TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and city leaders went all the way down to Miami to experience Florida's high-speed rail service Brightline in action. The goal — to get a feel for what it might be like for the train to pull into the Tampa area.
Brightline recently expanded its service from South Florida to Orlando, with the latest stop now operating at the Orlando International Airport since mid-September. Brightline has been servicing South Florida since 2018.
Last year, Brightline announced it received a nearly $15.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to put toward building another stop. The likely target — a stop at the Tampa International Airport.
Taking a look at Brightline's website, it shows a "Tampa Station" on its map, noting it's a "future expansion" for the private rail company. The stop connects Tampa to Orlando, which is then connected to the five other South Florida destinations.
When exactly this Tampa Brightline station will be open or even built has not been announced. However, this trip by Castor and a local delegation solidifies the hope the Brightline station will be coming to the area sooner rather than later.
Castor and the delegation started their day in Miami, her office confirmed. After meeting with Brightline's CEO and Miami-Dade County leaders and taking a tour of the MiamiCentral Station, the delegation took a ride from there to West Palm Beach.
After a brief tour of the station and meeting with local city leaders, Castor and the delegation will once again board the high-speed train in order to get to their last stop — the Orlando station. After getting a final look at the newest station, Castor and city leaders will board a bus and make their way back to Tampa.
