FRA Funding Major Rail Safety Upgrades in Florida

October 9, 2026

The Federal Railroad Administration recently joined the Florida Department of Transportation to announce an award of $416 million in federal funding to support statewide rail safety upgrades as well as the construction of a new multimodal station in Cocoa, FL.

[Above photo by FRA]

The Florida DOT noted that $100 million in additional state funding will also help support those endeavors.

Meantime, in a statement, FRA said its $416 million funding package will provide:

  • $356 millionfor 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.

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, specifically in Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia counties.

FRA noted that the types of safety features to be added at railroad crossings across Florida 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. 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 light emitting diode or 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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