The last segment of a higher-speed rail line stretching from South Florida to the central part of the state has been completed, a milestone that was celebrated Wednesday by mayors from across the Sunshine State and which heralds the imminent arrival of much-anticipated service between Miami and Orlando.

With the final tracks laid along the 275-km route, Brightline is gearing up to run 16 daily round trips between Miami and Orlando starting later summer after testing is complete. Service already runs from Miami as far north as West Palm Beach.

Mayors from Miami, Aventura, Boca Raton, West Palm, and Orlando gathered at a station at Orlando International Airport on Wednesday to mark the occasion. All the cities are located along the route.

Brightline’s Orlando expansion broke ground in June 2019, a year after operations began in South Florida between its Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach stations.

“This is a tremendous moment for our community. We have watched the construction progress, looking forward to the day when we would see trains pass us alongside the highway. That day is here,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, whose county is home to Orlando.

In future the rail line is expected to extend to Tampa.