All Aboard Florida gets OK to start lease talks for Orlando-to-Miami rail route
Orlando Business Journal
By Anjali Fluker
December 18, 2012
"The Florida Department of Transportation on Dec. 18 gave the thumbs up to start lease negotiations with the firm that wants to build the $1.5 billion, privately owned, operated and maintained Orlando-to-Miami passenger rail system.
All Aboard Florida now will begin talks on two separate lease agreements for right-of-way use along State Road 528, one agreement with the state transportation department and another with the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority. That would pave the way for the firm to begin work on its proposed 240-mile intercity passenger rail system.
"Today, the Florida Department of Transportation notified All Aboard Florida that it has accepted our proposal to lease right of way in the State Road 528 corridor to build the first private intercity passenger rail system in the country,” said Husein Cumber, executive vice president of corporate development for Florida East Coast Industries. “All Aboard Florida will begin negotiations with FDOT to determine the lease terms that will allow our $1.5 billion private investment to move forward quickly so we can enhance Florida's transportation network and begin to create thousands of new jobs in our state...”
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