Brightline to resume service

Brightline plans to resume service soon in south Florida later this year. The railroad's reopening schedule pegs restarting service in November's first half between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. 

Before it sets a specific restart date, Brightline is working with Florida East Coast Railway and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to commission a positive train control system and achieve system certification. Once the certification is granted by the FRA, Brightline will initiate revenue service.

The railroad also announced a new service intended to provide riders with full door-to-door travel service, eliminating the gaps created by first- and last-miles issues and reducing the environmental impact, Brightline officials said in a news release. The new mobility service will provide improved access to stations, offering a selection of private luxury cars, shared shuttle services, golf carts and micro-mobility options.

Among several new safety measures, Brightline will require all employees to be fully vaccinated prior to the reintroduction of service. The railroad has identified and will implement a series of COVID protocols, including a near-touchless transportation system.

Other safety measures include increased cleaning, pre-packaged foods, touchless bathroom fixtures, cashless payments and electronic tickets. Employees and riders will be required to wear masks in stations and onboard all trains.