Decoding the New Brightline Train Expansion Announcement

The Brightline Train launched service to Orlando in Fall 2023.

Since then, we have taken the train between Orlando and Miami several times, made a big mistake at security, and taken advantage of several ticket sales. The train is fast and comfortable — and we have found ourselves wishing there were more places we could take Brightline. And fortunately, there soon will be!

Brightline recently announced that a new station will be built for stops in Cocoa, Florida. Let’s take a deeper look at what we know about the latest announcement.

Station Location

The new station in Cocoa will be built near State Road 528 and U.S. Highway 1. That’s a distance of about 40 miles from the Orlando Brightline Station, which is adjacent to Terminal C at the Orlando International Airport.

Opening Timeline

At this time, no opening timeline for the station has been announced. Officials are still in the early stages of planning this project. We can’t base a timing estimate on the time to build the Orlando station, because that process included building almost 200 miles of track — and the track is already in place for this project.

Cost

As we just noted, the track is already built for this route, since it is along the route Brightline already takes from Orlando to South Florida. So, the cost of this project will include the building of the station, parking, as well as additional infrastructure needed to stop the train there.

The city of Cocoa, Florida has committed $5 million to the project, but no estimates of the total cost have been reported just yet.

We do have an example to look at, though. Another Brightline station has been announced for Stuart, Florida, and officials there have estimated the cost to build a station and parking garage at about $60 million. According to WPTV, in Stuart, the city and county are splitting the cost of the station with Brightline, and they expect grants in the neighborhood of $20 million to help fund construction. That would mean the city and county would need to come up with about $10 million.

Station Access

Perhaps the biggest advantage of a Cocoa Brightline station for passengers will be access to Port Canaveral. Thirteen ships will call Port Canaveral their homeport in 2024, and the port expects 7.3 million passengers to embark on cruises this year. The nearest major airport to Port Canaveral is — you guessed it — Orlando International Airport, the home of Orlando’s Brighline Train Station.

The new station in Cocoa would be located 9 miles from the port — about a 10-12 minute Uber ride away. Currently most airport transfers to the port are by private bus transportation or rideshare — the train would offer a roomier, and perhaps slightly faster, alternative. We might also see cruise lines offer deals in partnership with Brightline. Princess Cruises just announced a “Rail to Sail” Brightline partnership that includes a unique luggage service — passengers can check their bags at the Orlando Brightline station, take the train to Fort Lauderdale and transfer to Port Everglades for a Princess Cruise. Their bags will be automatically be transferred from the train to their stateroom. We could see cruise lines offer similar deals for the trip from Orlando to Cocoa.

Even if you aren’t cruising, a stop in Cocoa will provide quick access to beaches on the East Coast of Florida including Cocoa Beach, and to the Kennedy Space Center and its attractions.

Frequency

Currently, Brightline offers service from Orlando International Airport 9-10 times per day, with trains departing about every 2 hours from 5AM to 9PM. We have seen this service increase to hourly during busy seasons. It’s safe to assume that with an influx of cruise passengers, the frequency of trains could rise.

With stations already operating in Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach, South Florida passengers might also use Brightline to travel to cruises at Port Canaveral, further increasing demand.

Train Fare

Brightline has not announced any potential fares between Orlando and the to-be-built station in Cocoa. Fares on Brightline rise and fall with demand, but let’s take a look at a current route that is close to 40 miles in length (about the same distance as the Orlando to Cocoa route will be), the route from Miami to Boca Raton.

Fares for Brightline’s “Smart class” (coach) between Miami and Boca Raton are currently about $25-$35 one-way. Again, there’s no way to determine what rates will look like when the Stuart station is built, but that’s the most comparable fare we have to look at right now.

Future Expansion

Brightline is also expanding to the West Coast of Florida — with a route planned from Orlando to Tampa. This would provide access to an additional cruise port in Florida — the Port of Tampa. And, a stop on the East Coast in Stuart, Florida, will provide access to beaches in the Treasure Coast area of Florida. The Stuart stop could also be a popular hub for travelers who attend Major League Baseball’s Spring Training season.

That’s a look at what we know about Brightline’s latest expansion announcement. We’ll keep in touch with Brightline and bring you all of the latest news, so keep following AllEars for more!

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Have you taken the Brightline train yet? Would you consider it? Let us know in the comments!

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