If you’re wondering “What’s going on with that train that’s supposed to take guests from Orlando International Airport to Disney World?” — we’ve got a BIG update!
©Brightline
We’ve been keeping tabs on this train, looking for updates and other information, and sharing all of that with you. While we’ve still got a ways to go before we can hop on that train and take it into Disney Springs, we DO have an important update on what’s going on with the construction of this project.
Earlier Today, Brightline shared that their first train has arrived in Orlando! This train has now arrived at Brightline’s Vehicle Maintenance Facility, which is located “south of Orlando International Airport.” This is actually a huge occasion since it is the first Brightline train to arrive in Orlando.
©Brightline
The train, called Bright Blue 2, is “a six-car train consisting of two locomotives and four passenger coaches.” It traveled from Sacramento, across 10 states and around 3,000 miles to make it to Florida.
Michael Cegelis, Executive Vice President of Development and Construction for Brightline said, “To see Bright Blue 2 drive onto the Vehicle Maintenance Facility site was emotional for all of us and represents a monumental moment for Central Florida and for the entire state as we move closer to connecting our state with high-speed passenger rail.”
©Brightline
Five new trainsets are set to arrive in Florida in preparation for the opening of the Brightline train station in Orlando. This train is the second of the 5 set to arrive in Florida. Bright Red 2 arrived back in October of 2021.
According to Brightline, “the newest train sets represent Brightline’s commitment to invest billions in American infrastructure, creating the country’s first and only private high-speed rail network.” The coaches are “designed for luxury and comfort, featuring special ergonomic seating, contemporary communication systems and enhanced Wi-Fi.” The coaches will also include “wide aisles, wheelchair storage and fully accessible restrooms.”
©Brightline
Currently, Brightline has indicated that their Orlando extension project is 70% complete. It is expected to be complete in late 2022 and start carrying passengers in 2023. That is specifically the extension of the line from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach to Orlando, however.
A separate matter is the connection from the Orlando International Airport to Disney World (with a station specifically at Disney Springs). According to an article from the Orlando Sentinel from back in early 2021, passenger service from the airport to the Disney Springs station was (at that point) slated to start in 5 years. That means, guests may not be able to ride on those trains until 2026.
©Brightline
There has also been some debate regarding what route Brightline would use between the airport and the Disney World station. Back in July of 2021, we shared that some decisions regarding that route had been delayed indefinitely. We’re on the lookout for updates there.
So it seems it will still be quite some time before the train takes guests to Disney World, but this still marks a big milestone for the train line overall. We’ll keep an eye out for more updates and share those with you!
Click here to see our thoughts on how the high speed train will change Disney World.
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Would you be interested in taking the train from the airport to Disney World? Tell us in the comments!
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What would be cool if Disney Extended the Monorail from Orlando International to the TTC.
Can you explain why i would take a train from the airport to Disney springs just to get a bus to my resort? Why not just take the bus like Mears the entire way? What am i missing?
While I wouldn’t be coming often from California, I would definitely be interested in using the train from the airport to Disney Springs! What a fun experience!
Disney is behind the ball on this. Light rail needs to replace buses in the world to relieve traffic congestion. And … ticket and transportation needed to be moved years ago… it’s nothing more than a parking lot with a ticket kiosk. Crossroads would have been ideal for a true T and T but alas, another opportunity lost.
Warren, those buses are going nowhere. There isn’t a light rail system that could handle all of WDW guests. Not now, not ever.
I think the state would have been much better off building a station for bright line somewhere between Disney & Universal. Then let them each build a people mover from that station to their properties. I can’t stand big airports and stay away from MCO. Can’t wait for the state to open commercial service in Lakeland.
No, thanks on the train idea. Fly to Orlando then wait an hour or two (or three?) for the next train to Disney Springs then have to arrange for transportation to the hotel. Turns a 1-hour or less trip from MCO to the hotel into a half-day journey.
The train is intended as a lower cost option getting from MCO to WDW. The problem is Disney has been pricing out the low cost travelers. Now they won’t even start work on the Disney Springs terminal until ’25. Giving them plenty of time to redesign the scale of it or outright cancel it if their projections show little real use.
For me, the train makes little sense. Haul my bags into the train from MCO and then switch to w bus system that wasn’t designed to deal with a ton of luggage and people.