State solicits bids for airport-to-convention monorail system, with future phases going to Lake Nona’s Medical City and the Disney area, closes at end of month
Friday, March 28, 2014, 8:30am EDT
Rail rumble: 2nd firm vying for airport-to-I-Drive train route
Anjali Fluker
Orlando Business Journal
Rendering of the proposed Maglev rail, a magnetic-levitation train system
Central Florida’s mass-transit fans are gearing up for the May 1 launch of SunRail, but others — including some out-of-town companies — are looking to provide the next big rail link.
Local officials have been talking about the importance of future commuter rail spines connecting SunRail to Orlando International Airport and Medical City. But traffic woes on International Drive during last weekend’s MegaCon event at the Orange County Convention Center may have made that side of town a priority for the next rail system.
Georgia firm American Maglev Technology Inc. has proposed developing a privately funded $315 million airport-to-convention center magnetic-levitation train system, with future phases going to Lake Nona’s Medical City and the Disney area.
But American Maglev may have some competition, as the U.S. division of a Spanish transportation infrastructure firm is looking to put its name in the hat for that project.
The Florida Department of Transportation in February pushed a deadline into April to allow companies more time to submit proposals to lease right of ways along that airport-to-convention center route. That route would be used to develop and operate a fixed-guide transportation system, which could be a rail, trolley, monorail, cable car or other automated transportation system.
The transportation department delayed the deadline to April 15 after receiving a letter from Timothy Young, vice president of OHL Infrastructure Inc. in Rye, N.Y. OHL, a division of the Spanish company Obrascon Huarte Lain SA, requested for a 60-day delay to allow for the firm to prepare a more solid proposal given the “complexity of the transaction,” Young said in the letter.
Attempts to reach Young and OHL were unsuccessful.
Friday, March 28, 2014, 8:30am EDT
Rail rumble: 2nd firm vying for airport-to-I-Drive train route
Anjali Fluker
Orlando Business Journal
Rendering of the proposed Maglev rail, a magnetic-levitation train system
Central Florida’s mass-transit fans are gearing up for the May 1 launch of SunRail, but others — including some out-of-town companies — are looking to provide the next big rail link.
Local officials have been talking about the importance of future commuter rail spines connecting SunRail to Orlando International Airport and Medical City. But traffic woes on International Drive during last weekend’s MegaCon event at the Orange County Convention Center may have made that side of town a priority for the next rail system.
Georgia firm American Maglev Technology Inc. has proposed developing a privately funded $315 million airport-to-convention center magnetic-levitation train system, with future phases going to Lake Nona’s Medical City and the Disney area.
But American Maglev may have some competition, as the U.S. division of a Spanish transportation infrastructure firm is looking to put its name in the hat for that project.
The Florida Department of Transportation in February pushed a deadline into April to allow companies more time to submit proposals to lease right of ways along that airport-to-convention center route. That route would be used to develop and operate a fixed-guide transportation system, which could be a rail, trolley, monorail, cable car or other automated transportation system.
The transportation department delayed the deadline to April 15 after receiving a letter from Timothy Young, vice president of OHL Infrastructure Inc. in Rye, N.Y. OHL, a division of the Spanish company Obrascon Huarte Lain SA, requested for a 60-day delay to allow for the firm to prepare a more solid proposal given the “complexity of the transaction,” Young said in the letter.
Attempts to reach Young and OHL were unsuccessful.
just wishful thinking
