Bob Johnston

MIAMI — Executives responsible for Florida's Brightline passenger rail project say they're open to taking passenger services to other U.S. markets that could "benefit from the type of service" Brightline offers. Tampa, Fla., is a definite.



The news comes as Florida East Coast Industries executives announced that they've hired a former Madison Square Garden and New York Mets executive, Dave Howard, as Brightline CEO. His job is to get the FEC subsidiary ready to start Miami-West Palm Beach passenger operations this summer. Current Brightline President Mike Reininger moves to a new position as Executive Director at FECI to concentrate on constructing the line to Orlando International Airport.



In a Trains News Wire interview with both men, Reininger made it clear that the reason for the reorganization now is that the parent company intends to expand and replicate Brightline’s passenger rail blueprint to other markets, starting with the next segment from Orlando’s airport to Tampa, Fla., while “Dave can keep his hand on the wheel of the operating company.”



“Tampa is Florida’s next largest population center. For years we’ve had an expression of interest from leaders in that marketplace who are more than a little interested in a connection into our service,” Reininger says, “So we will be able to research and apply ourselves to that opportunity for sure. And [Florida East Coast Railway] already controls the right-of-way into Jacksonville, so we will start to explore whether that is a feasible and reasonable alternative.”



Federal 2009 stimulus funds for a Orlando to Tampa high speed rail project had been deemed “shovel ready” by the Obama Administration because transportation planners had provided room for tracks mostly in the median of Interstate 4, but Florida Gov. Rick Scott refused the money. In fact, a number of the operating railroad professionals hired by Brightline had worked for companies who were in the process of bidding on the proposed franchise when Scott pulled the plug.