Virgin Trains USA has started construction on tracks between West Palm Beach and Orlando International Airport. The company will begin the expansion with the installation of three miles of track, signals, and related infrastructure, and the development of 70 acres for a maintenance shop, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Construction of the railway will include about 35 miles of new track from the airport along the State Road 528 corridor. Another 129 miles of rail along the east coast will require upgrades to 56 miles of existing track, and construction of 100 miles of new track.
The project is set for completion in 2022. Virgin Trains began operating last year between Miami and West Palm Beach, a 67-mile trip that takes 74 minutes, the article reported.
According to the article, the service from Miami to Tampa has the potential to serve 10 million passengers annually, the company said. Virgin Trains has also announced plans to develop service between Orlando’s airport and Tampa with a station at Walt Disney World.
“This monumental infrastructure project will include the laying of 490,000 ties and transporting 2.35 million tons of granite and limestone by 20,000 railcars,” the article reported the company said in a statement. “Additionally, approximately two million spikes and bolts will be hammered and put in place over the next 36 months.”
Source: Orlando Sentinel
