ORLANDO, Fla. — A rail corridor that would enable Brightline to extend service to Tampa while allowing commuter operator SunRail to link Orlando International Airport and area theme parks has received a funding boost. Commissioners in Seminole County, just north of Orlando, this week voted to contribute $500,000 to a $6 million feasibility study for the project.
The Sunshine Corridor would be built west from Brightline’s airport station along Florida Route 528 to Interstate 4, with a connection to existing SunRail service and stations at the Orlando Convention Center and South International Drive. Brightline and SunRail would share tracks and stations on the corridor, with Brightline trains continuing to Tampa in the median of I-4. The cost has been estimated at $4 billion [see “SunRail airport connection to Orlando….” Trains News Wire, April 26, 2024].
As reported Wednesday, Jan. 29, in a paywalled Orlando Sentinel story, Seminole County’s funding will augment a similar amount pledged by the city of Orlando. Officials in Orange, Volusia, and Osceola counties have voiced support but have yet to confirm their contributions. Orange County and the I-Drive Resort Chamber of Commerce, however, have established a special taxing district around land Universal Theme Parks has donated around the Orlando Convention Center for a station [see “Florida officials approve development district …,” News Wire, Oct. 12, 2023].
The Florida Department of Transportation has said it will contribute one-third of the cost of the project, development, and environmental study, as long as public and private entities supply the remaining $4 million. Completion of the study is the first step in applying for federal grants. Seminole’s support is significant, because the county includes Sanford and Lake Mary, two of the northernmost stops on the north-south SunRail route and miles away from the proposed east-west Sunshine Corridor.
County Commissioner Amy Lockhart told the Sentinel, “We needed to step up so that we are part of the ‘contributed’ column and maybe through positive peer pressure will move others.”
Brightline has said it will help fund the Sunshine Corridor study and project after local officials convinced the company to abandon a previously-planned route to Tampa that would have bypassed the convention center. News Wire is awaiting a comment from Brightline on the Seminole County contribution.
— Updated at 11:02 a.m. to correct number of Florida Route 528.
That’s good news and Brightline West has been funded and is starting to build tracks to Kelso. All Newsum has to do by the end of the year before Trump kills the project is he needs to get his rails down and select the contractor for the trains. What is placing them over budget is Newsum has Alstom as his contractor Alstom is expensive that is why he’s over budget. If Gavin Newsom wants to get the project done on time and within budget he needs to select a company that is American and California owned and that would be Siemens Mobility. The locomotives and cars will be built on site and delivered to Modesto for testing hours after they are built. Brightline has also selected Siemens Mobility as their contractor it is a win-win both ways everything is American made and it will be put into service immediately after it is built. But the main problem right now is cost all three products are over budget and Trump is threatening to kill it if they do not get their money the right way. When Biden gave these projects the grant a year ago they squandered it! All the money went to lobbyist. The only project that was founded and built was Brightline between Cocoa and Miami and the Orlando extension. The main problem here is Congressman Mast opposed the project and took a bribe because of it the Stuart Bridge project stalled and army Corps of engineers had to pull their funding and there is a speed restriction in place at Stuart until the new station is online and the bridge is replaced. Trump needs to get a provision added to the Transportation Bill 2025 which he will sign in 2 weeks that includes 10 million to replace that bridge and every other decrepit bridge on the project. That is not the only problem in Miami and Port Salamo people are violating crossing rules we had 8 suicides, 10 vehicles got struck, and a fire truck and a locomotive were destroyed. Brightline needs to work with Operation Lifesaver Florida to secure the corridors so people don’t get hit. If high speed rail is going to be successful these projects need to be funded and built and Operation Lifesaver has to be established in every zone that way the public to be informed and they don’t have any more fatalities.
Siemens is a German company. Not American.
Does this proposal get the current Sunrail service into MCO?
If not, then what we really have here is a quick way to get visitors from MCO to I-Drive. And that’s fine, but it’s not a Train-to-the-Plane for Downtown Orlando, or Volusia County or Seminole County or Osceola County.
Not enough money until Orange county has enough tax money. It makes no sense why not at least install the tracks from MCO to connect to SunRail. wi
Well Charles, I too lived in Norfolk Co. for many years (Brookline) on the Clevceland Cr (C) line. Remember the three car PCC trains? They were wicked cool! Also, rode last train on the Charlestown El; pissah!
And those of us who lived in the Berkshires (Berk Shurs) were curious when those folks residing in or near the “Hub” or “Bay aireair” referred to their town as “Bahstan”. And, those same folks also referred to soft drinks like Coke, Pepsi, etc., as “tahnic”. And forget about pronouncing Leominster and Worchester!
MEC
Michael, it’s spelled Worcester and pronouced WIST’ a. I once heard that Worcester is New England’s second city by population, just ahead of Providence, Springfield, New Haven, and Hartford. Never been there, only through there by train and highway. All I know about the place is that College of the Holy Cross is located there.
I have no idea how Leominster is pronounced. First and last time I was anywhere near Leominster was 1962, on the way to Orange, Massachusetts.
People have the idea that Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut are very compact so everything is next to everything. Actually that’s not the case.
I rode SunRail on day one. I told any TV news people who would listen, SunRail to be successful MUST reach the MCO. And here we are, like 11 years down the pike and still talking.
There is no Florida Route 128. It is Route 528 aka The Beachline fka The Beeline.
As a New Haven Railroad fan and a native of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, I agree, there can only be one Route 128. A purpose-built suburban station (in a swamp in the town of Westwood, accessed from what later became an Interstate Highway) for intercity trains which would otherwise not stop between Back Bay (Boston) and Providence,
For those of you not New Englanders, let’s note how it’s spoken. It’s pronounced “root”, as in carrot. Not “rout”.