Brightline Takes Step Forward With $400 Million Airport Train Expansion

Brightline is chugging along with plans to bring its high-speed rail service from Orlando International Airport to Tampa — but it needs help funding the first phase of the project.

©Brightline

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Brightline is seeking up to $400 million to get started on the Orlando-Tampa route.

Brightline’s long-term goal is to expand to Tampa along the Interstate 4 corridor, which would bring the length of the entire train route from South Florida to roughly 320 miles.

Brightline train

Since September 2023, Brightline has been running daily routes between Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando. The trains race through Central Florida at speeds of up to 125 mph before slowing down to around 80 mph in South Florida, on the way to downtown Miami.

Onboard a Brightline train

The current route between Orlando and Miami with Brightline is about 3 hours and 30 minutes, while a trip between the Orlando airport and downtown Tampa would take about an hour, according to Brightline.

In comparison, driving along I-4 between Tampa and Orlando by car typically takes nearly two hours.

©Brightline

“Connecting to Tampa means extending the system to the next biggest population center in Florida not presently served and will bring approximately 75% of the state’s population into proximity to a Brightline station,” said Ashley Blasewitz, company spokeswoman, in an email to the Sentinel.

Brightline Train Security in Orlando

A notice on the website for the Florida Development Finance Corporation in Winter Springs indicates Brightline would use the $400 million in bonds to pay for “design, development, acquisition, construction” of the rail system toward Tampa.

The total cost for the Tampa expansion — or a timeline for completion — has not been determined just yet.

Brightline Train Station

The Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization is studying a downtown location for the Tampa Brightline station, and the Florida Development Finance Corporation will hold a public meeting by phone conference at 2 PM on July 17th.

Brightline station in Miami

We’ll be on the lookout for additional updates about Brightline and this new potential train route. In the meantime, make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest travel news and more.

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