lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
This has been discussed and it wouldn’t be the first such station. The Brightline trains have locomotives at each end.
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Rumor Higher Speed Rail from MCO to Disney World
- Thread starter UCF
- Start date
This has been discussed and it wouldn’t be the first such station. The Brightline trains have locomotives at each end.
Vegas Disney Fan
Well-Known Member
Is there any reason Brightline couldn’t just build a WDW adjacent station?
It wouldn’t have the free advertising that comes with an official Disney stop but if Ubers were going to be needed anyway it seems this is still possible, they’ll just have to buy land and build all the infrastructure entirely on their own rather than using the existing Disney Springs infrastructure and relying on the Disney buses.
This is very common in high speed rail in Europe also, a lot of cities don‘t have tracks running through the whole city so the trains pull in and exit the same way. This allows them to get closer to the heart of the city without having to build unnecessary track to keep going through it.
It wouldn’t have the free advertising that comes with an official Disney stop but if Ubers were going to be needed anyway it seems this is still possible, they’ll just have to buy land and build all the infrastructure entirely on their own rather than using the existing Disney Springs infrastructure and relying on the Disney buses.
This is very common in high speed rail in Europe also, a lot of cities don‘t have tracks running through the whole city so the trains pull in and exit the same way. This allows them to get closer to the heart of the city without having to build unnecessary track to keep going through it.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
That’s pretty much what they were doing. The plan was the take I-4 down to Tampa, using the right of way set aside years ago for rail. Disney property is literally right there next to I-4.
WondersOfLife
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biggy H
Well-Known Member
The new route going via the 528 is going to be a lot slower and cost twice as much than going via the 417 as they have to build loads of crossings with gates.
We all know how people treat these sort of crossings in Florida by the high rate of incidents and fatalities on the line Brightline currently operate on. I suspect Disney doesn't want any of the bad press that is almost certain to happen when the first idiot drives around closed crossing gates and gets hit by a train
We all know how people treat these sort of crossings in Florida by the high rate of incidents and fatalities on the line Brightline currently operate on. I suspect Disney doesn't want any of the bad press that is almost certain to happen when the first idiot drives around closed crossing gates and gets hit by a train
Tony the Tigger
Well-Known Member
It says the route changed, not that Disney changed it. Given the anti-Disney climate in FL right now, I wonder who did this.
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
The route is still going past Disney. Disney doesn’t want the station built on their property now that the route may go past universal.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Brightline is not a state project. SunRail is currently owned and operated by FDOT but the new route was worked out by local officials, so local that Volusia county leaders were bothered by not being included. The purpose of the new route was to facilitate a stop near the Orange County Convention Center and SunRail service to Orlando International Airport. Brightline had been exploring a northern route along FL-528 that would have included a convention center stop but it generally followed the old Florida High Speed Rail route which was elevated and did not physically intersect with SunRail's tracks. Brightline's preferred (cheaper) southern route along FL-417 missed the convention center but did intersect with SunRail. Local officials worked out a route that stopped at the convention center, intersected with SunRail so it could expand service and would qualify for federal funding to make up the cost differences. Brightline have made no indication that they no longer intend to expand to Tampa (which would negate the need for a route) or use I-4 as the route to Tampa. Nobody has shown how this new route would be so different from the previously explored northern route that it hampers the feasibility of the Disney stop, especially since this new route was all about working out a right of way between Disney and the airport.
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
Now I will say... we don’t know what discussions were happening behind closed doors... it could be that part of the agreement for having a station on Disney property is that brightline operates Disney - MCO shuttles hourly, etc. This new route will not only go past competition, it will also be slower and less direct.
That’s total speculation of course.
That’s total speculation of course.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
A northern route was a possibility when Disney agreed to the station. The southern route being the only option seems like something that would have gotten out. It would have made this whole exercise to work out a third route futile.
Disstevefan1
Well-Known Member
Ah, that one got by me, yes, I totally agree with you and apparently Disney does too
Bob Harlem
Well-Known Member
Interesting, if Brightline ever adds that Port Canaveral/Cocoa station that's a missed opportunity for Disney Cruise Lines also. (Although they'd need to build 2 big train bridges to get over to Port Canaveral directly US1 & 528 is still pretty darn close to the port -- granted the nasa railway goes out close to there too, but it's a bit too close to the launchpads to use for public).
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
100% cheaper would be free.
mattpeto
Well-Known Member
I don't have the clearest understanding here but the convention site is not far from Disney property. Maybe there's hope that Brighline, Sunrail and Disney can still make the last hop possible eventually, a centralized spot that will benefit resort guests flying in from MCO.
Patcheslee
Well-Known Member
Since we fly into MCO, we thought about visiting Miami pre Disney vacation. It also opens up the possibility of Miami/Tampa cruise ports without needing to pay the extra flight cost for us.
As an Orlando resident, good for the change. This will connect the region to South Florida and the airport with proper transit.I actually agree with them on this, no reason to invest into a train that will drive right by (advertise) the competition with a large portion of your guests.
A much better plan would be direct transportation to and from the airport and your hotels… if only someone could think of a way to do that
Disney was trying to block the connection in order to reduce competition. Wanting to reduce competition is not wrong, but the best way for Disney to do this is to offer their own bus service to the airport.
However, blocking progress for the region to reduce competition and save a few bucks is wrong.
EDIT: Remove ambiguity.
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