The first cross-Florida Brightline trains rolled out of Orlando’s and Miami’s stations at dawn on Sept. 22, 2023, carrying crowded cars filled with exuberant passengers peering out windows as they took the first rides of up to 125 mph on the high-speed rail.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer called it “historic” and “one of the days we live for” during a celebration filled with confetti and yellow-and-peach banners hanging over the station’s platform near the airport’s Terminal C.

Since then, nearly 3.1 million riders have taken the 235-mile, 3½-hour trip between South and Central Florida.

Brightline officials touted those ridership numbers to show the growing popularity of its “long-haul” service between the two large metropolitan areas. In the coming year, Brightline looks to add more coach

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