Siemens just shipped Brightline its first new batch of train cars, which will be used to add much needed capacity.
The new train cars are expected to help nearly double passenger count.
Brightline has been dealing with capacity constraints, particularly on trains between West Palm Beach and Miami.
So far in 2024, around 30% of trains have been completely full. On weekends and holidays, the company regularly sees over 75% of trains at capacity.
The new train cars were shipped from California on September 19, and are expected to arrive in Orlando later this month. They will then be placed into service after a short commissioning process.
With the first new set of cars, Brightline will operate with trainsets with five cars, but that will grow further in the coming months. A total of 20 smart class cars will be delivered in the next few months, and 10 premium class cars are set for delivery in 2025.
With the new capacity and other measures, Brightline expects monthly passenger count to reach 400,000 in the relatively near term, and 650,000 by 2026. By comparison, August 2024 ridership was 208,062, up 39% compared to August 2023.
