Brightline ran fewer trains in September as the passenger rail service prepared for schedule changes that took effect earlier this month. Despite the drop in departures, Brightline saw an increase in both short and long haul passengers last month who paid higher average fares than they did in August.
Total revenue for Brightline continues to be driven by ferrying passengers between Orlando and South Florida. Since opening its tracks to central Florida in 2023, Brightline has been shifting its focus to these higher paying travelers. That concentration has led to double-digital growth of its long haul passenger revenue, but sales of shorter trips have dropped so far this year compared to a year ago.
The average short haul fare fell 7% in September versus last September. That may have helped boost passenger counts for Brightline’s SMART service, which is the train’s basic passenger level…