Central Florida is finally getting a high-speed train and Tampa could be next.
The Sun Sentinel reported in April that Virgin Trains USA raised the money it needs to expand its high-speed rail line from South Florida to Orlando.
The Orlando stop will be at the Orlando International Airport, according to Florida Department of Transportation Intermodal Systems Development Manager Ming Gao.
The Orlando Sentinel reports construction on a track will take up to three years.
WKMG reported Virgin Trains started service in May 2018 between West Palm Beach and Miami with a stop in Fort Lauderdale.
Train tickets from Miami to West Palm start at $22, plus taxes and fees.
FDOT put out a request for proposals in November for a train between Tampa and Orlando, according to Tampa Transportation Director Jean Duncan.
Duncan said Virgin Trains – which used to be known as Brightline – was the only bidder. Last fall, some of the train company’s representatives met with Tampa city leaders.
Virgin Trains looked at Ybor City as its potential Tampa stop, according to Duncan. However, Gao said Virgin Trains does not have a potential landing spot confirmed in Tampa.
As of Tuesday morning, Gao said Virgin Trains is in negotiations with FDOT’s central office for how much it cost to lease the space between Orlando and Tampa. The plan would call for a train in the median of Interstate 4, according to Gao. The company is still in the fundraising process and considering the extension of its line between the two cities.
Both Gao and Duncan said further transit-oriented development around a potential line would be needed.
Gao called any kind of plans for a train between Orlando and Tampa, “very preliminary.”
While Virgin would ultimately have to decide if a potential train would include a stop at Walt Disney World, both Gao and Duncan said it would make sense because it’s such a major destination for tourism.
Duncan said she couldn’t speak for Virgin’s plans, but called a potential Disney stop “a no brainer.”
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