Brightline and Walt Disney World announced a new agreement on Monday to construct a "higher speed" train station at Disney Springs.
The planned station at Walt Disney Resorts will connect Disney with existing and in-the-works Brightline hubs at Orlando International Airport, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Aventura, Boca Raton and Port Miami.
Design plans for the Disney Springs station includes a ground-floor lobby, passenger facilities and an upstairs train platform, to say nothing of the prime location to all of Disney World's theme parks and hotels. Although, it should be noted, the exact location of the station has not been revealed.
“Brightline will offer a car-free connection to the millions of visitors from around the state and the world who plan to make Walt Disney World Resort part of their vacation plans,” said Patrick Goddard, president of Brightline, in a press statement. “Our mission has always been to connect our guests to the people and places that matter, and Walt Disney World Resort is a tremendous example of this.”
There is no set date for construction to commence—or be completed by—as this partnership is contingent on Brightline getting all of the needed government approvals.
The Brightline expansion from West Palm Beach to Orlando International Airport should be complete by 2022. And a Brightline route from Orlando to Tampa will tentatively break ground in 2022.
The rail line would shorten the trip from Tampa to Orlando to one hour, with round-trip tickets costing just over $70. Brightline has been attempting to connect the two cities via rail since 2018, when it proposed a bid to build an intercity rail line along Interstate 4.
As of now, a station has been proposed for Ybor City.
A version of this article first appeared at our sister publication Orlando Weekly.
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