Brightline train service to Walt Disney World via station at Disney Springs appears to be cancelled

DCBaker17 days ago

Here's the latest update from the Orlando Business Journal: "Universal Destinations and Experiences will help fund a study for the Sunshine Corridor. The theme park company — part of Philadelphia-based Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA) — will provide $2 million through its Shingle Creek Transit and Utility Community Development District for the development and environment study for the shared corridor for commuter rail SunRail and intercity rail service Brightline. The funding was announced at the Feb. 27 meeting of SunRail's Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission by John McReynolds, senior vice president of external affairs at Universal Destinations and Experiences. The study, which will cost $6 million, has already gotten $2 million from the Florida Department of Transportation, as well as $500,000 apiece from the city of Orlando and Seminole County. Universal saw it as important to help move the study forward and match funds provided by FDOT and the local governments — including incoming commitments for Orange and Osceola counties — McReynolds said. "We have done what we've needed to do as an organization to ensure our commitment. We stand still today — as Universal and the CDD — and still have land reserved for the station and some of the tracks, and we stand as committed today as we have ever been." Universal already has committed to providing land along Destination Parkway for the Orange County Convention Center station and using the district to help fund the project. Osceola and Orange counties plan to provide funding, as well, with the Orange County Commission's vote targeted for March 25, according to Orange County Mayor and SunRail board member Jerry Demings. Osceola County will put its $500,000 in funding on the agenda soon, though an exact date was not announced yet. It is expected to take roughly two years and will provide more detailed cost estimate for the project, as well as guidance for how to phase construction and how a transfer station would work between the corridor and existing SunRail stations, among other findings. John Tyler, FDOT District Five secretary, said during the meeting an action item to advance the study could go before the SunRail board as early as its March meeting, which is currently scheduled for March 27. FDOT — who will coordinate the project's development and environment study — will visit with the Federal Transit Administration in Atlanta in March. The corridor would have stops at Orlando International Airport, near the Orange County Convention Center and near South International Drive. It would also allow Brightline to expand to Tampa. Universal's new Epic Universe theme park, set to open May 22, will be near the convention center station. Catchlight Crossings, an affordable apartment community being built on land Universal donated, is also close to the proposed station. Once Epic Universe opens, there is expected to be more than 100,000 workers in the International Drive corridor. Early estimates have said costs could total more than $4 billion for the Sunshine Corridor and would expand SunRail's current annual ridership of 1.2 million." https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2025/02/27/sunrail-universal-sunshine-corridor-brightline.html

HauntedPirateJul 24, 2024

I would if I were more frequently visiting the cities it services. But it is also another good bit of info to know, thanks!

DisoneJul 23, 2024

Sign up for brightline emails. Get notifications like this 1-day sale..... $29 fares galor. Must dates San's Fridays and Sundays

HauntedPirateJul 23, 2024

Good info, thanks! I'll tuck that away for future reference, since getting to certain places can be cumbersome. We rented a car in FLL (return at MCO). Not worth the hassle for us to fly or take the train when we need a car regardless.

deeevoJul 23, 2024

Look into Silver Airways. $79 for one way. I fly them from Tampa to Key West about once a year and love it.

RobbiemJul 23, 2024

It always amazes me how much more expensive the train usually is no matter where you are. Even in Japan its often cheaper to fly than take the shinkansen if you have a long journey. Its the same in Europe. It is a shame because train travel is usually nice but its not worth a large premium over other modes

HauntedPirateJul 13, 2024

I know. But the price for the 9-10am trains has been in excess of $140/person for at least 2 months. A Friday in mid-September. We needed a car anyway for all our post-cruise activities, the train pricing just means we get it at FLL instead of MCO.

C33MomJul 12, 2024

We just booked using the code @Tony the Tigger shared earlier this thread for our upcoming trip from Orlando to FLL for a Magic cruise. It would have been $396 without the coupon (there were a few horribly timed trains that were cheaper but most trains between 10AM and 5pm were even more) and with the code it was $198. Thanks again, Tony! 😀 We were willing to pay a little more to avoid the difficulty of driving but 3x the cost of a rental car was hard to justify.

TwirlnhurlJul 12, 2024

I just checked Waze. If someone was leaving downtown Miami at 5pm on Tuesday and was traveling to MCO terminal C, it would take 4:05 by car. Many companies in Orlando have office in Miami, and business meetings that end at 5 are very common. The train goes the same distance 30 minutes faster. If you live in South Florida, I think it depends on when you are leaving, how many are in your party, where are you going in Orlando, and whether you need to work on the way. I can totally see that math not working in Brightline favor for lots of trips. But Brightline only needs to capture some of those trips to be successful. Brightline recently announced their quarterly revenue numbers, and they are still spending more than they are earning (mostly on interest payments). This is concerning, and future interest rates are not very likely to alleviate the issue. But they are acting as though that was expected, and considering that they are performing approximately within expectations, I think they will make it to profitablity eventually. Orlando is growing rapidly. Miami is growing rapidly. Traffic is getting worse. And those bond payments are not going to get more expensive as inflation reduces the real value of the loans as they are repaid.

Rich BrownnJul 11, 2024

If prices go up. it's because there are less seats to sell (i.r., supply snd demand).

DisoneJul 11, 2024

Definitely not typical but yeah they do have some high prices sometimes. What date is this?

HauntedPirateJul 11, 2024

This is the current pricing for the day we get off a Disney cruise: The only tickets less than $149/person that day are the 9:25pm and 10:20pm trains. Absolutely bonkers.

DisneyCaneJul 11, 2024

More likely it is mostly people taking the train vs. driving. The people that fly south Florida to MCO are more likely out of state people who fly to different legs of their trip. If you live in South Florida flying to MCO makes very little sense. Door to door will take longer than driving or the train.

IanDLBZFJul 11, 2024

As you wish!