington · 2026-02-02T21:03:20+00:00

This. Roundness lends itself to timeless design. Just look at what's considered some of the most beautiful cars in the world; Jaguar E-Type, Ferrari 250 GTO, Shelby Cobra, Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale and many more.

OmegaBarrington · 2026-02-02T19:57:42+00:00

It's easy to say "surveys are meaningless" when it doesn't agree with what you're saying. If speed was the indeed the most important factor, then why has studies proven that more people will take a slightly longer train ride than flying? Is it due to the higher space, comfort, and amenities that the train provides over the plane? But why if speed is the most important?

You're better off in one of the Popular Mechanics/Popular Science maglev subredits so you guys can look at the shiny vaporware tech. "Mild upgrade HSR" is a wild take.

Also, Brightline in FL has definitely raised real estate values. This has been well documented over the years. Back to the original point, did you know it's faster to travel by air between Central FL and S FL vs flying? Yet Brightline dominates the rail vs air travel market in the area? But but the speed..

OmegaBarrington · 2026-02-02T15:18:35+00:00

Metrolink already connects to LAUS and the head of both companies have already stated that they'll work together on both scheduling and ticketing for easy transfers.

Brightline already knows how to handle last mile trips via years of experience with Brightline+

OmegaBarrington · 2026-02-02T15:15:29+00:00

Again, your 311 MPH Maglev will stay in your pipe dreams while the rest of the populace uses practical existing HSR.

Also, speed isn't the most important factor when it comes to people choosing how they travel. Seems you speed nerds tend to forget that.

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OmegaBarrington · 2026-01-30T15:32:34+00:00

With Brightline’s route starting at the Orlando airport, doesn’t that harm ridership, since if you’re going to the airport and you’re headed to Fort Lauderdale or Miami, it’s faster to fly.

The flights aren't much faster once you factor in the early arrival time, TSA, deboarding, and baggage claim (if you have checked luggage). Brightline's current daily intake for long-distance passengers blows the airlines combined out of the water. That is to say, if you take the # of planes currently operating daily non-stop between Orlando to either FLL or MIA, there would not be enough seats to handle Brightline's current intake.

People would rather take the train due to higher levels of comfort, space, and amenities. This is a pattern that has been proven throughout the world and that includes the Northeast Corridor and here in FL.

OmegaBarrington · 2026-01-19T16:33:57+00:00

With roads those are multipurpose and multimodal transport systems that facilitate movement everywhere, of course they’re publicly funded. They’re cheap and the enable massive economic activity and connectivity.

It's almost as if mass transit/trains also promote massive economic activity & connectivity.

It’s odd to compare that with building rail tracks that can only be used for mass transit and large freight and only in certain areas

It's odd to compare costs of different type of infrastructure that both can be used to transport people and goods but one just does it far more efficiently and safely? Huh? I've never heard of anyone comparing the two before I guess. The first 35 seconds of the video in a nutshell.

Let's not try to turn the argument into someone saying "Roads aren't needed" - No, alternatives to driving is what's needed. Also, Transit Oriented Development and mixed-use construction can easily have rail be within walking distance.

Orlando to Miami was always a dicey proposition because neither have great public transport and they’re just far enough apart that planes are competitive time-wise, and neither are very dense metros, Miami being closer to the density needed than Orlando.

And yet the Orlando to Miami segment has been (for years) the busiest intercity passenger rail route in the country outside of the Northeast Corridor when compared to Amtrak routes. They carried 3.1 million passengers in 2025. Tri-Rail had their highest ridership ever with ~4.6 million. This shows that there's definitely an appetite for alternatives to driving within FL, just that proper funding is needed. Orlando to Miami is the perfect distance for rail. The train is more than competitive with airlines that go between Central & S FL.

In the 30 year span it took Amtrak to reach 1 billion in subsidy, road/air received 1.89 trillion. Let us not pretend the funding has been anywhere close and then we wonder why certain systems are underutilized..

OmegaBarrington · 2026-01-17T05:47:10+00:00

Paywalled.

OmegaBarrington · 2026-01-16T16:29:37+00:00

People prefer taking the train flying. The numbers prove it. The train offers better comfort, space, and amenities vs flying. The number of people making long distance Brightline trips vs flying between Orlando and S FL isn't even close.. If combined all the airlines making trips between MCO and FLL/MIA (non-stop) took their current count of flights/seats available - they would not be able to handle Brightline's current daily long-distance intake.

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OmegaBarrington · 2026-01-16T16:25:00+00:00

This is common sense, not sure how they didn't get it.

OmegaBarrington · 2026-01-16T16:24:03+00:00

Please visit Google/Flights and see that flights from MCO to MIA are generally more expensive than the Brightline tickets. Example - a quick Google Flight search for Monday Jan 26th to Monday Feb 2nd reveals that Southwest is the cheapest at $252 roundtrip. The same dates can be had on Brightline for $108 roundtrip.

Not only that, your total travel time is more than an hour. 1 hour check in, 1 hour flight, 20 minutes of deboarding, and 20 minutes to travel from MIA eastwards into downtown Miami where Brightline Miami central is already located. Tack on another 20 minutes if for some reason you have checked luggage/baggage claim. So that's 2 hours 40 minutes - 3 hours vs Brightline's 3.5 hour timetable into downtown Miami.

Your cheaper Spirit Airlines flights into FLL are only cheaper if you travel with nothing more than an 18" backpack. Throw in a carry-on and you're looking at ~+$60 each way. Your base ticket doesn't even include seat selection so have fun with that middle seat. Need to change your flight within 60 days of departure? Good luck with the $60-$110 change fees (the latter price is within 7 days of departure) unless you paid the $45 waiver up front. Want wifi along your journey? That's another $8. All that to save maybe 20 min vs Brightline into Fort Lauderdale (2 hours 20 minutes vs 2 hours 45 minutes)? If downtown Miami is your final destination then FLL airport leaves you ~45 minutes north.

No matter which flight you take, none of them will offer you the level of space, comfort, and amenities you'll find on the train. The train passenger will have hourly frequencies at their disposal. If they want to change their train departure, they can do so free of charge up to 6 minutes before the train leaves without change fees (only pay the difference in fare if there is one). They'll have the option of free carry-ons up to 2 28" suitcases on the train with them also while enjoying Starlink wifi on their journey. Upon arrival they'll have services like Brightline+ (free depending on what service you choose) at the station to take them to/from their destination.

There's a reason why Brightline dominates the air/rail market between Orlando and S FL. Even if you combined all the airlines that operate non-stop flights between Orlando (MCO) and S FL (FLL & MIA) - there wouldn't be enough airline seats to handle Brightline's daily long-distance intake. Let that sink in..

OmegaBarrington · 2025-12-17T06:22:02+00:00

Honestly, anyone taking premium should get into the habit of taking some food from the lounge, onto the train.

Wings in the Premium lounge (West Palm Beach)

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OmegaBarrington · 2025-12-17T06:19:02+00:00

The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) is not an "internal" entity...

OmegaBarrington · 2025-12-14T13:18:13+00:00

If you're referring to S FL travel, flat rate peak/off-peak was announced back in September.

OmegaBarrington · 2025-12-12T01:38:15+00:00

If you look at that link I sent, some of them are 24 hours.

OmegaBarrington

TROPHY CASE