Brightline has set a target for when it will start passenger service on its Orlando-to-West Palm Beach route.

The Miami-based intercity rail service said in a January monthly revenue and ridership report that it wants to start revenue service for the 170-mile expansion in second-quarter 2023. Construction on the expansion is 90% complete.

Why this matters: New rail service has the potential to connect business and leisure travelers between Orlando and south Florida. The new service also is expected to add jobs.

Representatives with Brightline confirmed with Orlando Business Journal the timetable for the start of revenue service.

In addition to the start of revenue service, the system plans to finish its 37,350-square-foot Orlando train station at Orlando International Airport's Intermodal Terminal Facility in March. The completion of the station construction will be separate from the start of service timeline.

The system also expects to complete in March its east-west corridor, which runs along State Road 528.

Other construction in Orlando already has wrapped up for the system. Zone 2, a 3.5-mile stretch at Orlando International Airport, was completed Oct. 13, 2021. The $100 million,135,805-square-foot vehicle maintenance facility and infrastructure around that was completed Aug. 10, 2022.

In addition to the Orlando airport connection, Brightline also is working on a shared corridor with SunRail called the Sunshine Corridor. The path would allow SunRail to connect with destinations like the Orange County Convention Center, South International Drive near Walt Disney World Resort and the airport, while also letting Brightline make its eventual expansion to Tampa.