Private higher-speed rail company Brightline recently laid out a new timeline for its route from Tampa to Orlando.
In a meeting, Michael Cegelis, Brightline’s executive vice president of rail infrastructure, said the route’s Disney station would be taking priority, meaning work on the route’s construction is now set to begin in 2022, reports Tampa Bay Business Journal.
The rail line is now expected to be completed in 2025.
Brightline is also looking to collaborate with Orlando commuter rail SunRail on portions of the Tampa extension, reports TBBJ. If the two come to an agreement, SunRail would gain the ability to reach Orlando International Airport via Brightline’s tracks.
The rail line would shorten the trip from Tampa to Orlando to about one hour, with round-trip tickets costing just over $70.
This news comes a month after Brightline and Tampa developer Darryl Shaw were in talks about the details of a station in Ybor City. The two entered a memorandum of understanding, which allows Brightline to conduct an environmental analysis of the area.
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This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4, 2020.