Florida High Speed Rail Network Discussed

Two years ago, Florida voters passed a constitutional amendment requiring the State to begin building a high-speed rail network, with speeds exceeding 120 mph. The first leg will run from Tampa to Orlando along Interstate 4, with intermediate stops near Lakeland, Disney World and the Orange County Convention Center. A Tampa-to-St. Petersburg extension will then be built, starting around 2005. The network's second phase is Orlando to Miami. Capital costs for the St. Petersburg-Orlando line range from $1.8 billion to $7.2 billion, depending on the technology used. Annual operating and maintenance costs range from $26.2 million to $45.4 million.