Early Look At All Aboard Florida Fares Not Cheap

Story by J. Israel Balderas/CBS 12 News

WEST PALM BEACH (CBS12) – The public is getting a sneak peak at how much it will cost them to ride the rails.

All Aboard Florida plans to eventually have 32 high speed trains – 16 each way – from Miami to Orlando.

But according to a study prepared for the company, in order to optimize revenue, ridership will not be cheap.

Along Quadrille Blvd, between Evernia and Datura Streets, preparations are underway for a future All Aboard Florida station in Downtown West Palm Beach.

But CBS 12 is learning more about how much future riders will eventually pay to ride a high speed train, first between Miami and West Palm Beach starting in 2017, and eventually Orlando.

“I think that’s the biggest thing, it has to be affordable and it has to make sense,” said Miami resident Terrell Williams.

At the West Palm Beach Tri-Rail station, Williams is heading home from work.

He pays $75 a month to ride the train back and forth five days a week.

But according to new documents obtained by CBS 12, the same train ride on All Aboard Florida could cost Williams $11 – $15 one way from Miami to Fort Lauderdale and $14 – 18 from Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach.

If the Williams family wants to go to Orlando by high speed train, fares for one person would average $93 – 143 each way.

“I’m not going to spend $600 for a family of four to go up there, knowing that I have other expenses,” said Williams.

As for Williams’ daily commute to work, it would mean $1,000 a month on the high speed train compared to $75 on Tri-Rail.

“I lived in Europe riding trains all the time and it’s much more efficient,” said West Palm Beach resident Alex Stan.

He says the costs of riding a high speed train has to be weighed against being able to leave the car behind.

“It’s so much faster to get to where you are going,” said Stan, “and it’s much safer also to.”

All Aboard Florida has not officially released its fare schedule.

These numbers being reported today come from a ridership and revenue study prepared for the company.

But ticket prices should be similar to those fares outlined in the study.