COCOA, Fla. — Brightline has found it's next stop in the sunshine state: Cocoa.
The rail company is adding a new station at "The Cocoa Curve" in Brevard County, according to an article from Florida Today.
The Cocoa City Council unanimously voted to commit $5 million in city money for a Brightline station project last week.
The news site says the new location makes sense for the company because Brightline trains already slow down in the area to switch from a west-to-east configuration to a north-to-south configuration.
The report explains the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization had also previously considered The Cocoa Curve location as the best site for a Brightline station.
“Brightline is ready to begin the formal process with Space Coast stakeholders to fulfill our vision for a Brevard County station. The Space Coast TPO, Brevard County, City of Cocoa and other community leaders have started to bring the region together to identify potential federal, state and local resources for a station to be located in Cocoa,” said Katie Mitzner, Brightline director of public affairs, in a statement to WKMG 6.
The announcement comes just after Brightline announced a new stop in downtown Stuart earlier this month.
Tampa is also set to get a Brightline station. A Brightline spokesperson says it would take three years to build a Tampa extension after funding, design and expansion plans are finalized.
In November 2023, Mayor Jane Castor held a press conference stating the Tampa station would be located in Ybor City.
"I would say on the optimistic side: four [to] five years, hopefully, we'll have passengers traveling between Orlando and Tampa," Castor said.
