State gives rail firm extension for talks

Virgin Trains negotiating placing tracks between Orlando, Tampa near I-4

Virgin Trains was granted another extension for negotiations over locating railroad track along public roads between Orlando and Tampa, but the state “cannot indefinitely offer a lease opportunity in the Interstate 4 corridor,” transportation officials said.

Florida Department of Transportation and Central Florida Expressway Authority officials agreed this week to another 90 days of talks with Virgin Trains USA, formerly Brightline, over leasing track space. Current talks lapse Jan. 1 and the extension is to run through March 31.

“We’ve made great progress over the past year working with multiple agencies along the corridor in trying to determine an exact alignment that fits into other expansion projects,” said Ben Porritt, Virgin senior vice president for corporate affairs, when asked why negotiations have been prolonged.

The privately owned and financed Virgin is building higherspeed rail from South Florida to Orlando International Airport, a $4 billion, 160-mile project set for completion in 2021.

Last year, state and local road agencies entered into talks with Virgin over a establishing a nearly 80-mile rail corridor from the airport to a station in Tampa.

An agreement letter signed this week by the Florida Department of Transportation, Central Florida Expressway Authority and Virgin Trains, approving another 90 days of talks, describes Virgin’s route options as highly complex.

Virgin rail would extend west from the airport along Orlando Utilities Commission rail corridor used by coal trains. It would inter