Close to US$ 18M Federal Funding Awarded for Proposed Tampa-Orlando Rail Project in Florida

A $15,875,000 federal grant has been awarded to the Central Florida region for the Tampa-Orlando rail project proposed by Brightline LLC, a privately owned and operated passenger rail service company. The federal funds were provided for the high-speed rail line project through a Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant Program coordinated by the US Department of Transportation.

The federal funds will cover half of the preliminary engineering costs for the Tampa-Orlando rail project, which according to Brightline will be a 67-mile long, intercity passenger rail route, planned to run from Tampa to Orlando, along the Interstate 4 corridor. Brightline also plans to provide the remaining  $15,875,000 of the project’s cost, bringing the total investment to $31,750,000.

Development Plans for the Tampa-Orlando rail project

The developers would need to complete the preliminary engineering activities and environmental approvals to move forward with the Tampa-Orlando rail project. Some of these initial steps will involve completing 15% and 30% of the engineering design for the rail project, which will be built as a grade-separated and double-tracked rail line, within the right-of-way of the I-4 median and other existing transportation corridors.

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The Tampa-Orlando rail project is expected to reach completion by the year’s end and start transporting passengers in 2023. One of its stations will be located in Tampa, at the junction of Nick Nuccio Parkway and Nebraska Avenue. The rail project will also include two more stations, on the eastern end of the route; one station is intended to serve Disney and other facilities around the corridors of I-4, while the other would be at the Orlando International Airport. 

Brightline described the proposed Tampa-Orlando rail project as the next step in connecting 70% of the state’s population. The rail route would provide commuters with another transportation alternative through two densely populated cities, which will get them to their destination in 2 hours and at a top speed of 125 mph. Michael Reininger, Brightline’s CEO also said this project was one of the modern innovative transportation solutions, which would boost economic development in Central Florida and attract future businesses and residents.