ORLANDO, Fla. — A lot of people are headed home after a long holiday weekend. Most are driving, according to AAA, but more and more Floridians are trying out Brightline.
“Any long weekend here at Brightline is a fun, busy travel weekend,” said Ashley Blasewitz, Brightline’s director of media relations.
Some travelers say taking the train is an easy way to avoid holiday traffic.
“We’ve never done it. So it was going to be a different experience for both of us. We just drove in from Atlanta, so it made sense for us,” passenger Jerilyn Harris said.
Brightline says ridership continued to grow this spring, pointing to roughly 20% increases in March, April and May.
That growth comes as the company works through more than $5.5 billion in debt.
Some passengers say Brightline’s financial challenges won’t stop them from riding.
“I feel like although they’re in debt, I will continue to use their services until they can no longer render,” passenger Destiny Jackson said.
Still, Jackson says the company’s financial situation does make her think about the future.
“It just makes me a little bit nervous because how long do I have until the services can’t be offered anymore, especially to the full-time students like myself?” Jackson said.
However, Jackson says she will continue to take the Brightline as long as the company is in service.
“I feel like my choice of choosing Brightline over driving is because it’s more convenient. I’m a full-time student, so I’m able to just relax, enjoy the ride, catch up on some homework, and then I don’t have to worry about the fatigue of driving long hours,” she said.
Brightline says riders should not be concerned about any changes to service and says it continues to see strong demand as more people choose the train over driving.