J Magazine Winter 2019
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As Michael Cegelis speaks at a<br />
recent Central Florida Transportation<br />
Planning Group<br />
meeting, the crowd inside<br />
the Greater Orlando Aviation<br />
Authority boardroom quietly<br />
listens.<br />
Soaking in what they came<br />
to hear, the executive vice<br />
president of infrastructure<br />
of Miami-based Virgin Trains USA provides highlights<br />
of the rail operator’s most ambitious project to date, the<br />
construction of a $4 billion extension of the high-speed<br />
rail system that will connect South Florida with Orlando.<br />
Considered to be the most innovative intercity passenger<br />
rail system in the country, Virgin operates a 67-mile<br />
rail system with trains traveling up to 79 miles per hour<br />
on 60-minute headways between Miami and West Palm<br />
Beach. Operating since January 2018, a record 244,000<br />
passengers traveled on the train during the first quarter of<br />
<strong>2019</strong>.<br />
While the availability of a historic railroad corridor<br />
developed by Henry Flagler between Jacksonville and<br />
Miami may be the key asset to its establishment, serving<br />
Orlando may be the commodity that ultimately defines<br />
its success or failure. Following the debut of the Orlando<br />
link, the company expects revenue to stabilize by 2024<br />
36<br />
J MAGAZINE | WINTER <strong>2019</strong>
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