Officials from the greater Tampa Bay region have taken a little train ride from Miami to Orlando on the new Brightline inter-city connection.
Their hope is to have that train chug into Tampa, too.
Hillsborough County Commissioner Pat Kemp was part of the tour, which included Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and former mayor Bob Buckhorn.
Kemp said the ride was great.
"It's a fresh brand spanking new train. It's kind of like when you first buy a car or something," said Kemp.
Kemp said that train could be rolling into Ybor City in the future. That's the proposed stop for an Orlando-to-Tampa Brightline route.
Kemp said it will have a big impact on the region's business and tourist economy.
"You know, Orlando's has been the most visited places, Disney World, in the entire world from what I understand, and tourism. But an awful lot of people like to combine that with maybe a trip down to Miami, Cape Canaveral or to the Pinellas beaches," Kemp said.
The Orlando-to-Tampa Brightline route would run along the center of I-4. Kemp points out that's the same route for a federally funded high-speed train connection that was vetoed by then-Governor Rick Scott in 2001.
Brightline is a private project but would require some public funds.
Kemp said the train service is beyond overdue. She said growth in the region has far outpaced transportation options.
"I don't know how it can continue this way. It's just unbearable," said Kemp.
The most optimistic prediction has the route into Tampa up and running by 2028.
