Next stop, Cocoa: Brightline travels toward new station in Brevard

COCOA, Fla. – Brightline, the passenger rail company that recently started sending trains from Orlando International Airport to Miami and back on a daily basis, has started down the road to adding a station in Cocoa.

In a statement to News 6, Brightline said it believes “the time is now to finalize a plan” for a new station, which would be located near State Road 528 and U.S. 1.

“Brightline is ready to begin the formal process with Space Coast stakeholders to fulfill our vision for a Brevard County station. The Space Coast TPO, Brevard County, City of Cocoa and other community leaders have started to bring the region together to identify potential federal, state and local resources for a station to be located in Cocoa,” said Katie Mitzner, Brightline director of public affairs.

Cocoa Mayor Michael C. Blake said city officials have met with Brightline executives and are ready to move forward with negotiations.

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“We will now begin to coordinate with community stakeholders to present a financial proposal to Brightline. A Cocoa in-line station represents a significant infrastructure investment and will have great economic impact on our community, with the goal of improving connectivity and accessibility for residents and visitors to the Space Coast,” Blake said in a statement.

The CEO of Port Canaveral also expressed his support for the new Brightline station.

“We’re projecting over seven million passenger movements this year and we are thrilled that our guests will have another transportation option to embark on a cruise from Port Canaveral,” said Capt. John Murray in a statement.

Florida Today reported Tuesday that the Cocoa City Council last week unanimously voted to commit $5 million for a Brightline station project.

The city’s communications director, Samantha Senger, said the city will also seek state and federal funding.

“It’s a huge, transformative project for our community,” she said. “This is going to be a boost to our economy.

Details about the total cost of the station or its estimated opening date are not known.

Brightline currently operates 32 trains a day — 16 each way — between Orlando International Airport and Miami.

Senger also addressed deaths that have happened when people have walked and driven onto tracks as trains were coming.

She said she doesn’t believe building a station creates more safety concerns.

“I think that we are working collectively with Brightline, that we make sure that we put out the proper safety information to all of our residents,” Senger said. “We’ve been doing that since they started their trains.”

Before Brightline, there was a train station on Rosa Jones Drive.

In 2019, Demetri Waters told News 6 reporter James Sparvero he was really hoping the station would be built in his neighborhood.

Senger said that wherever the station is built, it will be good for the entire city.

“So, even though it’s on the north end of our community, it’s still bringing tourists to our area,” she said. “It’s boosting our economy, regardless of the location.”