Imagine ditching your car and taking a train to catch a plane. It's the way metropolitan communities like New York, Baltimore and Washington — to name a few — navigate land to air travel. If mayor Jerry Demings' transit sales tax becomes reality, SunRail to Orlando International Airport could hit the fast track.But, either way, big things are happening at Orlando International Airport, including the opening of a new terminal.The possibility of SunRail pulling into the intermodal facility at Orlando International Airport has been discussed for years.Getting There: A look at how transportation is changing in Central Florida"I think what's standing in the way is really the people figuring out what's it going to take? What is the price and then who should be the partners working to make it happen?" Greater Orlando Aviation Authority CEO Kevin Thibault said.And if it did happen, Thibault said that rail connection could be life-changing for people who are limited in where they work and travel because of a lack of transportation.It could also ease traffic if travelers can hop on a train to the airport instead of drive.SunRail talks are in the very early stages and there's no timeline for the project because funding to make it happen is currently tied to the approval of Orange County's transportation sales tax proposal.Right now, the automated people mover is the only rail operating at OIA's intermodal, shuttling passengers between the north terminal and the new south parking garage.But it can accommodate two more rail lines.One bright spot for locals has been Brightline, the promise of a high-speed rail at OIA.Because anyone who's tried to take a road trip to Miami knows a quick weekend getaway could be delayed by hours of traffic.Work on the extension from south Florida began in 2019 and there's a light at the end of this tunnel.Next year Brightline will move into the intermodal facility, offering tourists and locals a quick, traffic-free, hassle-free way to get to Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm and eventually even Tampa. "There are many foreign markets, international markets, the European market, the Asian market. They're used to arriving at their airports and having a rail connection to get to the next stop," Thibault said. "It really is going to change and pivot this whole region, connecting and providing multimodal access to a whole bunch of different residents as well as visitors that come to the state. So when we look at that south terminal complex, it's really going to propel this region to the next level."If it's easier to get to Florida's tourist destinations, the hope is more people will make the trips.Visit Orlando's CEO Casandra Matej said tourism is a $75 billion a year industry and this type of transportation will only help it grow."The fact that Brightline is going to connect Miami to Orlando, I think is a huge success, we're gonna see, you know, huge wins not only getting visitors here but also businesses here," Matej said.Also expected to draw people to our area, another major project in OIA's south complex and it's on track to open this September — the highly anticipated Terminal C.Many years, more than 14 million hours, and nearly $2.8 billion later, what exactly are we getting?Phase one has 15 gates that can accommodate up to 20 aircraft and an additional 10 million to 12 million passengers every year — which both the airport and Visit Orlando agree the region needs because of the influx of new residents and tourists.In 2019, Orlando was the most visited destination in the country with 75 million visitors."We're seeing amazing numbers. And, in fact, you know, air capacity is over pre-pandemic time. So, you know, we're seeing that there's going to be a demand and a need for this new terminal, as well as other transportation opportunities," Matej said.But Terminal C is not just about capacity.Airport officials said it's an experience, the Orlando experience.WESH 2 got a sneak peek at the project, which is just a few months from completion.Sunlight pours in through the ceiling and walls of windows, palm trees provide that tropical feeling and two levels of restaurants and stores line the terminal.Interactive digital technology takes it all to the next level. Davin Ruohomoaki, senior director of engineering and construction, has overseen almost every aspect of this project.Ruohomoaki says they learned a lot from the original terminals and designed Terminal C to be more energy-efficient, easier to navigate and more convenient from the moment you get on the grounds."As soon as you park or get dropped off you go see an agent drop your bag, go to the TSA checkpoint automated screening lanes, which helps with that quickness through the TSA checkpoint, and then you literally walk into the airside concourse," Ruohomoaki said.No more going up and down between levels when you get to the airport or taking a shuttle to your gate. Ruohomoaki said check-in kiosks, automated Transportation Security Administration screening lines and facial recognition for international travelers will all get you to the gate faster.The advanced baggage handling system will get you on your way home faster. It gets bags off the plane in minutes regardless of weather holds or ground stops and will track them too.When Terminal C opens, Jet Blue will be ready for takeoff.International carriers like Lufthansa, Airlingus and Hawaiian Airlines, Thibault said, will likely follow. Eventually, four more gates, that already have foundations, will be opened."We actually have an application in place right now we're caught up in Washington to be able to draw down some of the infrastructure money that was in the rest of the recent jobs act to be able to finish that expansion," he said.Even more phases and more gates are planned after that."We've master-planned Terminal C for 60 gates, Terminal D in the future for another 60 gates. And then we can build some more. We have four runways, we don't need any new runways," Thibault said. "We can handle anywhere between 80 to 100 million passengers a year. So we have plenty of room for growth."Growth that's expected and almost certain as more people come to the sunshine state to live and play.