ORLANDO—Last week’s hoopla is over. So how is Brightline executing its Orlando-Miami service and how is it being received by passengers? Trains News Wire booked a “Smart” class seat on Saturday morning, Sept. 23, from Orlando to West Palm Beach to find out.
Vibrant airport venue
You knew the experience had begun to evolve from its Miami-West Palm roots when the jammed baggage kiosk lines at Orlando International Airport’s train station included a guy seeking to check a surf board. The 10:54 a.m. departure for Miami was sold out, and the preponderance of overnight travelers had lots of luggage to check. Brightline had anticipated the surge, so managers were ready to offer assistance before passengers reached the counter.
Given the relatively small luggage compartment at one end of the third “Smart” coach, I wondered how all those bags and odd pieces could be accommodated.
“Going to West Palm? The checked bag fee is $25 per bag, so why don’t you just carry it on?” I was pleasantly urged by the counter agent; I’m sure she was thinking the same thing.
Once through security — a Brightline obligation from the beginning — it was showtime. Dark overhead beams in the high-ceilinged room held focused lighting normally found in theaters.
“Brightline President Patrick Goddard made it clear to us early on that he didn’t want Orlando to look like a typical train station, [but instead wanted] something more on the line of a hotel and unique to the community,” architect Jorge Borrelli told News Wire back in May. He and Brad Pascarella, who leads Matern Engineering, worked with Big Time Design to execute Goddard’s vision. “This is Orlando, home of the theme park,” added Pascarella, “so the station looks different than Brightline’s South Florida designs. The trick was to feature the stage lighting on the visible beams but hide necessary ductwork and conduit with what Disney calls “go away black.”
Were Goddard and his design team successful? Look closely at the face of the woman in the foreground arriving on BrightGreen from Miami that morning. The expression of engaged amusement is not generally seen on customers getting off North American trains. Mission accomplished.
Busy and smooth
The computer had picked an aisle seat to West Palm; no windows were available. Fares to that destination on the weekend were $119 to $169 in “Smart” and $229 to $269 in “Premium” on trains that weren’t sold out.
The luggage tower at one end of the coach was filled with large suitcases and the clear overhead luggage racks took up the slack but there was no sloppy overflow — often the case on Amtrak long-distance coaches.
However, once we departed and with no stops for an hour and a half, I saw one side of a table in Coach 2 was unoccupied. Cyndi and Lee Mueller had migrated to the other side when they were given separate seats during a similar last-minute booking.
“We were supposed to fly from Orlando to Zurich, Switzerland, via a connection in Philadelphia, but American Airlines told us the weather there was horrible and we would likely miss the plane,” Cyndi explained. “They did have two seats on Swissair out of Miami if we could get there, so here we are!
Even at the higher fares, Brightline was the most cost-effective option. The couple lives in The Villages, a self-contained community northwest of Orlando, and work remotely in separate insurance and medical supply businesses.
As BrightGreen began accelerating away from the airport, Lee Mueller marveled at how smooth the track was. “Really? 125?” he said, when I showed him the iPhone speedometer, but the proof was also outside the window as we effortlessly passed cars on the parallel Beachline Expressway.
One glitch surfaced when none of us could get sustained Wi-Fi on the east-west segment; cell phone service was also spotty. The “No internet access” error message was displayed until after the train made the big turn at Cocoa, Fla., and headed south. It’s not clear if there is a temporary coverage problem in the area. Brightline is utilizing Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite technology because it touts a higher bandwidth. When coverage returned, the Wi-Fi signal remained stable and didn’t require constant reconnection, as Amtrak’s system usually does.
Food for purchase in “Smart”
Well-trained and congenial onboard service crews have always been Brightline’s strong suit, and the personnel manning the food cart on BrightGreen Saturday were no exception.
Food and beverage is included in the Premium class fare; in Smart, you pay for everything, including coffee and bottled water. A small cup of premium Lavazza coffee is $3.25 and I added a $1 tip for servers James Lee Emanuel and Tyra Lee (so many “Lees”). This is certainly comparable to restaurant rates, though airline coach passengers are accustomed to having complimentary beverages.
The pricing didn’t seem to faze the Muellers, but only a garden salad and an Italian sandwich were available when Emanual and Lee made their second pass.
The ride got a bit bumpier — but not much — on the Cocoa-to-West Palm segment. This is a brand-new railroad with immaculate ballast and no jolts over freshly minted highway crossings or though crossovers. There was no urge get up and walk around. Maybe that was because with the light-colored interiors, large clean windows, and comfortable seats, the best place to be is right here. Besides, there was plenty to see.
Slowing through Stuart, Fla., at about 40 mph after passing over the St. Lucie River drawbridge, I spotted Luna’s Italian Cuisine. Hmm. More choices than an Italian sandwich. I had the veal scallopini.
— Updated Sept. 26 at 12:25 p.m. CDT to correct spelling of “Borrelli.”
