Connecting Florida’s Cities Through Structure, Speed, and Control

Brightline, developed by Florida East Coast Industries under the All Aboard Florida initiative, is the first privately owned, operated, and maintained passenger rail system in the United States. The project connects Miami to Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando via 195 miles of upgraded corridor, with 40 new miles built to link directly to Orlando International Airport.

Beyond transforming regional mobility, Brightline represents a bold model for privately financed public infrastructure - designed to reduce congestion, stimulate economic growth, and redefine modern travel in the state of Florida.

The Challenge and Expectations

Delivering a $2.5 billion program of this scale, involving multiple consultants, contractors, and public stakeholders, requires more than coordination. Precision, accountability, and governance across every decision are non-negotiable in multi-billion dollar projects.

As the first privately funded passenger rail project in the U.S., Brightline needed a project controls system capable of integrating design, construction, and financial oversight within one connected platform. The system had to be intelligent, adaptable, and scalable — enabling collaboration while maintaining strict cost and schedule discipline.

The Solution

After evaluating multiple systems, Brightline selected PMWEB for its enterprise-grade flexibility and ease of use. PMWEB provided a single, web-based platform for managing all phases of the project - from planning and budgeting to procurement, change management, and asset tracking.

Key differentiators included:

• Configurable workflows that mirrored Brightline’s governance structure.
• Integrated financial management linking budgets, contracts, and forecasts.
• Powerful dashboards and reporting tools that provided executives with real-time insight into performance and spend.
• Ease of implementation and scalability to accommodate ongoing expansion and new stations.

The Results

With PMWEB, Brightline gained complete visibility and control across its capital program. All planning, cost, and engineering activities now operate within one secure, auditable environment, enabling faster decisions, tighter financial management, and improved collaboration among stakeholders.

Results include:

• Centralized control of contracts, budgets, and change orders.
• Reduced cycle times for approvals and procurement.
• Transparent, auditable data for executive and investor reporting.
• Configurable dashboards that track performance against budget and schedule in real time.

By unifying every aspect of project execution under one platform, Brightline achieved the clarity and governance needed to deliver one of the nation’s most complex infrastructure projects - efficiently, transparently, and at scale.

PMWEB’s visual workflows and dashboard reporting allow for effective and timely decision-making.

Alex Velazquez, Vice President & Controller, All Aboard Florida

With PMWEB, Brightline delivered one of the most complex infrastructure programs in the region, not just on cost and time targets, but under the scrutiny of investors, regulators, and the public - all with transparency, accountability, and alignment.

Key Takeaways for Capital Leaders in Fast-Growth Markets

1. Build governance, not just visibility: Visibility without control will only expose issues; embedding workflow and compliance is what enables action.
2. Make every change auditable: Linking contracts, changes, and budgets inside one system ensures you can trace every dollar and decision.
3. Translate technical data into executive insight: Dashboards must serve leadership, not just field teams, to drive decisive action.
4. Embed guardrails early: When governance is part of process design, you avoid rework and noncompliance later.
5. Storytelling strengthens trust: A case study backed by data, client voice, and narrative structure builds deep credibility with future prospects.

Brightline’s success demonstrates what’s possible when regional ambition meets disciplined execution. In markets as dynamic as Miami and South Florida, that combination defines the future of capital program leadership.