Virgin Trains could be nearing an agreement soon on a location near the theme parks in Orlando.
The Miami-based intercity train, which is working on a $4 billion expansion from Orlando International Airport to West Palm Beach, revealed in report on September that it would target reaching an agreement to develop a station in fourth-quarter of this year. Virgin Trains now is evaluating station sites in the area that may serve one or more theme parks in the area.
A station for the theme parks is something Virgin Trains has proposed as part of its $1.7 billion Orlando-to-Tampa route, and area resorts have voiced support for it. A Walt Disney World Resort representative spoke in favor of the rail expansion project during an April 5 Florida Development Finance Corp. meeting and Universal Parks & Resorts CEO Tom Williams has said he will lobby hard for the train to have a station near Universal’s proposed Epic Universe theme park.
Virgin Trains did not reveal the locations of the station sites it was looking at in the report. Virgin Trains representatives couldn't be reached for comment.
For its Tampa route, Virgin Trains still has to complete negotiations with the Florida Department of Transportation and Central Florida Expressway Authority related to the right of way between the two cities. A new Jan. 1 deadline was set for right-of-way negotiations to be completed between the parties after an agreement wasn't met on the last deadline of Oct. 3.
The train line is proposed for completion in 2021, but it is unclear if the deadline change will push that timeline.
Another mode of transit to the theme parks in the area would be a big deal. Orlando's $70 billion tourism market attracted a record 75 million visitors last year, and public transit options can help grow those figures even more.
Meanwhile, the ongoing Orlando-to-West Palm Beach project — which started in May and is scheduled for a 2022 completion — is expected to create 10,000 jobs and generate $650 million in state, federal and local tax revenue.
Source: Orlando Business Journal
