Brightline, the privately funded express inter-city passenger rail service connecting Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, with future service to Orlando, unveiled its new downtown West Palm Beach station this week.

Within walking distance to destinations like the Clematis Street District, CityPlace, Centennial Park and the Waterfront, the station will welcome guests from Fort Lauderdale and Miami later this summer. The West Palm Beach station will serve visitors from Orlando in phase two of service.

The station is nearing completion as workers continue to put finishing touches on its interior. Crews are installing the turnstiles, security infrastructure and food and beverage area in the upper concourse. Exterior signage has been installed, and furniture will be delivered in the coming weeks. Soon, Brightline staff will use the facilities in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach to train as the project gets closer to launch.

Planned and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP in association with Miami-based architects Zyscovich, the station spans 60,000 square feet and also includes a parking garage, retail space and residential building. Brightline will offer a variety of transportation offerings to get riders to the stations and to their final destinations. In West Palm Beach, riders have access to ride-sharing/taxi options, rental cars and shuttle services, as well as the ability to connect to the Palm Tran, Tri-Rail and downtown trolley system.

The Brightline trains, manufactured by Siemens, feature automatic level boarding, wide aisles exceeding ADA compliance, multiple outlets for devices and complimentary, robust Wi-Fi, powered by multiple antennas in every car.

Four trainsets are currently stationed at Workshop b and undergoing the required dynamic and static testing. When operational, Brightline will employ hundreds of people in Palm Beach County, including those stationed at Workshop b and at the station. Introductory service will begin between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale in late summer, followed by service to Miami in the fall.