Local
Brightline broke ground on the Aventura station
Brightline and Miami-Dade County broke ground on the Aventura station – slated to open in 2022 – in September 2020. The station is adjacent to the Aventura Mall on three acres at the 19800 block of West Dixie Highway and will be accessible from both West Dixie Highway and NE 26th Avenue.Nov 29, 2021.
Aventura is a future Brightline infill train station in Ojus, Florida. It will be located on Dixie Highway west of the Aventura Mall, on a site that was purchased by Brightline (then known as Virgin Trains USA) and donated to Miami-Dade County, who is partly funding construction.
The trains will travel as fast as a freight line but won't zip along at Brightline's typical 80 mph speed, officials said. WEST PALM BEACH — Drivers will see Brightline trains running north of West Palm Beach for the first time next week as the high-speed railroad starts trial runs between West Palm and Cocoa.Jan 10, 2022.
Train travel has never felt so...new and clean! That was our first reaction to riding the Brightline Trains in South Florida from West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale in February, especially since we're used to riding the NJ Transit.
Aside from that newness factor, the coach seats were so comfortable with power ports and tray tables. Brightline even had drinks and food service. It kinda put traveling by air to shame. You can also choose between three different classes—Smart, SmartPLUS and Select, the latter of which is akin to first class with champagne, food, and complimentary one-day parking.
And while train bathrooms are notoriously sketchy (again, drawing on our NJ Transit experiences), the Brightline bathroom was—dare we say?—lovely and had a changing-table too!
Not only is riding Brightline easy, and a great way to avoid the traffic and crazy drivers on the 95, buying a Brightline ticket is super easy too. We did it via the app as well as through one of the kiosks at the train station.
Speaking on the train stations, these are also brand-new with parking structures nearby outside and plenty of lounge space inside.You will need to go through a small security checkpoint—nothing like the TSA though—but once you're through that, you can grab a drink or snack while you wait, have your pick of a comfy place to sit, and even let the kids burn off their energy in a special play area.
If you couldn't tell, we love the Brightline, which is now a part of Virgin Trains USA, for getting around South Florida. It saves time and the headache of driving. But there are some drawbacks: the trains don't run that often, typically once an hour although somewhat more during peak commute times, and most likely you'll still need to rideshare from the station to where you're going. Still, it feels more enjoyable than driving.
Train tickets are usually about $15 a person from Miami to Fort Lauderdale (30 minutes) and $22 from Miami to West Palm Beach (60 minutes.) It's about the same time and price from Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach. But guess what? Kids ride FREE all summer long on Brightline from June 1 to September 30.
And keep your eye out for Orlando coming soon!