Mayor Castor: Brightline, high speed rail service to Tampa is critical

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Talks of a high-speed rail service to Tampa continue among city leaders.

Many in the area believe a Brightline extension from Orlando to the Cigar City is a necessity.

Gov. Ron DeSantis remains adamant that Florida taxpayers won’t be on the hook to cover the cost. He addressed questions about funding for the service at a press conference in April.

“On the train, it goes from Miami to Orlando now,” he said, “It’s privately funded. If they proceed with this there is a corridor to be able to do that, but it’s not going to be Florida taxpayers constructing a train, I can be clear on that.”

Brightline is expanding service in other parts of Florida. Brevard County commissioners recently approved $5 million in tourism tax funding for a stop in the City of Cocoa. City leaders have also agree to contribute $5 million for the station.

In January, 8 On Your Side sat down with Mayor Jane Castor to talk about the future of Brightline in Tampa. At the time she said a route from Orlando to Tampa is essential and could become a reality in the next 5 years.

“The traffic is getting worse and worse every day,” she explained. “We’re having more and more people move to our community, so we have got to have mass transit solutions and we’ve got to have them quickly.”

According to a spokesperson, the mayor’s commitment to the high-speed rail stop have not changed due to the governor’s comments.

Leaders with Brightline would not comment about the possibility of a route to Tampa or possible funding sources for the project.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.