ORLANDO, Fla. — The start of Brightline service to Orlando has been further pushed back, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
The passenger operator has yet to announce an official first date of service but has been selling tickets for dates in September. It is now offering refunds, upgrades to premium seats, and discounts on Avis rental car rates for those who had booked trips between Sept. 7 and 21, the Sentinel reports.
“We are close to identifying a start date, but we’ve added a few more days to our work schedule to complete the final stages of certification and testing,” the company said in a message to customers.
Previously, the company had stopped selling tickets for trips between Sept. 1-14, and offered a similar package of refunds, premium-class credits, and a 35% discount on an Avis car rentalif the passenger still needed to travel on a cancelled date [see “Brightline delays new Miami-Orlando ticket sales …,” Trains News Wire, Aug. 7, 2023]. At that time, the company had only ruled out the start of operations Sept. 1-5.
The company is still in the process of completing testing for 110-mph operation between West Palm Beach and Cocoa, Fla., and crew certification for the extension of operations to Orlando.
Waiting, still waiting for the spectacular Miami – Orlando HST service opening. Just a little more patience!
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