Brightline officials eye rail corridors in Georgia, Texas, one day before South Florida service begins

WEST PALM BEACH — The Treasure and Space coasts still are waiting for Brightline, yet the railroad already is looking beyond its original goal of passenger service between Miami and Orlando.

It’s eyeing expansion to Jacksonville and Tampa.

And even as South Florida service gets underway Saturday, officials are exploring other parts of the country, such as Georgia, North Carolina and Texas, said to Wes Edens, co-founder of Fortress Investment Group, All Aboard Florida's parent company

"Our vision doesn't stop here," Edens said Friday at a media event. "Our goal is to look at other corridors with similar characteristics — too long to drive, too short to fly."

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Atlanta-Charlotte, Houston-Dallas and Houston-Austin all could be good fits for the Miami-to-Orlando model being developed in South Florida, he said.

Brightline, a division of All Aboard Florida, is to officially begin passenger service open to the public Saturday morning.

For now, service is limited to the 40-minute trip between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.

The railroad will expand service Miami later this year with full service to Orlando still several years away, likely sometime in 2020.

Initial fares are $10 each way for Smart Service, Brightline's coach class, and $15 for Select Service, Brightline's business class. Seniors, active military and veterans will receive a 10 percent discount, and children younger than 12 will ride for half price as part of discounted introductory fares.

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Brightline's current schedule has 10 daily round trips on weekdays and nine on weekends between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. 

Meanwhile, construction on the project's second phase — from West Palm Beach, through the Treasure and Space coasts and on to Orlando International Airport — could begin as soon as this month, Brightline revealed in December.