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Amadeus grows multimodal travel opportunities with new Brightline distribution partnership

May 21, 2025
Last updated: September 16, 2025
6 min read
Michael Stalter
Michael Stalter
Head of Commercial, Rail & Ground Travel, Amadeus
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It’s fair to say commercial intercity rail has not reached its full potential in the United States. While plans for a $100 billion bullet train between Los Angeles and San Francisco has been in discussion since 1992, the state of California remains tangled up in regulatory and legal battles as it seeks to bring the project to a successful conclusion.


In fact, the only commuter or intercity train that consistently turns a profit across the country is the Acela Boston to Washington service from Amtrak.

Brightline drives rail travel in United States

All of which makes Brightline, the only privately owned and operated intercity passenger railroad in the United States, an exciting partner for us here at Amadeus.


Brightline connects travelers to top destinations and major events between Central and South Florida with stations in Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Orlando. The company offers a hospitality-centric experience designed to reinvent train travel at a comparable price to driving or flying.


In 2024, Brightline welcomed40 percent more gueststhan the previous year,traveling over five million miles,which is equal to 200 tripsaround the world.Connecting by Brightline alsoreduced CO2 emissions by nearly 100k tonnes, equal to planting three million trees.


It was founded to create a solution for routes that are too long to drive, but too short to fly and has also made it a priority to make sure every guest has some fun along the way. From in-station lounges to seamless transfers to get passengers to their front door, Brightline is working to bring a new rail experience to life.

Amadeus-connected travel sellers gain new multimodal opportunities

We have signed a distribution partnership with the operator, which will see Brightline content made available to thousands of travel sellers around the world who are connected to the Amadeus Travel Platform. The integration into our ecosystem means travel sellers will now be able to book rail trips alongside airline services, providing a seamless booking and ticketing experience.


For the travel industry, this represents a step forward in enhancing multimodal travel options, improving convenience by offering efficient alternatives. The partnership means Brightline will see its rail services displayed alongside airline services in the same booking channels, increasing visibility and accessibility to a broader audience.


By integrating with Amadeus’ extensive network of travel sellers, Brightline can also expand its market reach. For example, with these new distribution opportunities in place, travel sellers will be able to help travelers visit the world-famous theme parks in Orlando or easily add a weekend in South Beach without having to figure out how to get there.


For this reason, the deal is expected to significantly enhance the travel experience for Brightline’s travelers. By offering a seamless booking process, Brightline and Amadeus aim to attract more travelers, boost traveler satisfaction and bring competitive edge in the rail transportation market.

Sustainable travel options in Florida

This partnership also supports the promotion of sustainable transportation by offering more efficient and environmentally friendly travel options. While eventually hoping to deliver carbon-free rides, its diesel-electric locomotives currently run on biodiesel for lower emissions.


The team has planted over 3,000 native trees along rail corridors to further reduce carbon emissions and help make the communities it serves cleaner.

Future is Brightline

With plans already in place for a new station at Stuart, Florida, Brightline also recently unveiled ambitions for Brightline West, described as the first ‘true high-speed passenger rail system’ in the country. The modern system is designed to redefine train travel in America and connect two new destinations: Las Vegas and southern California.


The 218-mile passenger rail service will operate from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga, with the majority of the alignment within the median of the I-15.


Today, nearly 50 million annual trips occur between Los Angeles and Las Vegas – over 85 per cent of them by car. With construction expected to take about four years and the first services penciled in to begin in 2028, Brightline West expects to eventually serve more than nine million one-way passengers annually.


Watch this space.

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