Virgin high speed rail link from MCO to Tampa...

With a stop at WDW...

FT article

NH

Interesting project, but I can't see how many Americans will leave the car at home and jump on a train...

saw THIS a while ago, high speed rail up the middle of I4 could be an interesting ride

Thanks for that one NH!

Really quite interesting.

But we'll have to start a campaign to run it down the West coast rather than the East ):

Much better to link in Fort Myers and Naples!

Thanks for that one NH!

Really quite interesting.

But we'll have to start a campaign to run it down the West coast rather than the East ):

Much better to link in Fort Myers and Naples!

Should be an easy win for Virgin, given that its MCO, their successfull bid will benefit... by providing out of date interiors, limited trains against demand, white boards for infomation & entertainment which continually fall off the wall. 3 BLT's will be loaded. Stations will have over-crowded cramped platforms, a free-for-all to board, with no lounges, and the first 3 carriages will be reserved for VH.. ): :w

Should be an easy win for Virgin, given that its MCO, their successfull bid will benefit... by providing out of date interiors, limited trains against demand, white boards for infomation & entertainment which continually fall off the wall. 3 BLT's will be loaded. Stations will have over-crowded cramped platforms, a free-for-all to board, with no lounges, and the first 3 carriages will be reserved for VH.. ): :w

Almost right! The train rolling stock will be new from the start. However, any train departing MCO between about 3:30pm & 8pm is considered a peak departure, so restricted fares of the sort that VH would sell are not valid on these services without a huge additional fare being payable (waived for UC / FC Gold etc). So at peak arrival times the trains will run half full if that - whereas the first "off-peak" service after 8pm will be hell on earth... assuming people did not just decide to hire a car and drive to I-Drive / Disney ):

On a more serious note, I was looking at the Florida rail project on the internet the other week. I was amazed to see that "someone" had managed to persuade the powers that be to leave that large median along I-4 to Tampa for a railway line of all things - in a car-loving country like the USA. MCO have also made a lot of allowances for this rail project too - making taxiway bridges much longer on the South side of the airport to allow space for the railway line.

How funny I was reading about this project last week as I linked to it through Sunrail (Poinciana where the parents live is the end of the line for Sunrail and works already started on the inrastructure around what will be the station).

What the FT does not mention is one crucial point. Disney said they would end the Magical Express Coach transfer system from MCO (run by Mears) and support the rail network if the rail line where to leave the I4 at the 528/World Centre Drive (so go past the World Centre/Caribe Royal etc) and then follow the 417 along to Boggy Creek Road and into the airport there. However the authorities have selected to the have the line leave the I4 futher up and follow the Beachline into the airport. Disney have therefore said they will keep the Magical Express running. This is a huge negative for the railway, can you imagine just how busy it would have been with the full support of Disney and how much more popular it would have been as a result.

Of course all of this is contingent on MCO getting a new south terminal, something which still hasnt started.

I was asked to complete a survey on leaving Universal Islands of Adventure a couple of weeks ago, which asked if a rail link was installed how likely was I to use it, where would I visit in Tampa and so on, obviously being looked at in some detail

A lot depends on the new republican governor of Florida being willing to subsidise the building and running costs of this.

Governors in other states have been turning down $$ for high-speed rail.

What the FT does not mention is one crucial point. Disney said they would end the Magical Express Coach transfer system from MCO (run by Mears) and support the rail network if the rail line where to leave the I4 at the 528/World Centre Drive (so go past the World Centre/Caribe Royal etc) and then follow the 417 along to Boggy Creek Road and into the airport there. However the authorities have selected to the have the line leave the I4 futher up and follow the Beachline into the airport. Disney have therefore said they will keep the Magical Express running. This is a huge negative for the railway, can you imagine just how busy it would have been with the full support of Disney and how much more popular it would have been as a result.

I was unaware of this fact. I will openly admit that I am no fan of "The Mouse", but this stance does sound very much like Disney saying "as long as the railway makes things as convenient as possible for our guests alone [and not those attending a Convention / visiting I-Drive, thus possibly setting foot in a Universal / SeaWorld park] then we will support it".

Sure, the Disney Parks do attract very large numbers of people to the Orlando area - but so does the Convention Center and the other theme parks. I think the proposed route is right as it will ensure better usage of the line - even if it does mean a slightly longer ride to Disney.

I was unaware of this fact. I will openly admit that I am no fan of "The Mouse", but this stance does sound very much like Disney saying "as long as the railway makes things as convenient as possible for our guests alone [and not those attending a Convention / visiting I-Drive, thus possibly setting foot in a Universal / SeaWorld park] then we will support it".

Sure, the Disney Parks do attract very large numbers of people to the Orlando area - but so does the Convention Center and the other theme parks. I think the proposed route is right as it will ensure better usage of the line - even if it does mean a slightly longer ride to Disney.

I dont think there will be a stop at either Sea WOrld or Universal, there really isnt enough space.

The convention centre was to be a stop regardless of which route was taken- quite how this would have worked is not clear.

I dont think there will be a stop at either Sea WOrld or Universal, there really isnt enough space.

The convention centre was to be a stop regardless of which route was taken- quite how this would have worked is not clear.

The really annoying thing about this high speed rail malarky is that it really only works as high speed is that if there are only a very small number of stragically placed stops on the route.

The more stops the less high speed it becomes and the less attractive it is to use

What the FT does not mention is one crucial point. Disney said they would end the Magical Express Coach transfer system from MCO (run by Mears) and support the rail network if the rail line where to leave the I4 at the 528/World Centre Drive (so go past the World Centre/Caribe Royal etc) and then follow the 417 along to Boggy Creek Road and into the airport there. However the authorities have selected to the have the line leave the I4 futher up and follow the Beachline into the airport. Disney have therefore said they will keep the Magical Express running. This is a huge negative for the railway, can you imagine just how busy it would have been with the full support of Disney and how much more popular it would have been as a result.

now that Disney own Marvel Comics (a large part of universal studios Islands of Adventure) i would have thought they would be less worried about people visiting Universal.

The more stops the less high speed it becomes and the less attractive it is to use

Yep exactly. The whole point about the Fl HST is that it will link into the, by then, excellent transport links in and around LBV/I Drive etc. Both the airport and Convention Centre will act as 'multi modal' hubs, meaning things such as the i trolley, Lynx bus services and the new sunrail will all also access these hubs. Therefore whilst there will be no direct link to universal there will be a one stop service which should be fairly efficient.

now that Disney own Marvel Comics (a large part of universal studios Islands of Adventure) i would have thought they would be less worried about people visiting Universal.

You would have thought but IIRC Universal pay a licence fee to Marvel to use the Hulk/SpiderMan names. I would imagine that this licence fee is either one off or annually and actually the amount is not affected by the number of visitors to universal. Of course merchandise maybe a seperate thing altogether (i.e.: Marvel could take a y percentage split of any spiderman toy sold).

Interestingly there has been a lot of chatter about a Marvel Theme Park opening apparently one of Disneys reasons for buying Marvel. Of course with the Orlando Thrill Park not too far away- the area up by Kirkman will become a bit more of a theme park hub.