Business apparently is so good at Brightline, the Florida’s burgeoning high-speed railroad, that its discounted monthly passes designed to woo passengers are no longer needed.

The upscale train service, which serves a 235-mile segment between Miami and Orlando with four South Florida stations in between, has announced to the dismay of many customers that it intends to dispose of three passes aimed at incentivizing travelers. It plans to replace them with more expensive 10-ride passes for frequent travelers.

The move serves as a reminder to the public about what Brightline intended to be: A high-speed regional train line between Miami and Orlando, not the upscale commuter service that has become popular among South Florida riders during an interim build-out period. Brightline, whose trains started zipping along the Florida East Coast Railway corridor through West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami in 2018, inaugurated the second leg of its regional service to Orlando International Airport last September. And now is the time, company officials say, to focus on building ridership to Orlando.

“As it relates to the folks who ride our train, I’m certainly empathetic toward how this impacts them,” Brightline spokesman Ben Porritt said. “At the same time we are working as a business to move people between Central and South Florida, and that’s what the business was set up to do.”

Porritt reaffirmed a monthly company report for March to bondholders that Brightline is restricting the number of seats it sells for trips among the five South Florida stations so it can sell more tickets for longer haul travel to Orlando.

“We know there is more demand but we are artificially capping [South Florida] capacity to sell more Orlando tickets,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can sell long haul.”

He added that the capacity crunch may ease with the forthcoming delivery of additional train coaches at mid-year. “That will free up additional capacity, but we are focusing on building out the long-haul business,” he said.

Sales of the following passes, introduced roughly six months ago, will cease effective June 1:

• All-Station Shared: Sold for $1,199, the pass was designed for passengers to travel between Orlando and the South Florida stations. Riders could use it for 12 trips during a 90-day period, which translated into $99 s ride.
• SoFlo Solo: Sold for $399, this monthly pass allowed for 40 rides to be used in a 30-day period, with fares starting at $10 per ride. The passes could be auto-renewed monthly at a 5% discount and included onboard food and beverage discounts.
• SoFlo Shared: The passes started at $229 for economy fares. They could be used for 12 rides in 30 days at $19 a trip. It was the cheapest monthly pass of the three and was restricted to travel among the five South Florida stations. Orlando was not included.

According to a chart on the Brightline website, the 10-packs at the SMART or economy level will go for $350 for travel between Miami and West Palm Beach, and for $250 from Miami to Fort Lauderdale.

PREMIUM passes for a Miami-to-West Palm Beach run will sell for $550, while passes for rides between Miami and Fort Lauderdale will cost $350.

All are valid for 30 days from purchase. In a nod to customer loyalty, the railroad says, “please enjoy your first 10-Ride SMART Pack on us.”

“In recent months, it has become increasingly difficult to accommodate all Guests as peak trains are reaching capacity,” the company says in a recently posted announcement that appears on its website. “We continue to evaluate the best approach to balance customer demand — and as a result, the sale of Train Passes will be discontinued effective June 1, 2024.”

“Current passholders may continue to use their pass until it expires,” the statement says. And a pass designed for riders between Aventura and downtown Miami will carry on as it exists under an agreement between Brightline and Miami-Dade County.

Hardly enough, though, to mollify dissenters in the fan base.

“With the new proposal it’s going to more than triple if you use more than 40 rides,” said Dion Cassata, a lawyer from Boca Raton and frequent train traveler to his office in downtown Miami. .

“I like Brightline a lot,” he said. “I’ll just wind up using it less.”

In a way, the capacity problem created by higher demand is a byproduct of the company’s intense marketing efforts that kicked into high gear during the first quarter.

Brightline has entered into a wide array of deals and discount plans offered in conjunction with educational institutions, cruise lines and professional sports teams. None of those arrangements will be affected, Porritt said.

But prices have steadily climbed at Brightline, known for its upscale stations occupied by bars, restaurants, retail and various passenger amenities to go along with its fast inter-city service at speeds reaching between 79 mph and 125 mph. On any given day, would-be riders are confronted with $49 one-way trips between Fort Lauderdale and Miami that are listed in the economy section for travel during the course of each business day.

The Tri-Rail alternative

Those feeling priced off the fast train can always head west to Tri-Rail, the publicly subsidized commuter line that operates along a state-owned rail corridor. The line has 18 stops mainly west of Interstate 95 between Mangonia Park north of West Palm Beach and Miami International Airport. Prices are as low as five bucks for rides on weekends.

Tri-Rail recently started service into downtown Miami and the Miami Central station built and operated by Brightline. At this point, the service requires a change of trains near Hialeah for a cross-county ride into downtown.

In its note to riders, which Porritt reaffirmed, Brightline said it has been working with Tri-Rail’s operating agency, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, “to facilitate a new Tri-Rail express route serving daily commuters between West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Brightline Miami Central Station.”

“We’ve really revolutionized the way people get around South Florida,” Porritt said, “And for the longest time people questioned us as to whether people would get out of their cars.”

It’s why Brightline is not only working with Tri-Rail on the downtown Miami connection, but with the governments of Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counites to build out a separate coastal commuter line along the FEC corridor.

“There is an audience there and a demand for that type of service,” Porritt said.

In an email, Tri-Rail spokesman Victor Garcia acknowledged that David Dech, the authority’s executive director, “has had some conversations with Brightline and shared that we are looking at adding an express train. He is exploring the concept of one express train from West Palm Beach to MiamiCentral in the morning and one returning northbound in the afternoon, as a one-seat ride making limited stops.”

Garcia said Tri-Rail “is compiling passenger survey feedback before finalizing an updated schedule.”

It is at a board meeting, which will take place May 31, that funding for the express service will be proposed as part of a budget presentation for Tri-Rail’s forthcoming fiscal year, which starts July 1.

“There is a chance that the service is in place sometime this summer if approved,” Garcia said.

Thus far, there is no indication that a surge of disgruntled Brightline passengers is heading over to Tri-Rail.

“Weekday ridership remains at a steady 15,000 average since February,” Garcia said. “So no significant ridership wave has been experienced at the moment.”