Brightline adds Siemens coaches to meet demand on Miami-Orlando trains
Brightline has ordered more coaches to meet the increasing demand for seats on its Miami-Orlando service, according to the high-speed rail company’s monthly ridership report for February.
Train cans have a maximum of 10 coaches, which hold about 240 passengers each, and a locomotive on each end, Brightline spokesperson Katie Mitzner told TCPalm. Trains running through the Treasure Coast have averaged four coaches since the long-distance service began in September.
The first new Siemens coaches will start arriving by summer, Mitzner said.
Brightline trains from Miami-Orlando
In February, one of every three trains was at capacity or close to it, according to the report. Brightline can accommodate about 7,680 passengers daily among its five South Florida stations and its 16 roundtrips between Miami and Orlando. In February, 7,887 passengers exceeded capacity and set a record, the report states.
Brightline had 228,138 total passengers in February 2024 — including short-distance and long-distance — which is 50% more than February 2023, before the Miami-Orlando route began service on Sept. 22.
The Miami-Orlando route has had over 540,000 passengers since it began:
- 17,578 in September
- 79,686 in October
- 93,184 in November
- 115,683 in December
- 122,703 in January (a record)
- 113,874 in February
January report: Brightline’s long-distance ridership increased between Miami-Orlando
Brightline trains in South Florida
Short-distance ridership has decreased by 25%, to 114,264 in February 2024 from 151,654 in February 2023.
Since the Miami-Orlando route started, short-distance ridership has gone up and down each month:
- 125,475 in September
- 126,059 in October
- 112,423 in November
- 121,386 in December
- 113,560 in January
- 114,264 in February
Ananya Tiwari is a business reporter for TCPalm. You can reach her via email at [email protected]or follow her work on Facebook, Twitter, and MuckRack.
