The Wall Street Journal originally reported last Friday that the U.K.'s Virgin Group, led by entrepreneur Richard Branson, plans to bid for Florida's high speed rail line.

The story is picked up in today's Financial Times:

Virgin confirmed it had joined the competition, with an official announcement expected later this week. “We’re interested in exciting opportunities in UK and overseas rail; this is one of them,” Virgin said. The group also has a 25 per cent stake in US low-cost airline Virgin America and is planning to launch commercial flights into space through its Virgin Galactic venture.

Though some Floridians (such as incoming Transportation Committee Chair John Mica) may be indifferent to the Tampa-Orlando high speed rail line, bidders for the $2.6 billion project are coming in from all over the world.