Brightline South Florida commuter pass to cost more for fewer rides and no Orlando leg

Ananya Tiwari, Treasure Coast Newspapers

Brightline’s South Florida commuter passes will cost 150% to 350% more, allow four times fewer rides, and no longer allow trips to Orlando — starting June 1.

The high-speed rail company will honor, but not renew, already purchased passes until they expire. Existing passholders will even receive 10 complimentary rides under the new passes.

Here are the changes in a nutshell, the company announced on its website on May 6:

  • Current solo pass: 40 rides every 30 days cost $9 to $16 per ride

  • Current shared pass: 12 rides every 30 days cost $14 to $32 per ride

  • New pass: 10 rides every 30 days will cost $25 to $55 per ride

The new 10-pack prices range from $250 to $350 for coach and $350 to $550 for first class.

Brightline prioritizes Miami-Orlando seats over South Florida

Brightline has been reducing South Florida seat availability to meet high demand on the new Miami-Orlando route it launched in September, according to its monthly ridership reports.

South Florida ridership declined by 31% in March compared to March 2023 because Brightline cut its share of seats, according to its ridership reports. Accommodating South Florida passengers has been particularly challenging during peak hours from 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m., spokesperson Ben Porritt told TCPalm.

Brightline expects to receive more Siemens coaches later this year, but has not told TCPalm how many. Trains currently run with four coaches, but stations can accommodate 10 coaches.

Once ridership on the new route stabilizes, Brightline projects over 4 million Miami-Orlando passengers annually, according to its latest annual report. Miami-Orlando ridership averaged 8,332 in March, and has comprised about half the total monthly ridership since December.

Brightline’s current commuter passes and average prices

SoFlo Solo Pass

  • 40 South Florida rides in 30 days

  • $299-$399 coach

  • $629 first class

SoFlo Shared Pass

  • 12 shareable South Florida rides in 30 days

  • $171-$299 coach

  • $379 first class

All-Station Shared Pass

  • 12 shareable rides between South Florida and Orlando in 90 days

  • $1,199 coach

  • $2,299 first class

SoFlo Solo commuter passes between Miami and Aventura will continue based on an agreement with Miami-Dade County, the website says.

Ananya Tiwari is a business reporter for TCPalm. You can reach her via email at ananya.tiwari@tcpalm.com or follow her work on Facebook, Twitter or X, and MuckRack.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Brightline announces new South Florida commuter passes

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