Федеральное правительство выделило почти 58 млн долларов на строительство станции Brightline в Кокосе

Nearly $58M secured for Brightline station in Cocoa The final funding hurdle has been cleared for a future Brightline station in Cocoa with the announcement Tuesday of a nearly $58 million federal grant. Congressman Mike Haridopolos, R-Brevard County, said he was able to secure the funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation. The $57.48 million grant is huge news for the area. A new Brightline station in Cocoa would connect the city to Orlando International Airport and to Miami, something that's been in the works for a decade. Most of the rail is already there. The next steps would be building the actual Brightline station. The city of Cocoa, Space Coast TPO, and Brevard County Tourism Development Council have also contributed funding which will be used to build the station infrastructure, adding four additional miles of the double track for the rail, as well as station construction and operations. In July, Fitch Ratings downgraded Brightline from a CCC to a CC rating, a meaningful step lower in its credit rating scale and signals the company is more likely to default in the future. That means the company is more at risk of not being able to pay its bills, according to Fitch Ratings. Rep. Haridopolos addressed those concerns to WESH 2 News directly. "The Brightline is a long-term viable program. Whoever, of course, takes on this debt long-term will keep the train operating," he said. "There's been so much money invested in this. Whether it be the current owners or the future owners, the Brightline is here to stay." In a statement, the city of Cocoa said, in part, "Securing a highly competitive federal grant of this magnitude requires immense technical preparation, financial commitment, and interagency 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." From Brightline, CEO Nicolas Petrovic said in a statement that the company looks forward to building, operating, and welcoming customers to a world-class station connecting Brevard County "to the rest of the state." The hope is to open the Cocoa station by 2030.