As the Walt Disney World Railroad’s closure at the Magic Kingdom now stretches past a year, we are finally getting some of our first opportunities to see long stretches of new track in place along the 1.5-mile loop.
While the construction of TRON Lightcycle Run has been billed as the reason for the railroad needing to cease operation, the time has also been used as an opportunity to refresh the track and the trains themselves.
This stretch, one of the few that are fully visible when not riding the train, has had new rails and ties installed recently.
It also appears that new rocks were laid under and around the new track.
Equipment used for moving and setting the track is still on site, as they continue down the line.
A stack of ties (the wooden beams set underneath the rails themselves) is nearby, ready for installation in the coming days.
Segments of rail are also at the ready in the grass nearby.
Finally, in Tomorrowland, the berm which is expected to separate the railway and the land (and the attractions within such as Tomorrowland Speedway) has grown quite a bit over the last few weeks, though it certainly won’t remain in its current state for long. The dirt pictured will most likely be redistributed for TRON Lightcycle Run’s construction, and the final product should be much more presentable.
Are you excited for the eventual return of the Walt Disney World Railroad? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
I love how Disney is bringing back the railroad and I cannot wait to ride it when it reopens thanks for the update😀
As DISNEY marches on into the future (with corporate craziness and stockholders in mind)lest we forget from whence we came…this is part of Walt’s legacy, he loved trains. Let’s not lose sight of our founder and his ideals. Let’s represent him and help WD park goers remember him fondly.. looking forward to riding Walt’s trains when my family returns…
Booked for November of this year. Really hoping that Railroad is completed by then. Looking forward to taking my grandsons on the trains.
Great to see. We are making our first visit in September. Do we have any idea when the railroad might reopen?
Not sure how popular a TRON ride is going to be…seems like a strange choice.
It’ll be popular because it’s new, and a rollercoaster.
Why would it not be popular? The theme of the ride will not affect how many people ride it. Never once have I thought, man I really do not like star wars I am not going to ride anything star wars no matter how new and exciting it is. If you build it, they will come.
I’m guessing a lot of people had a blast on the Rockin’ Rollercoaster but had no clue who Aerosmith even was
As a railfan (train lover) myself, I am very excited to see the WDWRR getting closer to reopening. (I love trains more than I do Disney. Please don‘t shoot me.) Also, the “rocks” under the track is known as ballast, and the ballast makes up the roadbed that the track sits on.