Trump’s Transportation Department Celebrates $416 Million Investment to Upgrade Rail Safety Across Florida, Build New Multimodal Station for the Space Coast

Instead of funding California's train to nowhere, President Trump & Secretary Duffy are fixing over 900 highway-rail grade crossings throughout the Sunshine State

COCOA, FL - The U.S. Transportation Department's Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today joined the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to celebrate $416 million in federal funding for essential rail safety upgrades across the Sunshine State and the construction of a new multimodal station in Cocoa. The state of Florida is providing an additional $100 million to support the projects.

The federal package will provide:

• $356 million for Florida DOT to deploy safety upgrades - which include new high-tech signage, lighting, and physical barriers - to 910 highway-rail grade crossing locations to better protect passengers, motorists, and pedestrians.
• $57 million for the City of Cocoa to build a new Brightline in-line rail station, multi-use access road, and new segment of double-track.

The $356 million in federal support from the FRA is a key pillar of Secretary Duffy's "Golden Age of Rail" package announced in August. Roughly $2 billion of this grant package is funding Secretary Duffy saved the American people by canceling Gavin Newsom's disastrous high-speed train to nowhere.

FRA Administrator David Fink joined FDOT Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E., U.S. Congressman Mike Haridopolos, railroad industry leaders, and local and state officials in Brevard County today to share details about the safety upgrades as well as plans for the new Brightline Cocoa station.

"Defunding California's train to nowhere is producing tangible safety upgrades and real infrastructure projects that will benefit millions of Floridians for years to come," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. "President Trump is delivering transformational results for the Sunshine State, and we're just getting started."

"This is a monumental leap in rail safety for the state of Florida, and it was only made possible by President Trump and Secretary Duffy," said FRA Administrator David Fink. "By investing these dollars where they matter most, President Trump and Secretary Duffy are ushering in a Golden Age of Rail that will make Florida's rail corridors safe, modern, and more efficient."

"Here on the Space Coast, we continue to build for the future," said U.S. Congressman Mike Haridopolos. "This new station will make it easier for people to travel to and from the Space Coast while supporting our growing community. It is expected to have up to a $350 million annual economic impact and support 3,500 jobs, bringing even more opportunity to our region. Thank you to the FRA, FDOT, and our local partners for working together to make rail travel safer and more accessible for Floridians."

Additional Information:

Of the railroad crossing enhancements to be installed at over 900 locations across Florida, nearly a quarter of the sites will be in Central Florida - in Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia counties.

The types of safety features to be added include:

• Upgrades of pedestrian-activated warning systems at pedestrian rail crossings, including lights, gates, and audible warnings for pedestrians.
• Refinement and enhancement of pavement markings to ensure only rail-related markings are used (including Dynamic Envelopes). Raised reflective markers and solid lane lines will provide motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists with clear, consistent visual cues.
• Installation of overhead-mounted signals to enhance motorists' awareness of rail crossings.
• Enhanced lighting to heighten the visibility of rail crossings for pedestrians and motorists.
• Installation of LED-enhanced "DO NOT STOP ON TRACKS" signage at high-speed rail crossings to reinforce safe driving behaviors for motorists.
• Addition of "ANOTHER TRAIN COMING" warning signs at locations with at least two tracks to help prevent potential conflicts with pedestrians and vehicles with an unexpected additional train.
• Installation of physical barriers such as double gates to further deter vehicles from going around rail crossing gates.

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