Brightline Updates Florida High-Speed Rail Plan; Tampa Expansion
Brightline has announced significant updates to its Florida high-speed rail expansion plans. Currently, Brightline offers service between Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach.
The Orlando International Airport station will start operating in 2023. Brightline trains began testing at the station on May 17, 2022.
There won’t be a stop at Disney Springs along with the planned expansion to Tampa.
Additional stations were announced in southeast Florida: Aventura, Boca Raton, and PortMiami.
The Disney Dream from Disney Cruise Line has recently been relocated to PortMiami.
Brightline’s expansion plans as of June 2022 (Source: GoBrightline.com)
The Sunshine Corridor
The issue with Brightline’s updated plans is that it doesn’t directly connect to any major attractions in the Orlando area. Disney theme park fans hoped that Brightline would provide a suitable replacement for the now-defunct Magical Express bus service from Orlando International Airport. The new proposal is for Brightline to connect to SunRail train service. SunRail would operate the “Sunshine Corridor,” providing service from the airport to Orange County Convention Center and south International Drive.
The initial plans for the Sunshine Corridor look like it could stop near destinations like the Orange County Convention Center, Universal’s Epic Universe (connecting to Universal Orlando Resort), SeaWorld Orlando, and attractions around south International Drive like Disney Springs at Walt Disney World.
“Shared Corridor” aka “Sunshine Corridor” proposal presented by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer on May 5, 2022 (source: Fox35Orlando.com).
OIA: Orlando International Airport
OCCC: Orange County Convention Center
SID: South International Drive
Brightline’s Tampa Expansion
Brightline is still working on the location of the Tampa station, but supposedly it will likely come through Ybor City, close to I-4. If true, that means the Brightline station will be about a 20-minute car ride from Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and a 10-minute car ride from ZooTampa at Lowry Park.
