The nation’s first downtown station for a super-fast passenger train is going to be in Tampa. Being first has huge advantages in the hot competition for federal dollars for high-speed rail.
Money follows good plans, and Florida’s plans are the best.
Congress will have a vested interest in making sure the Tampa-Orlando line gets going on schedule. The first round of funding competition has made it obvious that the fastest trains are too expensive to be built across every state that wants them.
But it’s also hard to see what could stop the momentum that will lay tracks across Florida and bring significant and lasting economic stimulus.
Within a year, actual construction of 84 miles of track between here and the Orlando airport will begin. Already, preliminary work is under way, including public outreach and aerial photography. Continue reading here.
