Brightline Hosts Sneak Peek for City Leaders

The Brightline station in West Palm Beach (Credit: Brightline)

(Press Release)_ WEST PALM BEACH, FL. - May 23, 2017 – Brightline, the only privately funded express inter-city passenger rail service in the United States, provided business and government leaders with a sneak peek of the new downtown West Palm Beach station today. Within walking distance to destinations like the Clematis Street District, CityPlace, Centennial Park and the Waterfront, the station will welcome guests from Fort Lauderdale and Miami later this summer. The West Palm Beach station will serve visitors from Orlando in phase two of service.

“Each day we mark another milestone as Brightline continues construction and readies for the launch of service later this summer,” said Dave Howard, Brightline’s CEO. “Our partners in Palm Beach County, the City of West Palm Beach and the Florida Chamber of Commerce have supported our efforts, and we look forward to making significant economic impacts and changing the way people travel throughout the region.”

The station is nearing completion as workers continue to put finishing touches on its interior. Crews are installing the turnstiles, security infrastructure and food and beverage area in the upper concourse.  Exterior signage has been installed, and furniture will be delivered in the coming weeks. Soon, Brightline teammates will use the facilities in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach to train as the project gets closer to launch.

“Palm Beach County is consistently breaking tourism records, and it was recently ranked as first in the state for tourism,” said Mayor Paulette Burdick, Palm Beach County. “Soon, we will be able to welcome more tourism and business opportunities with the introduction of this reliable and convenient service. Brightline is a welcome addition to Palm Beach County.”

The downtown West Palm Beach station is located between S. Rosemary and S. Quadrille, east and west, and between Datura Street and Evernia Street, north and south. Planned and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) in association with Miami-based architects Zyscovich, the station spans 60,000 square feet and also includes a parking garage, retail space and residential building. Brightline will offer a variety of transportation offerings to get riders to the stations and to their final destinations. In West Palm Beach, riders have access to ride-sharing/taxi options, rental cars and shuttle services, as well as the ability to connect to the Palm Tran, Tri-Rail and downtown trolley system.

“Enhancing the City of West Palm Beach’s mobility and transportation network is a top priority, and the introduction of Brightline will encourage the use of transit and allow us to welcome more visitors who aren’t driving automobiles,” said City of West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio. “West Palm Beach is proud to be on the national forefront of this exciting chapter in transportation and infrastructure. I look forward to officially welcoming all passengers to West Palm Beach.”

Brightline is committed to leading private investment toward transportation infrastructure benefiting the public. Brightline will provide a much-needed, hospitality-driven alternative to South Florida’s congested roadways. Each train abounds with innovations and comfortable features including automatic level boarding, wide aisles exceeding ADA compliance, multiple outlets for devices and complimentary, robust Wi-Fi, powered by multiple antennas in every car.

“Visiting downtown West Palm Beach, you feel a real energy driven by small business investment and innovative development,” said Florida Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Mark Wilson. “Brightline is an obvious catalyst for this exciting time of growth and the entire South Florida community will soon benefit from its cutting-edge connectivity. With Brightline’s introduction comes Florida’s emergence onto the national stage as a transportation leader.”

Four trainsets are currently stationed at Workshop b and undergoing the required dynamic and static testing. When operational, Brightline will employ hundreds of people in Palm Beach County, including those stationed at Workshop b and at the station. Introductory service will begin between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale in late summer, followed by service to Miami in the fall.