Brightline Station Coming to Orlando

[WAJAS]

OK, interesting detail here: Disney Springs no longer a stop on Brightline’s Miami to Tampa route

“In addition to the airport, one new station will be located at the Orange County Convention Center and an alternative station will be placed near the original Disney Springs site, albeit not on land owned by Disney. Taken together, the three integrated stations provide access to the largest economic and employment centers in Central Florida and offer the best opportunity for the success of Brightline and SunRail,” Ben Porritt, Brightline SVP of corporate affairs, said in a statement.

So coming to just outside of Disney. So get there then take Uber/Lyft/Taxi (or maybe Mini Van) to your Disney destination. I'm guessing the thought on Disney's part is to make it harder for their guests to go to Universal by creating an extra step.

Brightline offers free first/last mile transportation within 5-miles of their station. I assume they'll do the same up here, which gives you direct trips from the station to any Disney hotel. In effect, it'll be just as easy as using Disney's buses.

 

[GAcoaster]

 

[GAcoaster]

 

[Happytycho]

Brightline has made it official that Orlando construction completion has been delayed until 2023: https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando...-orlando-construction-florida-rail-delay.html. This reality has been increasingly apparent for a while now, but now is the first time that Brightline has explicitly admitted it.

The more urgent issue, however, is money.

Brightline is very quickly running out of cash, and they've recently had trouble securing additional financing. They likely need in excess of $500 million to survive until the opening of the Orlando line, and if they can't get a substantial portion of that secured in the coming weeks then it's going to be bankruptcy time.

 

[xxbrothawizxx]

I'm sure they'll be blaming the pandemic, but they were only at 45% of projections in 2019 and up 20% from that in May. That's with all the growth in south Florida. Orlando became the hail mary for them, and it's not like DeSantis is the type to come to their rescue.

 

[Nick]

Being someone who lives in Orlando and has seen the SunRail epically fail, I personally never saw anyway for this to succeed except for Orlando. Idk how much tickets are going to cost round trip per person from Miami to Orlando or Tampa to Orlando.

Tampa to Orlando isn't even all that enticing as someone who has lived in both places, it's not that long of a drive. Tampa to Miami is what I would really like to see knowing that drive. Given that Orlando to Miami isn't opening until next year and then the main Orlando route isn't even under construction... well, if Orlando actually happens, i'd say the likelihood of any Tampa route after that is slim.

 

[HandsomePete]

As a Florida rail pessimist from the beginning, I wouldn’t be surprised if Brightline fails. Any incremental financing is going to come at decade-high interest rates and it’s going to burden the ongoing profitability of the operation. Nevermind that no bank worth their salt is going to sign up for $500M after that much cash burn and delays.

The only saving grace is that even if they do go bankrupt, there will be train tracks most of the way from Orlando to Miami and someone can get the assets at a discount in an auction or something. But I’ll go on the record saying the I Drive or Disney spurs aren’t happening, ever.

Tampa to Miami is what I would really like to see knowing that drive.

Honestly though, if I’m not mistaken, the Tampa to Miami line is going to go via MCO. You’re probably better off going down 75 and across Alligator Alley than riding up to MCO and back down.

 

[Nick]

Honestly though, if I’m not mistaken, the Tampa to Miami line is going to go via MCO. You’re probably better off going down 75 and across Alligator Alley than riding up to MCO and back down.

My point was if they ever built a line that goes to Tampa (which i'd bet against tbh), it would make sense to just keep going south down to Miami. That way if you are in Miami, you would have the option to go to Orlando from multiple routes and people from Tampa would have a convenient way to get to Miami.

 

[HandsomePete]

Oh gotcha - I thought you meant the path they’ve proposed down to Tampa. Having the other route (what I described, but in a train) would help.

The Seminole tribe had a billion dollars laying around to buy Mirage - maybe they could build a train from one Hard Rock to the other.

 

[Happytycho]

I'm sure they'll be blaming the pandemic, but they were only at 45% of projections in 2019 and up 20% from that in May. That's with all the growth in south Florida. Orlando became the hail mary for them, and it's not like DeSantis is the type to come to their rescue.

I'd argue it's worse than that.

Relative to Brightline's projections for after ridership/revenue stabilization, the South Florida route is at about 40% of its projected ridership and 50% of its projected average ticket price, meaning that they are only at ~20% of its projected revenue. I don't have numbers for South Florida alone, but for the full Miami-Orlando route they will need about 35% of projected revenue just to cover train operating costs and about 70% to cover train operations + debt service (and therefore break even or be profitable).

I imagine that's why they're having trouble securing the $500 million needed to finish construction - in addition to interest rates increasing, their current results aren't very promising for future profitability.

My point was if they ever built a line that goes to Tampa (which i'd bet against tbh), it would make sense to just keep going south down to Miami. That way if you are in Miami, you would have the option to go to Orlando from multiple routes and people from Tampa would have a convenient way to get to Miami.

There is 0 chance that southern route gets built. There's no financial case for it.

 

[Happytycho]

Brightline has made it official that Orlando construction completion has been delayed until 2023: https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando...-orlando-construction-florida-rail-delay.html. This reality has been increasingly apparent for a while now, but now is the first time that Brightline has explicitly admitted it.

The more urgent issue, however, is money.

Brightline is very quickly running out of cash, and they've recently had trouble securing additional financing. They likely need in excess of $500 million to survive until the opening of the Orlando line, and if they can't get a substantial portion of that secured in the coming weeks then it's going to be bankruptcy time.

To update this, Brightline got their bonds sold but the yields have reached insane territory and I don't think I could overstate just how ridiculous and sketchy the financing scheme for this project has become.

Construction on the Orlando-Cocoa segment should be done this calendar year but work on Cocoa-WPB is seemingly going to go well into Q1 2023.

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

Sounds like there going all or nothing for Orlando

It should pay off even before you can go to Disney and I drive and that section is the money maker

the Orlando route should pay off but they got to get there

 

[OLSinFLA]

On the bright suide, ridership increased 147% over 2019

 

[Doug A.]

On the bright suide, ridership increased 147% over 2019

The bright side of the Brightline I see what you did there (even if unintentionally)

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Took a flight between MCO and MIA a few times this year, will prefer Brightline during the summer/rainy season after all the delays I had.

 

[GAcoaster]

Universal has pledged the land and the estimated $2 million annual operating costs of the new Brightline/Sun Rail station:

Plan for SunRail airport link to Universal, I-Drive takes big step forward

The push for passenger rail that could link Orlando International Airport, SunRail commuter train, Orange County Convention Center, Universal Orlando Resort and the International Drive tourism dist…

www.orlandosentinel.com

 

[Happytycho]

There's also a new sunshine corridor map floating around that's reportedly from Universal and depicts the "South International drive" station much further north by the Vineland Outlets rather than just south of Disney Springs, but I can't tell if it's an actual plan change or just an artist error.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

There's also a new sunshine corridor map floating around that's reportedly from Universal and depicts the "South International drive" station much further north by the Vineland Outlets rather than just south of Disney Springs, but I can't tell if it's an actual plan change or just an artist error.

I don't think the station will be located where the exact image is, but I would hope it's an actual location.

A location at Vineland and US192/Celebration will improve a lot of Orlando's traffic headaches.

 

[GAcoaster]

Brightline showed off the new station at MCO today:

Brightline reveals first look inside Orlando station

The future station, located at Orlando International Airport's new Terminal C, spans three stories.

www.wesh.com

 

[SkiBum]

Brightline showed off the new station at MCO today:

Brightline reveals first look inside Orlando station

The future station, located at Orlando International Airport's new Terminal C, spans three stories.

www.wesh.com

I watched a couple videos on YouTube by Roamaloan. Watching them, I could see myself using this transportation option if I lived down there. The trains are nice, plenty of room, and just an easy way to get from Point A to Point B, assuming your travel points are on the train's route. Once Tampa and Orlando are connected, I can see ridership really increasing. I don't know if it will be enough to lighten the load on I-4 (not a native and not sure about the traffic flows) but still very nice way to travel. No stressing about traffic or anything. I kind of wish Ohio had something between Cinci and Columbus but public transit would not be conducive once you arrive there.