The City of Cocoa and the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization (SCTPO) proudly announce a monumental milestone for regional transportation. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has officially selected the Cocoa Multimodal Station and Rail Project for the highly competitive National Railroad Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program, awarding approximately $57.5 million to help bring passenger rail service directly to the Space Coast through final design and construction of the Cocoa Multimodal station.

Securing a highly competitive federal grant of this magnitude requires immense technical preparation, financial commitment, and inter-agency trust. This achievement reflects years of collaboration among local, regional, state, and federal partners who share a common vision for the future of transportation on the Space Coast.

This milestone marks the culmination of a decade-long shared vision to bring high-speed passenger rail directly to Brevard County. Brightline Trains currently operates its premier passenger rail service right through the heart of the Space Coast, connecting Orlando International Airport to Miami along the Florida East Coast Railway (FECR) tracks. These tracks run parallel to US 1 through Brevard County, beginning at SR 528 (Beachline) and running south. While residents have watched these trains pass by, today’s joint grant success ensures the project will seamlessly move forward into its Final Design and Construction phases, connecting the Space Coast directly to destinations throughout Florida.

The City of Cocoa and SCTPO have a long, dedicated history of supporting the relaunch of passenger rail in Florida. In 2016, in response to Brightline’s private endeavor to provide higher-speed rail service, the SCTPO conducted an initial Station Location Analysis.

That benchmark study identified the Cocoa location near US 1/SR 528 and SR 501 (Clearlake Road) as the preferred location for a train station to support the region’s economy, bolster tourism, and advance the public transportation vision described in the region’s Long Range Transportation Plan.

The total combined capital investment will be directly utilized to build out the following infrastructure components:

• Station Infrastructure: Final design and construction of a brand-new, in-line passenger station featuring family-friendly amenities. On-site circulation and parking facilities will be developed on land already owned by the project partners to optimize resource management.
• Track and Rail Optimization: Laying approximately four additional miles of double track and installing all necessary rail infrastructure within the existing corridor to ensure smooth, efficient passenger operations.
• Station Construction and Operations: As part of the federal award, Brightline Trains will partner with the City of Cocoa to construct the station. Brightline will maintain and operate the new Cocoa station.

-via Press Release