TAMPA, Fla. — Less than a year has passed since Brightline expanded service from Miami to Orlando. Now, the rail service is focused on making its next stop in Tampa.

What You Need To Know

  • Less than a year has passed since Brightline expanded service from Miami to Orlando. Now, the rail service is focused on making its next stop in Tampa

  • Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced that Florida taxpayers will not provide funding for the expansion of the rail service between the two cities

  • The Federal Railroad Administration is currently conducting a study on daily long-distance services to assess the potential for new Amtrak long-distance routes

  • The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is still seeking feedback and can be reached via email: contactus@fralongdistancerailstudy.org

Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced that Florida taxpayers will not provide funding for the expansion of the rail service between the two cities. Despite a $50 million funding request for the project, the state legislature left it out of the budget submitted to DeSantis for approval.

Bob O’Malley, the founder of Right Track Public Affairs, shared his thoughts on what this means for the rail service between the two cities.

“I think when you look at expanding passenger rail throughout the country, public and private both need to work together,” said O’Malley. "And that’s why the governor’s announcement was encouraging: The state is going to preserve right of way within the I-4 corridor, which is a state-owned asset, and then you’re going to have a private company look to build inner-city rail between Orlando and Tampa.”

This news comes as the only existing rail line out of Tampa, Amtrak is also looking to expand.

Hundreds of passengers travel out of the Tampa Union Station every day, making it the second busiest Amtrak station in the state of Florida.

John Fox is a native of Winter Park. Instead of driving from Tampa to the Orlando area, he decided to take his family on a train ride. He now says that it’s a better option than sitting in traffic on I-4.

“It definitely is a great way to travel, especially with rising car insurance and gas prices,” Fox said.

He expressed his desire to have more railway services from Tampa to Orlando and other areas. The Federal Railroad Administration is currently conducting a study on daily long-distance services to assess the potential for new Amtrak long-distance routes. However, the proposed Chicago-Florida Amtrak service would bypass Tampa, which has not been well-received by local riders. Bob O’Malley of Right Track Public Affairs believes this route would succeed, with Tampa included.

“Tampa needs to be included on that route because Tampa is a is a popular destination in its own right. And also there’s over 3 million people that live in the Tampa area that could benefit from that service,” said O’Malley.

According to a statement, Tampa’s existing service and streetcar are already experiencing record ridership. Fox is one of the many commuters who have expressed their desire for additional rail services in the area. With the population growth in the local area, he believes that the benefits of these services will be limitless.

“Tampa was a backwater before the rails came here, and then it became a boomtown because of Henry Plant. And there’s a reason, you know, you know, that sort of interconnectivity. It means the world for small businesses, for, you know, for the economy,” Fox added.

According to the proposed long-distance train route by the Federal Railroad Administration, trains traveling from Miami to Chicago would make stops in cities such as Atlanta, Indianapolis, and Orlando.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is still seeking feedback and can be reached via email: contactus@fralongdistancerailstudy.org