Orlando to Tampa Rail Plans Make Headway
by Carrie Elizabeth Bradon | The Florida Free Press
ORLANDO — The prospect of a high-speed train route from Orlando to Tampa has captured the attention of locals and developers for years, but until recently it seemed more wish than reality. While legal hurdles previously stunted advancements on the route, Virgin Trains USA has secured an extended proposal deadline as they work to bridge the gap between the two cities.
The Florida Department of Transportation and Central Florida Expressway Authority are managing the negotiation process and allowed Virgin Trains USA to extend their original proposal deadline of Jan. 1, 2020. The updated deadline is now March 31, 2020 and will allow for more developments to the project, pinpointing property for the company to lease and completing environmental plans.
In addition to running the basic route from Orlando to Tampa, discussions are underway as Virgin explores a station at the Walt Disney World Resort and the Orlando International Airport. According to BizJournals, the likelihood of a stop at the theme park seems high. In November 2019, Virgin Trains announced that they secured a memorandum of understanding with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Inc. A route from the Orlando International Airport would facilitate efficient transport to Disney and its associated parks, which is the world’s most-visited resort.
The FDOT Assistant Secretary for Strategic Development, Tom Byron, who is working on the Virgin Trains’ proposal, explained that a number of topics remain to be settled during negotiations. Among the areas of discussion are property restrictions on select properties along State Road 417 and the company’s need to secure some property rights with the Orlando Utilities Commission and the Orlando International Airport.
While a timeline for operations has yet to be released, Virgin Trains previously hoped to start the route’s operations in 2021. The anticipated duration of the trip is one hour with ticket prices of $35 for one way and $73 for round trip.
This is part of an ongoing series investigating transportation innovation in Central Florida.
