Brightline Trains targeting 2022 for station at Orlando International Airport

Company says train will eventually connect Orlando to Florida’s west coast

ORLANDO, Fla. – The president of Brightline Trains met with transportation leaders in Orlando on Wednesday to discuss the company’s expansion project through Central Florida.

Patrick Goddard was the guest speaker at the Alliance for Regional Transportation Education Series, which was held at the site of Brightline’s future station at Orlando International Airport.

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“I view our job for Brightline is to get people from hub to hub.” Goddard said. “We’re very excited to get the current system opened.”

The $2.4 billion project extends the company’s current rail line from West Palm Beach to Orlando. Currently, the line runs from Miami to West Palm Beach.

“This is a very diverse market and it is a perfect market for intercity passenger rail,” Goddard said.

During Wednesday’s meeting, Goddard spoke about a potential stop in Cocoa.

“Cocoa and the Space Coast generally is experiencing pretty significant growth and attention as the space industry starts to take off,” Goddard said.

Last week, Brightline and Walt Disney World Resort announced an agreement to build a train station at Disney Springs.

Goddard said station is an important stop in what will eventually connect Orlando to the west coast of Florida.

“I think it’s going to dramatically change the face of our transportation network for decades to come,” Goddard said.

A time frame for the Tampa extension hasn’t been announced, but the extension to Orlando International Airport is scheduled to be completed before the end of 2022.


About the Author:

Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.

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