Take a look: Brightline unveils new Orlando station. Here’s when you can grab tickets

Miami is one step closer to being a three-hour train trip away from Orlando as Brightline unveiled its new Central Florida stop on Thursday.

The high-speed train company also announced tickets will be going on sale in May for future dates — with the new 37,350-square-foot station, located at Orlando International Airport, expected to open by summer.

“Today’s milestone is the last piece of transformative infrastructure that is now complete as we ready ourselves for the start of the service we have been building for a decade,” said Mike Reininger, CEO of Brightline. “This station will be a gateway for visitors and travelers throughout Florida, but beyond that, it is indicative of how we set out to transform travel in a way that hasn’t been done in more than a century.”

This will be Brightline’s sixth station, and the first outside of South Florida. Currently, trains run between downtown Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach. The Aventura and Boca Raton stations recently opened in December.

READ MORE: Brightline expands with Aventura station near the mall. What to know about the train

One-way fares between Miami and Orlando will start at $79, with Premium seating beginning at $149. Premium tickets come with complimentary meals, a dedicated first class lounge, priority boarding and other features. Families of four will have an option of less than $199 one-way tickets.

The station began construction in January 2022 and finally completed it this month. Leading up to the unveiling, Brightline made history as the fastest train in the Southeast earlier this year, reaching speeds of 130 mph in a test run.

Here’s what we know about Brightline’s new Orlando station:

So, what does the new Orlando station look like?

The station will be next to Orlando International Airport’s Terminal C. It will be connected directly to one of the airport’s parking garages with spaces specifically for Brightline travelers.

“This station represents so much more than a new train service, it is a critical connection for our community to jobs and opportunity and further showcases the power of partnerships and what our culture of collaboration here in Central Florida can do to improve the lives of our residents, workers and travelers when we work together,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said in a statement.

Additionally, guests will be able to go directly to the airport Terminals A and B in under five minutes. The station offers similar entrance features as in other locations, such as self-service kiosks, luggage checks, turnstiles and ticket purchasing.

Inside, the facility has a sit-down bar, called Mary Mary Bar, that will serve cocktails and lighter food. There will also be a store, called MRKT PLACE, that will sell gifts and refreshments.

A BrightKid’s children’s play area is also situated inside a lounge for travelers that has charging stations, TVs and Wi-Fi.

What are the train schedules?

The trip from Miami to Orlando will take about 2 hours and 59 minutes in a non-stop train and about 3 hours and 30 minutes in a regular service train. There will be 16 daily round trips with hourly departures between Miami and Orlando.

Brightline noted there will still be dedicated trains that serve commuters in South Florida from Miami to West Palm Beach, and vice versa.

But for Brightline commuters who plan on taking a trip to “The City Beautiful,” check out the opening schedule of the Orlando-bound trains:

Weekdays

▪ Hourly southbound departures from Orlando to Miami starting at 5:00 a.m. until 8:50 p.m. First southbound train from Orlando arrives in Miami at 8:30 a.m.

▪ Hourly northbound departures from Miami to Orlando starting at 6:50 a.m. until 9:45 p.m. First northbound train from Miami arrives in Orlando at 10:15 a.m.

Weekends

▪ Hourly southbound departures from Orlando to Miami starting at 5:00 a.m. until 8:50 p.m. First southbound train from Orlando arrives in Miami at 8:30 a.m.

▪ Hourly northbound departures from Miami to Orlando starting at 5:45 a.m. until 9:45 p.m. First northbound train from Miami arrives in Orlando at 9:15 a.m.