WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Brightline is gearing up for its return to service in November and the high-speed rail service is making big steps to take passengers to Orlando.
Starting Saturday, Brightline will be getting 13 miles of track in northern Palm Beach County from West Palm Beach to Jupiter ready for service.
Brightline trains won't be operating on the tracks just yet, but freight traffic may be running on the tracks once it's completed.
Crews have upgraded railroad crossings with new signals, gates and paint markings on the road.
Brightline leaders said it's important for everyone to follow safety guidelines.
"It's important, though even with all the safety improvements that are done, people need to be aware that when they're near railroad tracks they need to look, listen and live, and do not cross a track except at a crossing. And when those lights come on and those gates come down, do not go around them. It's terribly terribly dangerous," Brightline spokeswoman Katie Mitzner said.
The Orlando extension project is about two-thirds completed and Brightline is hoping to have service up and running by 2023.
"So they're not just taking a gamble on getting in their car and sitting in traffic for hours on end, so it's very important to us that we get back into service, that we resume service, that we get our extension up and running and be able to transport people from one spot to the next," Mitzner said.
Brightline said a trip from West Palm Beach to Orlando will take about two hours.
