The only privately held intercity rail company in the US Brightline has announced a delay to its 1 September service start date in Orlando, Florida, US.
Brightline celebrated the completion of the train line between Orlando and Miami in June and had hoped to inaugurate the rail line in time for Labor Day weekend (1-6 September).
Construction on the project began in mid-2014, with the installation of new tracks between Miami and West Palm Beach.
The company stated in March they were “more than 90% complete” with the construction to Orlando and once completed a rigorous certification and verification process would follow.
In a statement from Brightline, the company announced personal refunds will be made for existing pre-bookings.
“We’re working through the final stages of certification and crew testing but it’s apparent that we won’t hit our opening weekend as planned. Knowing it’s a holiday weekend, we want to give guests as much time as possible to adjust their travel plans.
“We have already started engaging them and will refund their tickets and provide a premium credit ‘on us’. We hope they will rebook and enjoy the inaugural Brightline experience. We look forward to announcing an official date as soon as possible.”
The project improved the economy across Florida as according to Brightline, construction created over 10,000 jobs and generated more than $6.4bn in economic effect for the state.
As previously reported by Railway Technology, Brightline tested the high-speed trains on the West Palm Beach–Orlando corridor and said it would test speeds up to 177km/h (110mph).
