FL: Brightline is moving forward on a Tampa station. When will it be here?

When Hillsborough County asked future passengers for feedback on Tampa’s proposed Brightline rail station, a common theme arose among almost 12,000 responses.

“Tampa has been wanting and waiting for this for a while now,” one respondent said.

“The sooner, the better! Highways are too congested, and drivers are crazy,” another said.

One person simply wrote, ““Pleaseeeeee.”

Since Brightline unveiled its Orlando station in 2023, connecting the city with Miami, the next question has been: when will it come to Tampa?

That question has become more urgent as Central Florida’s population continues to grow, snarling traffic along Interstate 4.

Last year, Mayor Jane Castor suggested a downtown Tampa station could launch by 2029.

This week, another official had a more reserved prediction. It could be another 10 years before residents can get between Tampa and Orlando using high-speed rail, said Johnny Wong, executive director of Hillsborough’s transportation planning organization, which helps fund highway and transit projects in the county.

He attributed that estimate to Bob O’Malley, a former Brightline executive who now works at the Orlando Economic Partnership.

Before Brightline can link Orlando and Tampa, it plans to lay down dozens of miles of new railway along I-4, according to a company report submitted to the state. The highway is in the middle of an expansion project that could take 15 or 20 years, he said, though Wong expects Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature will hasten that timeline.

“What we’ve seen from the Legislature over the past couple of years is that they have a really strong interest in accelerating the I-4 project, which would mean that the tracks would be accelerated as well,” Wong said.

It would make sense for Brightline to lay down rail tracks at the same time new express lanes are being added along I-4, Wong said.

In April, DeSantis announced two more lanes would open eight months early along I-4 at a particularly clogged stretch from east of U.S. 27 in Polk County to World Drive near Disney Springs.

Last week, Brightline requested $400 million in bonds from the Florida Development Finance Corporation to build new rail tracks and stations, including proposed stops in Tampa, the Treasure Coast and Brevard County. The rail service currently has stops in Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Orlando.

The state finance corporation still has to formally approve the bonds. But the rail company has so far faced few hurdles. City of Tampa officials voted unanimously this week to allow Brightline to move forward with the financing process.

Here’s what else to know about Brightline’s future in Tampa.

The service is contending with lower-than-expected ridership

Brightline, a private company, deferred interest payments on its bonds this month after the service had about 30% fewer riders than expected last year, according to Bloomberg News.

The service netted almost 2.8 million riders in 2024.

But South Florida ridership had been sinking for two years, particularly after Brightline in 2024 eliminated commuter passes that cost as little as $10 per ride, the Palm Beach Post reported.

Brightline reintroduced commuter passes this year, and in May and June, South Florida ridership began to increase.

The company operated at a $63 million loss last year, according to Fitch Ratings, which evaluates companies’ credit. It currently has $5.5 billion in debt, Bloomberg reported.

The Tampa station will be located downtown

Castor has floated Ybor City as a likely location for Tampa’s Brightline station.

Wong said the rail company has identified a particular site that he is not able to disclose in the “greater downtown area,” from Ybor to Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.

Hillsborough County initiated a survey in May to find out what passengers need from a downtown station.

Most said they would use a personal vehicle or a ride-hailing service, such as Uber and Lyft, to reach the Tampa station. That means the city will need to build a parking structure and also find ways to make the surrounding area safer. That could include improving sidewalks and crosswalks, building up bicycle infrastructure and reducing nearby speed limits, Wong said.

Respondents also indicated they want more public transit options around Tampa’s station, Wong said.

The prospect of Brightline could push city officials to pursue expanding the TECO Line Streetcar through Tampa Heights. The service currently runs between Ybor City and downtown Tampa.

What happens if Brightline doesn’t make it?

Brightline became the nation’s first private passenger rail to launch in a century when it started its 67-mile service between Miami and West Palm Beach in 2018. Already, the company faces financial woes.

If Brightline builds rail tracks along I-4, another operator could take over the service if the company ever sells off its assets, Wong said

A public operator, such as Amtrak, could even take over service, he said.

“If we have assets for trains to go through Tampa to Orlando, I don’t see why there wouldn’t be competitors in that space,” he said.

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