America's First Private High-Speed Train Service Set to Launch Later This Month

The country’s first private, high-speed train service is coming to Florida later this month.

The $3 billion dollar Brightline Express, which promises to transport passengers from Miami to Orlando in just three hours, will be launching by the end of the year, according to NPR, and will be transporting passengers on trains that run at speeds ranging from 79 to 125 miles per hour.

The project, which comes from All Aboard Florida, will launch with trains running from West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale, while an expanded service to downtown Miami is expected for early next year.

The company also plans to add trains that will travel from Miami to Orlando down the line.

The new high-speed trains, which representatives say can help to take as many as 3 million cars off the streets in Florida, will let passengers travel from West Palm Beach to Miami in an hour, and from Fort Lauderdale to Miami in 30 minutes.

While the company has yet to announce what ticket prices will look like, amenities will include large windows for panoramic views, free Wi-Fi, leather seats with outlets for electronics, and stations that include rideshares, shuttle, taxi, and rental car options.

Some stations, like the 11-acre station planned in the heart of downtown Miami, will also include a variety of boutiques, restaurants and outdoor markets, while others will include residential spaces and indoor lounges.

The trains, which will be made up of two diesel-electric vehicles and four stainless-steel coaches, will run on their own dedicated track built alongside a 19th-century track currently used by cargo trains.

While the project provides passengers with speedier alternative transportation and aims to reduce both congestion and carbon emissions in the area, it has raised some concerns such as whether the state's cost of living will go up and whether there will be delays for car commuters, according to NPR.