Florida East Coast Industries, Inc. announced the appointment of Donald C. Robinson as President and Chief Operating Officer for All Aboard Florida. Mr. Robinson was a longtime senior executive with The Walt Disney Company. Additionally, P. Michael Reininger has been promoted to President and Chief Development Officer for All Aboard Florida. Mr. Reininger joined All Aboard Florida in 2012. Mr. Robinson will focus on developing the operational functions for the passenger rail project, including the procurement of rolling stock and engagement of third-party operators. Mr. Reininger will deliver the project's built environment, including the rail infrastructure, stations, and transit-oriented real estate development. They will jointly define All Aboard Florida's brand and customer experience. Mr. Robinson brings more than 35 years of experience developing, managing and branding complex, multi-faceted hospitality and recreational projects throughout the world. Most notably, he ran hotel operations for the entire Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla. In this role, he was accountable for all 16 Walt Disney World Resort hotels (30,000 rooms total), four theme parks, two water parks, five golf courses, more than 400 retail and dining facilities, and 35,000 employees. He was instrumental in the opening of Disneyland Paris and led the development and opening of Hong Kong Disneyland. Mr. Robinson most recently served as President of Baha Mar Resorts Ltd., where he oversaw the design, development and construction of a $3.5 billion resort destination located in Nassau, Bahamas. Mr. Reininger brings nearly three decades of real estate development and brand management expertise to All Aboard Florida, having served in senior management roles with AECOM, MGM Resorts International and The Walt Disney Company. He has spearheaded a diverse range of projects, including globally recognized mixed-use, transit-oriented developments and large-scale, international entertainment resort destinations. As managing partner for Union Station Neighborhood Company in Denver, Colo., he orchestrated the master planning for the Denver Union Station transit-oriented development project through a public-private partnership structure.

Florida East Coast Industries, Inc. is developing a privately owned, operated and maintained passenger rail service to connect South Florida and Orlando, which will be operational in 2014. By connecting the most visited city in the United States with South Florida's business and vacation destinations, the passenger rail project, called All Aboard Florida, is designed to serve Florida's growing number of business travelers, as well as families and tourists traveling for pleasure. The All Aboard Florida passenger rail project will connect South Florida to Orlando through a 240-mile route combining 200 miles of existing tracks between Miami and Cocoa and the creation of 40 miles of new track to complete the route to Orlando. Eventually the system could be expanded with connections to Tampa and Jacksonville. More than fifty million people travel between South and Central Florida annually, largely over highly congested highways. All Aboard Florida is envisioned to transform the way people travel throughout the state, offering a faster, safer, and more enjoyable mode of transportation between Florida's two metropolitan areas. Targeted to begin service in 2014, the approximately $1 billion project will operate on a regular schedule throughout the day transporting business and leisure passengers between South Florida and Orlando in approximately three hours. This new, convenient, affordable, fast and environmentally friendly intercity passenger rail service is expected to: create approximately 6,000 direct jobs will be needed to construct the system and over 1,000 more jobs to operate and maintain it; new economic development opportunities also will be created for communities along the route; the service will take millions of vehicles off Florida's roadways, resulting in a reduction in auto emissions and allowing for a far more fuel-efficient alternative to the automobile at this time of escalating gas prices; travel time between regions will be approximately three hours and train service will be frequent throughout the day; the new passenger service will not affect freight capacity in the rail corridor, thereby supporting Florida's role in international commerce and allowing more intermodal freight movements. By adding an entirely new travel choice, the All Aboard Florida passenger rail service will provide a high-quality experience for travelers. The system will include business- and coach-class service with advance purchase reserved seating, gourmet meals, Wi-Fi, and the ability to work productively throughout the entire trip. In addition, stations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando mean convenient transfers to Metrorail, Metromover or SunRail, allowing passengers to reach their final destination. FECI began a feasibility analysis for the project several months ago. Additionally, an investment grade ridership study and engineering work to design the system are underway.