This article was written by Ryan Lynch and originally published in the Orlando Business Journal on December 20, 2022
Intercity rail Brightline and commuter rail SunRail are approaching the next steps for a proposed shared “Sunshine Corridor” for the two rail services.
Members of SunRail’s Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission got an update as part of the governing board’s Dec. 15 meeting. The shared east-west corridor would allow SunRail to connect with a station near Walt Disney World, near the Orange County Convention Center and Orlando International Airport while also allowing Brightline to make its connection with Tampa.
Among the next steps laid out in the presentation:
- Ridership study: The base scenario was finished in October. The group creating the study is incorporating revisions, including changes to Lynx public bus service for ridership connectivity and new information on the potential ridership of people who work on International Drive. The group is working on various ridership scenarios as part of the study.
- Federal Railroad Administration Federal-State Partnership Grant: The group is targeting a $2.28 billion program that would provide a grant to boost intercity rail such as Brightline. The application deadline for the grant is March 7, and the program has a minimum 20% non-federal share programs.
Tampa Bay area lawmakers agreed earlier this month to add a passenger rail connection to Orlando to a list of major priorities for 2023. The rail company cannot apply itself for a federal grant, according to a spokesperson.
Several actions still need to occur for the shared corridor with SunRail to materialize. A transit concept and alternatives review must be developed; that would sort out the project alternatives, costs, funding options, community benefits, economic development and mobility for users of a proposed project, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. A future agreement for any impacts to the existing SunRail corridor, plus a memorandum of understanding, must also be executed.
Board members had no questions on the presentation, and there were no action items on which to vote.
Some local business stakeholders, including Orlando’s Right Rail, have pledged support for the new route. Universal Orlando Resort — part of Philadelphia-based Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA) — pledged to donate land and support the creation of a dedicated public entity to help develop and operate the Sunshine Corridor Plan.
Each Brightline train set costs about $50 million.
VERONICA BREZINA
Universal and other I-Drive partners would support the dedicated entity’s financing of up to $125 million in private activity bonds to fund the rail corridor and the convention center station. In addition, Universal and all the Orlando’s Right Rail partners — which include other businesses on International Drive — will guarantee $13 million in annual train ticket sales for the new Sunshine Corridor.
Universal stands to benefit due to its upcoming Epic Universe theme park that would be in proximity to the station.
Corey Hill, vice president of Orlando-based engineering consultant Kimley-Horn, said in a July Orlando’s Right Rail video that a combination of the federal infrastructure bill and the contribution pledge by local businesses put the corridor in a good place to succeed.
“By putting the Sunshine Corridor in place, we’re going to provide that access in new ways to folks who need to get around the region and find those jobs that will give them the most opportunities,” Hill said. “We have a moment in time to create one of the best corridors in the country and provide generations of benefits for Central Florida.”
Brightline’s service between Miami to Orlando is expected to begin in late 2023. The company is also opening two new South Florida stations — Aventura and Boca Raton — this Wednesday.