Back in April, reports emerged that Virgin Trains was planning to build a train station near Walt Disney World for a line that would run from Central Florida to South Florida. Today, officials of both Virgin and Disney have confirmed that they are in “advanced talks” regarding a station that would be part of a route to Tampa, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
- Virgin Trains is currently working on a $4 billion, 160-mile expansion that would run from West Palm Beach to Orlando International Airport.
- Virgin’s executive vice president for infrastructure, Michael Cegelis, said their talks with Disney are in a “rather advanced state now.”
- While Virgin’s stations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach are tied to real-estate development, the station being built at the Orlando International Airport will be used only for transportation.
- It is yet to be determined whether the new station connecting Walt Disney World to Tampa will be tied to real-estate development.
- Much of the new line between Orange County and Tampa will run along Interstate 4.
- Virgin is also opening three more stations in Aventura, PortMiami and Boca Raton late next year while stations are also being considered for the Space Coast area of Brevard County and Treasure Coast region of Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties.
- These stations will not significantly add to the previously planned three-hour Miami-to-Orlando trip, according to Virgin officials.
What they’re saying:
- Statement from Disney: “As the top vacation destination and largest single-site employer in the United States, Walt Disney World Resort is an obvious choice for a rail station between Orlando International Airport and Tampa. While we have not yet made any definitive commitment, we have mutually agreed to more formally explore developing a train station on our property,”
- Ben Porritt, a Virgin senior vice president: “When you look at the millions of out-of-state visitors traveling to Florida, as well as the 21 million residents of the state, providing a car-free option would be a big win.”