Train could pass though Disney World

Not in Chicago
Nor in Philadelphia. I hate to say it, but the previous poster on this topic is ignorant of the number of people who depend on Public Transport in cities, especially where poverty is an issue (aka: every major city).
tlmadden73 said:
1) SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than flying (to make up for the more time it takes (even at high speeds, it will take a while to travel hundreds of miles by train).
2) Significantly faster than driving (which it should be simply due to the fact it doesn't have to stop overnight).
1. When you factor in time having to get to the airport, go through security, and wait around for a plane, fly, land, and then get to the middle of a city, versus being able to take a train from city-center to city-center, I think you'd find that for many routes, trains would be faster, especially real high-speed rail (not the ACELA).

2. Again, as someone pointed out, new HIGH SPEED rail would make a trip from say Philly to Orlando in like 5 hours or so, whereas a drive is 16. Or, another option would be to do sleeper trains like they have in Europe and Asia, with 6 berth couchettes as well as smaller number of beds. I gotta be honest, being able to hop a train in one city and wake up in another several hundred miles away is a pleasure I wish more Americans experienced.
 
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Florida East Coast Railway is the main backer of Brightline. There's still a lawsuit against them trying to stop them. Martin co. Just decided to settle after spending 3 to 4 million trying to stop them.
 
Right here is the exact reason there needs to be an infrastructure overhaul. If we had the rail system that Europe has, with certain routes that could be bullet trains (super fast, cross country, city to city), these issues would go away. Getting there in half the time (or less) than our archaic train system takes now. More hubs, more connections.

@tlmadden73 you keep saying no one wants rail travel. Well no, no one does want it in it's current state. But most people don't even know how great train travel can be when done right. Sure we'll have people on this board who will say they like their cars, but more people in the real world would rather not drive. Flying right now is a pain. It's expensive, crowded, stressful and not fun. You seem to be stuck on short trips, while we need to think bigger, cross country.
A great train system would provide an alternative to plane travel that would actually make the airline industry have to work to get/keep customers. Obviously people will still fly (especially business travelers), but a lot of people would choose to take trains.

And personally I would take a train over a two hours bus trip any day. A lot of people would.

The train route from Miami to MCO is supposed to be about an hour less than driving on a good day ( we all know driving in Florida is a huge pain in the rear, especially on the expressways, especially at certain times of the day). They are calling this higher speed rail, so not a bullet train, but it will travel at about 80 miles per hour. Also, Virgin Rail knows how to run rail networks, so I think it's a plus for them to buy in. I would absolutely take a train from MCO to WDW instead of a bus... although at some point you would have to take a bus since they won't create a train station at every hotel.

I love rail travel. I loved it when I lived in England. My grandma and I actually did a rail tour of Ireland. It was pretty awesome. I have been very impressed with Minneapolis/St. Paul's light rail line that connects the two cities and to the MOA and Airport. I'm actually going to use it this summer for a conference at U of Minn so I don't have to hassle parking on campus. I used it in April to go downtown to see a play. It's very nice and something other cities could potentially mimic.
 
I'm genuinely curious curious -- why? What's the difference between a train and bus for you (for a short trips). I understand in long trips you can get up and walk on a train --- walk to a snack car or observation car (if the train has those), but on short trips what's the difference in a train or bus? You sit in a seat (both way bigger and more comfortable than an airline) and zone out for the duration of the trip. One vehicle takes a road, the other takes rails.

Traffic, comfort and travel time. Although the travel time for long distances is why we need to build the new rail lines, for speed and efficiency.
 


I'm genuinely curious curious -- why? What's the difference between a train and bus for you (for a short trips). I understand in long trips you can get up and walk on a train --- walk to a snack car or observation car (if the train has those), but on short trips what's the difference in a train or bus? You sit in a seat (both way bigger and more comfortable than an airline) and zone out for the duration of the trip. One vehicle takes a road, the other takes rails.

For me personally, I prefer rail due to the constant speed (usually) and gradual slow downs and stops. Rail is also often still going to be faster than a bus due to traffic (unless traveling in the middle of the night).
 
For me, choosing rail over bus comes down to a few items.
Rail coaches seem wider, and therefore seats are not as compressed, and therefore more comfortable.
Rail can have food cars, better bathrooms, and sleeper cabins. While the analogy that a train is multiple buses hooked together is somewhat correct. Having multiple together means you can be less crowded, and in a multiple bus scenario, you could have one dedicated to food and drink etc.
Rail can be affected by weather, as can buses, but typically, traffic is less of a concern for rail.

Unsure if it's cost effective, but I think the autotrains are a cool idea. Put your car on the train and ride with it over a great distance, then depart somewhere down the line.

Mark my words some day a rail bus will be the hip new thing. By day, it's a bus, making ordinary bus stops. Then several buses converge, and join with a services car and engine, on a rail line to form a train to the next urban center, where they disconnect and disperse.

For the record, I'd like to see high speed rail connect to MCO, the major Orlando attractions and at least one or two other Florida airports. I think MCO is overwhelmed with traffic. If you could fly to Tampa or Jacksonville or Daytona as an alternate and take a train direct to Disney, I think people would give it a try, provided it was a less expensive option.

I can only imagine what magical express costs disney annually. Connecting MCO to Disney would be a no brainer I think, despite making it easier to get to it's competition.
 


I've done the autotrain several times from VA to Sanford, FL. It was cost effective for our situation when we moved to Florida. I had a 1 bedroom roomette and it was perfectly fine in terms of amenities, but couldn't sleep with all the oscillations of slowing down/speeding up.
 
Public transportation in this country is a joke, and there is no reason high speed rail couldn't have been an affordable and desirable alternative to flying or driving across country. But at this point, I think we would be better off concentrating our efforts on getting self-driving electric cars rolled out and the infrastructure in place to make them a real possibility as soon as possible. There is nothing a train can do, that a self driving car and bus fleet couldn't do better. And it would have much more use in everyday life instead of just when someone needs to go across the country. I have no problem with a hyperloop AND a fully self driving highway system. But both are going to require heavy infrastructure costs, and I'd rather concentrate resources on the cars.
 
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For me, choosing rail over bus comes down to a few items.
Rail coaches seem wider, and therefore seats are not as compressed, and therefore more comfortable.
Rail can have food cars, better bathrooms, and sleeper cabins. While the analogy that a train is multiple buses hooked together is somewhat correct. Having multiple together means you can be less crowded, and in a multiple bus scenario, you could have one dedicated to food and drink etc.
Rail can be affected by weather, as can buses, but typically, traffic is less of a concern for rail.

Unsure if it's cost effective, but I think the autotrains are a cool idea. Put your car on the train and ride with it over a great distance, then depart somewhere down the line.

Mark my words some day a rail bus will be the hip new thing. By day, it's a bus, making ordinary bus stops. Then several buses converge, and join with a services car and engine, on a rail line to form a train to the next urban center, where they disconnect and disperse.

For the record, I'd like to see high speed rail connect to MCO, the major Orlando attractions and at least one or two other Florida airports. I think MCO is overwhelmed with traffic. If you could fly to Tampa or Jacksonville or Daytona as an alternate and take a train direct to Disney, I think people would give it a try, provided it was a less expensive option.

I can only imagine what magical express costs disney annually. Connecting MCO to Disney would be a no brainer I think, despite making it easier to get to it's competition.
I know magical express is outsourced to mears. In a hypothetical where this got built, they could reassign them to strictly on property and make them dedicated to getting to your resort quicker
 
The more I think about it, the frequency of the train would be the killer.
I wouldn't want to wait even an hour to release a train. I'm not sure it would be cost effective to send them hourly or more frequently. Then again, that would provide an up sell opportunity to disney. Wait for the free train, or pay for the bus.
 
Unlike many proposed mass transit routes, Brightline actually did what they promised. The service is actually already running here in South Florida. And, it's more noting that this is a private company. They are not reliant on public money for construction or operation.

I'm not sure this is change anyone's opinion, but Sir Richard Branson has purchased a financial stake in Brightline. The latest rumor is that the service will be rebranded to Virgin Trains USA. Additionally, the company was given approval to start negotiating right-of-way leases for the line between the Orlando International Airport and Tampa.

A more informative article: http://www.tampabay.com/business/br...-rail-service-heads-to-key-decision-20181128/

Branson is one of those rare people that seems to get big things done. He's started several successful travel-related companies. Considering this rail service is already operational in South Florida and the next leg to Orlando is already moving forward, I don't see why Tampa wouldn't happen.

As for a Disney World station, I think it would be a total win for Disney. The WFTV article incorrectly states that Disney wasn't interested in working with previous rail projects. They actually were prepared to provide land for a station on a previous high speed rail line between Orlando and Tampa.

One of the potential sites for a Tampa station is right near the Port of Tampa. That would be a huge opportunity to easily connect Disney World with Disney Cruise Line ships. Instead of relying on buses that are subject to traffic, simply put guests on the train. About an hour later, you're at the Port.

A big advantage of not having to answer to stockholders.

If the government was, rarely are, smart they should have been providing money to buy trackage the railroads were tearing up.
 
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My buddy and his girlfriend go with her family every year by train to Disney (from Rhode Island mind you so not a short trip). They swear by it, even though there’s almost always delays at some point because they find some uh, CSI material on the track :scared:


Freight trains
 
If I remember right, Disney was opposed to previous plans because there was a stop in downtown Orlando that they didn’t want because of their obsession of marooning people on property. Wonder if they’d be more open this time?

There were a number of different train routes proposed over the years. You are correct that Disney opposed any routes that involved Universal or Downtown. The one they were in favor of was the high-speed rail line that connected Orlando International Airport (MCO) to Tampa. There were in talks about providing land near Interstate 4 (I-4) for a station when then Governor Rick Scott decided he didn't want to accept any categorical funds for rail projects from the Federal government.

I've searched but not found any maps of the proposed extension to Tampa. I know that it will run most of the way along I-4. Given that the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) is involved in negotiating, my best guess is that the line will exit MCO south and connect to I-4 via the Central Florida Greeneway (aka State Road 417). That route would avoid Universal and the International Drive area completely. I could see Disney being happy about that routing, which means they would theoretically support this project.

Given that the Miami Brightline Station is only about 1.5 miles from the Port of Miami, I wouldn't be surprised if Disney Cruise Lines became an big purchaser of train tickets once the MIA-MCO line is up and running. Selling Walt Disney World packages that include a Disney Cruise out of Miami. Lots of people pay premium prices for both of those experiences. I don't see those people worrying about the cost of adding a train ticket when they're spending thousands already.
 
Continuing reliance on a transportation infrastructure designed around automobiles will only lead to endless cycles of road widening and improvement projects (expensive and inconvenient) as more and more cars on the roads lead to more and more traffic congestion. Rail could be one component of an overall transportation system designed to divert people away from highways where the speed limit signs exist simply to mock and taunt hapless drivers.

So a train that services WDW would be a nice start to keep people from the horrors of I-4.
 
There were a number of different train routes proposed over the years. You are correct that Disney opposed any routes that involved Universal or Downtown. The one they were in favor of was the high-speed rail line that connected Orlando International Airport (MCO) to Tampa. There were in talks about providing land near Interstate 4 (I-4) for a station when then Governor Rick Scott decided he didn't want to accept any categorical funds for rail projects from the Federal government.

I've searched but not found any maps of the proposed extension to Tampa. I know that it will run most of the way along I-4. Given that the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) is involved in negotiating, my best guess is that the line will exit MCO south and connect to I-4 via the Central Florida Greeneway (aka State Road 417). That route would avoid Universal and the International Drive area completely. I could see Disney being happy about that routing, which means they would theoretically support this project.

Given that the Miami Brightline Station is only about 1.5 miles from the Port of Miami, I wouldn't be surprised if Disney Cruise Lines became an big purchaser of train tickets once the MIA-MCO line is up and running. Selling Walt Disney World packages that include a Disney Cruise out of Miami. Lots of people pay premium prices for both of those experiences. I don't see those people worrying about the cost of adding a train ticket when they're spending thousands already.

The new intermodal train station at MCO is indeed on the south side of the airport, near the 417. Construction began some time ago because it was absolutely massive when I rode the DME a month ago. AFAIK, with the route set and construction underway from WPB to MCO, they’re now turning to plotting out the MCO-TPA route, which is why they’d be discussing Disney stop options now. The route is yet to be set.

IMO this faster-than-driving rail from MIA to MCO and on to TPA makes a whole lot of sense. Florida is now the third-most populated state, with millions of people in big cities hours apart. On top of that, there’s millions of tourists, many of whom from countries where they’re used to using HSR to go between destinations. This isn’t your Grandpa’s AmTrak, and I think it’ll be a huge success.
 
Don't quite understand the recent obsession with these rail lines.

Buses (good ones) come be just as comfortable, more flexible with the routes (they can go where the PEOPLE are), and cheaper to produce/maintain and cheaper to ride.

Amtrak sounds good in concept .. I'd love to hop on a train to go to Disney World and I can get it pretty close .. but it costs as much (if not more) than flying, I have to drive (or take ... a BUS!) to a train station ... they have horrible schedules ... take way too long (with the stops they do) and you still need to worry about transportation at your destination.

In the end -- flying/driving is better.

If anything, there could be a train station near Disney Springs and Disney just buses people where they need to go.

The main problem with train routes is getting the right of way for tracks and dealing with existing infrastructure. Because of that most modern train routes are forced to go where people aren't (or don't want to go). I don't see Disney really seeing the benefit of letting a private company come through their property when they have something like the Magical Express.

It all depends on how many riders they think would use this line.

I entirely agree with you. There is ONE place that I have found a commuter line to be useful. I live near Washington DC, and on occasion I have to go to NYC. There is an AMTRAK near me that's easy to board. The arrival at NYC drops you off on PENN Station where you can get just about anywhere in NYC. You can get an express train (Acela) for about the same amount of a plane. it takes a little longer (just over 2 hours) but if you factor in that you arrive at a train station 5 minutes before the train while an airport you have to be there 1.5 hours prior and you have the hassle of security, boarding, etc and you can't use your laptop during takeoff and landing plus there is a food car in the train (granted it's not great food...). Driving takes twice as long and there is no way I want to drive and park in NYC. The train is just much for convenient for a day or two trip to meet with clients at NYC.

I will say this - if there was a train going from MCO to WDW AND you could CONVENIENTLY get from the train station at WDW to the WDW hotel (ME plays a big part here as I don't want to lug my bags about), I might consider it as an alternative to the bus. However, it would have to be well done in order for that to happen.
 
I've always wondered about the totally lack of security on trains.

I mean, I get that you can't fly trains into a building, but blowing up a train with hazardous material or even just the train, while in a town could cause some serious damage.

But heck, they barely ask for ID.
 
I've always wondered about the totally lack of security on trains.

I mean, I get that you can't fly trains into a building, but blowing up a train with hazardous material or even just the train, while in a town could cause some serious damage.

But heck, they barely ask for ID.

Trains don't work well as Weapons of Mass Destruction. A bomb might destroy a single car or two, but not the whole thing. A derailment at speed could be a problem, but it's really hard to get into the engine compartment. It just doesn't strike the same fear as a plane, which we know almost no one survives a crash. Trains just aren't the same if your goal is create terror. From a terrifying and logical point of view, a terrorist would be better off attacking a crowded station than the train itself.

And no, FBI and other government monitoring agencies, that is just a logical supposition, not a threat. I'm not evil or morally bankrupt, just analytical...
 

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